This page is about modern Mongolia's own national flag lineage, not the thirteenth-century Mongol Empire — that vast, continent-spanning conquest state, built by Genghis Khan and fragmented among his successors, has its own dedicated deep-dive elsewhere in this atlas. This page instead picks the story up as the empire's fragments recede back to the Mongolian steppe itself: centuries under Qing Chinese suzerainty, an early-20th-century independence movement, the world's second Communist state, and a peaceful democratic transition.
For the empire's own formation, conquests, and banners under Genghis Khan and his immediate successors, see this atlas's Mongol Empire page.
Scope of this page: the territory of the modern state of Mongolia (historically "Outer Mongolia," distinct from Inner Mongolia, which remains part of China), from the Qing conquest of the 17th century to the present, five political periods. Part of a larger atlas — see the linked pages at the bottom.
One border, five eras
Modern Mongolia's own real border, traced whole — this page's own scope note already draws the key line: it covers only historic "Outer Mongolia," since Inner Mongolia remains part of China and has never been part of the polities charted here. Press play, or drag the slider, to watch who held all of it, era to era.
This is a border that stayed remarkably constant while sovereignty over it changed completely. Every era shown here governed the whole of today's Mongolia at once, from Qing suzerainty through the Bogd Khanate, the People's Republic, and the modern democracy — there's no genuinely separate internal region of Outer Mongolia itself to carve out honestly.
1368
Post-imperial Mongol khanates
Real traced border of modern Mongolia — no internal partition, see the rule box above for why.
How we know this. 5 of 5 eras on this page carry an evidence panel (2 attested, 3 not yet checked). Only the ones marked attested are confirmed by the sources named under them; where sources disagree or a claim could not be confirmed, the panel says so.
Soyombo on red, blue for the eternal sky — refined in 1992
1992 – present
Mongolia (modern democratic republic)
Parliamentary democracyPunsalmaagiin OchirbatSecular (no state religion)
Migration & conquest:Emigration: labor migrants to South Korea (1990s–)
Who & why: peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations in Ulaanbaatar in early 1990 force the ruling Communist party to give up its constitutional monopoly on power; Mongolia holds its first multi-party elections that same year and adopts a new democratic constitution in 1992, completing a remarkably bloodless transition away from seven decades of one-party Communist rule. The 1992 constitution also removes the Communist-era gold star from atop the flag's Soyombo emblem, the last change to the design.
What it represents: the Soyombo, a stacked national symbol combining flame, sun, moon, and yin-yang-like elements representing eternal prosperity, on the hoist-side red stripe; the wider blue center stripe stands for the eternal sky central to traditional Mongolian belief, flanked by red stripes for progress and prosperity.
Attestedhow we know this
Wikipedia: the current flag was adopted on 12 February 1992, the communist star above the Soyombo removed, colour standards set on 8 July 2011; the blue stripe is the eternal blue sky and the red stripes are thriving for eternity. Flags of the World: adopted by the new constitution of 13 January 1992, the star surmounting the emblem removed in 1992; Article 12 gives blue as the eternal sky in the middle and red as progress and prosperity on either side.
Mongolia — Flags of the World (CRW Flags) compiled
Not established: The adoption day is 12 February on Wikipedia and 13 January (the constitution) on FOTW; the Soyombo's element meanings differ between the sources.
Paint guide
Proportions1:2.
LayoutThree vertical stripes, red-blue-red (1:1.2:1 ratio); gold Soyombo emblem on the hoist-side red stripe, no star atop it.
Red#DA2032
Blue#0066B3
Gold#F9D616
the Soyombo, crowned with a Communist gold star
1924 – 1992
Mongolian People's Republic
Communist one-party stateDamdin SükhbaatarState atheism
Migration & conquest:Immigration: Chinese contract laborers (1950s–60s)
Who & why: with Soviet backing, Mongolian revolutionaries led by Damdin Sükhbaatar had already expelled occupying Chinese and White Russian forces by 1921; the theocratic Bogd Khanate that followed is then abolished and the Mongolian People's Republic proclaimed in November 1924, becoming the world's second Communist state after the Soviet Union itself. The MPR functions as a close Soviet satellite for nearly seven decades, undergoing its own Stalinist-style purges in the 1930s (including the destruction of most Buddhist monasteries) before the peaceful 1990 democratic movement ends one-party rule.
What it represents: Wikipedia and Flags of the World both say the first constitution (26 November 1924) described a red flag with the state emblem (the soyombo) in the centre. The star is a later addition: Wikipedia says the 1940 constitution's flag had no star and the 1945 design carried the star above the soyombo; Flags of the World places the confirmed flag with a gold star above the soyombo in 1949, and sources disagree on the exact date of the star. The drawing's red-and-blue layout with a star is the later (1945-1992) design.
Attestedhow we know this
WP: first constitution (26 Nov 1924) described a red flag with the state emblem in the centre; 1940 flag had no star; 1945 design with star; star above soyombo for the final 47 years. FOTW: 1924 constitution describes a red flag with the soyombo in the centre; soyombo adopted as state symbol 1924; 1949 gold star over soyombo; star removed 1992.
Mongolia — Flags of the World (CRW Flags) compiled
Not established: The star is not in 1924; exact date of the star differs (1945 per WP, 1949 confirmation per FOTW). Page drawing shows the later layout.
Paint guide
Proportions1:2 (final 1945 version shown; earlier MPR flags varied).
LayoutSame three-stripe layout as the modern flag, but with a gold five-pointed star above the Soyombo emblem.
Migration & conquest:Occupied by: Republic of China (1919–21)
Ruling house:Jebtsundamba Khutuktu line (Bogd Khans)
Who & why: as the 1911 Xinhai Revolution topples the Qing Dynasty in China, Mongolian nobles and Buddhist clergy declare independence that December, installing the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, the head of Mongolian Buddhism, as the theocratic Bogd Khan. Republican China refuses to recognize the declaration and occupies the territory again from 1919 to 1921; Mongolian and allied Soviet-backed forces then expel both Chinese troops and a marauding White Russian force under Baron Ungern-Sternberg in 1921, restoring the Bogd Khan as a figurehead monarch under an increasingly Soviet-aligned revolutionary government until his death in 1924.
What it represents: both sources say the Bogd Khanate had a national flag from 1911 (Wikipedia: adopted by decree; Flags of the World: independence declared 29 December 1911). Flags of the World says the 1911 and 1912 flags show the soyombo in the older religious colours; the sources read do not mention Zanabazar or a plain red field, and Flags of the World also reports a yellow square flag with an orange border for 1911-1919.
Not yet checked against sourceshow we know this
Wikipedia: after the 1911 declaration of independence the Bogd Khanate adopted a national flag as a symbol of independence. Flags of the World: independence declared 29 December 1911; the 1911 and 1912 flags show the soyombo in the older religious colours, a yellow square with an orange border is reported for 1911-1919, and a 1911 army flag is shown.
Mongolia — Flags of the World (CRW Flags) compiled
Not established: Both sources agree that a flag with the soyombo was adopted, but neither supports a red field, and FOTW points to religious colours and a yellow flag; the card's design is not established.
Paint guide
ProportionsNo fixed ratio consistently recorded.
LayoutRed field, gold Soyombo emblem centered.
the Qing Yellow Dragon Flag, extended over Mongolia as suzerain territory
Migration & conquest:Immigration: Han Chinese merchants & settlers (esp. late 19th c.)
Ruling house:Jebtsundamba Khutuktu line (Bogd Khans)
Who & why: Khalkha Mongol nobles submit to the Qing Dynasty at the 1691 Dolonnor assembly, seeking protection against the rival Dzungar Khanate to the west; the Qing subsequently governs Mongolia through a system of banners and local princely rule rather than direct administration, while Mongolia's own Buddhist clergy retain significant local authority. Qing control weakens through the 19th century alongside the wider dynasty's decline, opening the path to the 1911 independence declaration once the Qing itself collapses.
What it represents: neither Wikipedia's nor Flags of the World's page on Mongolia's flag describes flags under Qing rule (Flags of the World points to a separate page on early Mongol flags). The sources read do not confirm that the Qing Yellow Dragon Flag was flown over Mongolia.
Not yet checked against sourceshow we know this
Neither Wikipedia's nor Flags of the World's Mongolia page describes flags under Qing rule, and FOTW's early Mongol flags page covers the Mongol Empire (Chinghiz-khan banners, museum and festival flags, the 1375 Catalan Atlas) but no Qing-era banners.
Not established: Whether the Qing Yellow Dragon Flag flew over Outer Mongolia is not stated by any source read.
Paint guide
Proportions2:3 (from 1889).
LayoutImperial yellow field, blue five-clawed dragon, red flaming pearl.
Mongol imperial black — fragmented post-Yuan khanates
1368 – 1691
Post-imperial Mongol khanates (Northern Yuan and successors)
Fragmented khanatesToghon TemürTibetan Buddhism (revived from 16th c.)
Ruling house:Northern Yuan BorjigidsJebtsundamba Khutuktu line (Bogd Khans)
Who & why: after Ming rebellion drives the Mongol Yuan court out of China in 1368, the Mongol ruling line retreats to the steppe as the Northern Yuan, continuing to claim the old imperial title while actually controlling only Mongolia itself. The centuries that follow bring recurring fragmentation among rival Mongol groups — the Oirats (Western Mongols) and various eastern Mongol confederations chief among them — and repeated conflict, most consequentially with the rising Dzungar Khanate, before growing numbers of Mongol groups accept Qing overlordship from the mid-17th century, completed by the Khalkha's own 1691 submission.
What it represents: neither Wikipedia's nor Flags of the World's page on Mongolia's flag describes post-Yuan khanate flags; the Northern Yuan appears only in Wikipedia's sidebar. The sources read do not support the black Mongol imperial banner stated here.
Not yet checked against sourceshow we know this
Neither Wikipedia's nor Flags of the World's Mongolia page describes post-Yuan khanate flags. FOTW's early Mongol flags page describes white and black nine-tailed banners attributed to Chinghiz-khan (Lomantsov, who calls modern reconstructions very doubtful) and Mongol Empire flags, but nothing for the Northern Yuan or later khanates.
Not established: The black Mongol imperial banner for 1368-1691 is not established; the nearest evidence concerns the 13th-century empire, not the later khanates.
Paint guide
ProportionsN/A — see the Mongol Empire page for the empire's own earlier banners.
Reading the tags
Fragmented / suzerain territory — no independent Mongolian state
Theocratic monarchy, contested — independence declared but not universally recognized
Communist one-party state — sovereign under Communist Party rule
Leader — the named ruler most associated with the era's start
State religion — the official/established faith, not the population's
Find the records
Family history research for Mongolia lives in a different project, Record Atlas, which maps which archive actually holds the paper for a given place and era.