It is the official and most commonly used symbol of the Maldives and was adopted on July 25, 1965. The very first Maldivian flag was predominantly red in color and was used by the Sultans until the beginning of the 20th Century. It had a practical design to augment visibility when set against the blue background of the seas. It featured a black and white hoist called the Dhandimathi (Dhivehi: ދަނޑިމަތި) which was an extension of the flagpole. This was presumably because old flagpoles were painted white with a black strip spiralling upwards. This historic flag has been mistakenly associated with the idea of communism, however since the flag predates communism this assumption is not generally accepted.
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