Canada’s flag is twice as long as it is high. Its center is a white square, flanked by red rectangles, with a stylized eleven-point maple leaf at the center.
Specification
The official description is “Gules on a Canadian pale Argent a maple leaf Gules.” In geometric terms, a 64-by-32-unit flag divides into red fields of 16 units, a central white square of 32 units, and another 16-unit red field.
Reference colors
Screen approximation shown; production standards vary by useHEX #FFFFFF / RGB 255, 255, 255Construction notes
The outer red panels are each half the width of the central white square. The maple leaf is a protected, specific drawing—not an interchangeable botanical silhouette. Production files should use the official artwork supplied by the Government of Canada.
Historical record
Parliament approved the design in 1964. A royal proclamation followed on 28 January 1965, and the flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill on 15 February 1965.
Source trail
Canadian Heritage: Description of the National Flag of Canada ↗
The Government of Canada also maintains separate manufacturing standards for outdoor, indoor, and one-event-only flags.