Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 36 of 72 · World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies
Questionmedium
This question was previously asked in

SSC

A golden lion holding a sword in its right forepaw is the main emblem of the national flag of:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option A — Sri Lanka

Detailed Solution

The national flag of Sri Lanka, called the "Lion Flag", shows a golden lion holding a sword (called a "kastane") in its right forepaw, on a dark red (maroon) background.

About the Sri Lankan flag:

  • It was adopted in 1950, and its present design dates from 1972.
  • The lion represents the Sinhalese people and the bravery of the nation; it comes from the legend of Prince Vijaya, the legendary founder of the Sinhalese, who is said to have descended from a lion ("Sinha").
  • The sword represents the sovereignty of the nation.
  • The lion's tail represents the "Eightfold Path" of Buddhism, and the curly hair on the lion represents religious observance, wisdom and meditation.
  • The four golden "bo leaves" (leaves of the sacred fig tree) in the corners represent the four Buddhist virtues: "metta" (loving kindness), "karuna" (compassion), "mudita" (sympathetic joy) and "upekkha" (equanimity).
  • The golden border represents the unity of all communities.
  • The two vertical stripes on the left represent minorities: saffron for the Tamils (Hindus) and green for the Muslims (Moors).
  • It is one of the oldest flag designs in the world, based on the flag of the last king of Kandy (Sri Vikrama Rajasinha), which was taken by the British in 1815.

Other flags with animals or symbols:

  • Bhutan: a white dragon ("Druk", the Thunder Dragon) holding jewels in its claws.
  • Iran: earlier flags (before 1979) had a lion and sun with a sword; the present flag has a stylised emblem of "Allah".
  • Singapore: a white crescent moon and five white stars on red; its national symbol is the "Merlion" (half lion, half fish).
  • India: the Ashoka Chakra (24 spokes) in navy blue in the centre.
  • Bangladesh: a red disc on a green background.

Other national symbols of Sri Lanka:

  • National flower: Blue water lily (Nil Manel).
  • National bird: Sri Lanka junglefowl.
  • National tree: Ceylon ironwood (Na).
  • Its national emblem also shows a lion holding a sword.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Bhutan's flag has a white dragon.
  • ✗Iran's present flag has a stylised emblem; its pre-1979 flag had a lion and sun.
  • ✗Singapore's flag has a crescent and five stars.

Quick tip

Remember: golden lion holding a sword = Sri Lanka's flag ("Lion Flag"; four bo leaves; saffron and green stripes for Tamils and Muslims); Bhutan = white dragon (Druk); Singapore = Merlion.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.Which country is known as the 'Country of Winds' (or Land of Wind)?
  2. Q2.What is the capital of Bhutan?
  3. Q3.What is the currency of Bangladesh?
  4. Q4.'Dhivehi' is the official language of which country?
  5. Q5.Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is known as the:

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies questionsBrowse all topics ›