The current flag was instituted in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved and the nation gained independence. On the upper left of the blue, white, and green horizontally divided design is a white new moon and star. Blue represents the sky and water - the source of life - but also is the color of the Timur flag. White has traditionally represented peace and luck. Green symbolizes nature and fertility, while the thin red streaks expresses life's force. The new moon symbolizes the independent republic, and the 12 stars are related to the solar calendar and constellations of zodiac.