Flag of Egypt
Africa
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Cairo
- Flag adopted
- 1984
- Population
- 107,271,260
- Area
- 1,002,450 km²
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Egyptian pound (£) — EGP
- Demonym
- Egyptian
- Government
- presidential republic
- Subregion
- Northern Africa
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+02:00
- Independence
- 1922
Religions
- Muslim 90%
- Christian 10%
About This Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red on top, white in the center, and black on the bottom, with the golden Eagle of Saladin centered on the white band. The red band represents the period before the 1952 revolution and the sacrifices made against British occupation.
The white band symbolizes the bloodless nature of the revolution itself. The black band represents the end of oppression by colonial powers and the monarchy.
The Eagle of Saladin, a heraldic eagle holding a scroll bearing the country's name in Arabic, represents sovereignty and strength. The current version with the Eagle of Saladin was adopted on October 4, 1984, though the red-white-black triband has been Egypt's basic design since the 1952 revolution.
What the colors & design mean
Red symbolizes the sacrifices and bloodshed before the 1952 revolution. White represents the purity of the revolution. Black signifies the end of colonial oppression. The golden Eagle of Saladin embodies power, strength, and the legacy of the medieval Muslim leader who liberated Egypt.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (4)
Fun Facts
- Egypt's flag shares the same red-white-black horizontal triband with Iraq, Syria, and Yemen — all former members of or aspirants to the United Arab Republic, a short-lived political union led by Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser.
- The Eagle of Saladin references the 12th-century Kurdish-Muslim sultan who defeated the Crusaders, and a similar eagle originally adorned the walls of the Cairo Citadel he built.
- Between 1958 and 1984, the central emblem changed multiple times — from two green stars (United Arab Republic era) to a hawk (Federation of Arab Republics era) to the current eagle.
- Egypt's flag protocol is strictly enforced; desecrating the flag is a criminal offense that can carry a prison sentence under Egyptian law.
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