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Flag of Eritrea

Africa

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Quick Facts

Capital
Asmara
Flag adopted
1995
Population
3,607,000
Area
117,600 km²
Languages
Arabic, English, Tigrinya
Currency
Eritrean nakfa (Nfk) — ERN
Demonym
Eritrean
Government
authoritarian
Subregion
Eastern Africa
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+03:00
Independence
1993

About This Flag

A red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side divides the flag into two right triangles: green above and blue below. Within the red triangle, a gold olive wreath with an upright olive branch is positioned near the hoist.

The design is based on the flag of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, which led the 30-year war for independence. Adopted on December 5, 1995, the flag replaced the EPLF's original version that featured a gold star within the wreath.

The current emblem of the olive wreath recalls the 1952 UN-sanctioned Eritrean flag.

What the colors & design mean

Green represents the agricultural economy and fertility of the land. Blue symbolizes the Red Sea, vital to Eritrea's maritime resources. Red recalls the blood sacrificed during the independence struggle. The olive wreath symbolizes peace, echoing the 1952 federation-era flag's emblem.

green blue red

Pattern: Diagonal Design

Bordering countries (3)

🇩🇯 Djibouti 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 🇸🇩 Sudan

Fun Facts

  • Eritrea's name derives from the Greek word 'Erythraia,' meaning red, a reference to the Red Sea.
  • The olive wreath on the flag deliberately echoes the emblem used on the 1952 Eritrean flag from the brief federation period with Ethiopia.
  • Eritrea's independence referendum in 1993 passed with 99.83% in favor, one of the most decisive votes in modern history.
  • The capital Asmara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its well-preserved early 20th-century Italian modernist architecture.

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