🇪🇹

Flag of Ethiopia

Africa

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Quick Facts

Capital
Addis Ababa
Flag adopted
1996
Population
111,652,998
Area
1,104,300 km²
Languages
Amharic
Currency
Ethiopian birr (Br) — ETB
Demonym
Ethiopian
Government
federal parliamentary republic
Subregion
Eastern Africa
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+03:00

Religions

  • Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%
  • Muslim 31.3%
  • Protestant 22.8%
  • Other 0.8%
  • Roman Catholic 0.7%
  • traditional 0.6%

About This Flag

Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (middle), and red (bottom) with a circular national emblem centered on the yellow band. The emblem is a dark blue disc bearing a golden pentagram radiating rays of light.

This Pan-African tricolor influenced the flag designs of many other African nations after Ethiopia resisted European colonization. The current design with the emblem was adopted on February 6, 1996, after the establishment of the Federal Democratic Republic.

Earlier versions lacked the central emblem or used the Lion of Judah.

What the colors & design mean

Green represents the fertile land and hope for the future. Yellow symbolizes peace, harmony, and the wealth of the nation. Red commemorates the sacrifice of those who defended Ethiopia's sovereignty. The blue disc represents peace, and the pentagram symbolizes the unity of Ethiopia's diverse peoples.

green yellow red blue

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (6)

🇩🇯 Djibouti 🇪🇷 Eritrea 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇸🇴 Somalia 🇸🇸 South Sudan 🇸🇩 Sudan

Fun Facts

  • Ethiopia's green-yellow-red tricolor has been adopted in whole or in part by dozens of African nations, earning it the title 'Pan-African colors.'
  • Ethiopia and Liberia were the only two African countries never colonized by European powers, which gave Ethiopia's flag enormous symbolic weight across the continent.
  • The previous flag featured the Lion of Judah, which connected to the Solomonic dynasty's claim of descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
  • Ethiopia follows a unique calendar that is roughly seven years behind the Gregorian calendar, with 13 months in a year.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇪🇹 Mauritius 🇪🇹 Central African Republic 🇪🇹 Comoros 🇪🇹 Burkina Faso 🇪🇹 Gabon

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