Flag of Tunisia
Africa
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Tunis
- Flag adopted
- 1831
- Population
- 11,972,169
- Area
- 163,610 km²
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Tunisian dinar (د.ت) — TND
- Demonym
- Tunisian
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Northern Africa
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+01:00
- Independence
- 1956
Religions
- Muslim 99%
- Other 1%
About This Flag
The flag of Tunisia is red with a white circle in the center containing a red crescent encircling a five-pointed red star. Adopted in 1831 under the reign of Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud, well before independence from France in 1956, the flag is one of the oldest national flags still in use.
The red field descends from the Ottoman Empire's red banner, reflecting centuries of Ottoman suzerainty. The crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam.
The white circle represents the sun, while the overall design served to distinguish Tunisian ships at sea from other Ottoman vessels.
What the colors & design mean
Red connects to the Ottoman heritage and the blood of martyrs; the white disk represents the sun. The red crescent symbolizes Islam, and the red five-pointed star represents the five Pillars of Islam. Together they symbolize peace and resistance.
Pattern: Solid Field
Bordering countries (2)
Fun Facts
- Tunisia's flag predates most European national flags in its current form, having been in use since the early 19th century.
- The ancient city of Carthage, once Rome's greatest rival, was located in what is now a suburb of Tunis.
- The Star Wars planet Tatooine was named after the Tunisian town of Tataouine, and several scenes were filmed in the country.
- Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring in 2010, which began with protests in the town of Sidi Bouzid.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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