πŸ‡ΎπŸ‡ͺ

Flag of Yemen

Asia

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Quick Facts

Capital
Sana'a
Flag adopted
1990
Population
32,684,503
Area
527,968 kmΒ²
Languages
Arabic
Currency
Yemeni rial (ο·Ό) β€” YER
Demonym
Yemeni
Government
in transition
Subregion
Western Asia
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+03:00
Independence
1990

Religions

  • Muslim 99.1%
  • Other 0.9%

About This Flag

The flag of Yemen consists of three equal horizontal bands of red on top, white in the middle, and black on the bottom. The design was adopted on May 22, 1990, when North Yemen and South Yemen unified into the Republic of Yemen.

The flag combined elements from both predecessor states: North Yemen's flag had a red-white-black tricolor with a green star on the white stripe, and South Yemen's featured the same tricolor with a blue triangle and red star on the hoist side. The unified flag removed both symbols to create a neutral design.

Red represents the blood of martyrs and the struggle for independence, white stands for hope for a bright future, and black symbolizes the dark past of colonial rule.

What the colors & design mean

Red represents the blood of martyrs and the revolution. White symbolizes hope for a bright future and peace. Black represents the dark past of colonialism and oppression. The stripped-down tricolor was chosen to symbolize unity between the formerly separate northern and southern states.

red white black

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (2)

πŸ‡΄πŸ‡² Oman πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¦ Saudi Arabia

Fun Facts

  • Yemen's flag is identical to the flags of Egypt (1972-1984 version without the eagle) and Libya (1969-1972 version), as all three drew from the same pan-Arab color tradition β€” currently, it is identical to no other national flag.
  • Yemen was the site of the ancient Kingdom of Sheba (Saba), referenced in the Bible and the Quran, and was known to the Romans as 'Arabia Felix' ('Happy Arabia') for its fertility compared to the surrounding deserts.
  • The unification of North and South Yemen in 1990 was one of the few instances in modern history where two UN member states peacefully merged into one.
  • Sana'a, the capital, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and its Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its distinctive multi-story mud-brick tower houses.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

πŸ‡ΎπŸ‡ͺ Egypt πŸ‡ΎπŸ‡ͺ Kenya πŸ‡ΎπŸ‡ͺ Libya πŸ‡ΎπŸ‡ͺ Sudan πŸ‡ΎπŸ‡ͺ Uganda

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