Flag of Algeria
Algeria's flag is split down the middle into green and white halves, with a red crescent and a red five-pointed star in the centre.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 3, 1962used by the independence movement from the 1940s and by the provisional government from 1958; raised as the national flag on 3 July 1962 and fixed by law on 25 April 1963
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Algiers
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- white
- red
What it means
- Green: most often explained as Islam; some writers also link it to the land and farming
- White: usually explained as purity or peace
- Red crescent and star: symbols of Islam; the crescent is linked to the Islamic calendar, and the five points of the star are often said to stand for the five pillars of Islam. There is no single official explanation
- Three colours together: one historian suggests they first stood for unity between Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia; this is a theory, not an official meaning
Where it came from
Nobody knows for sure who designed it. Historians give different stories: some link it to the nationalist leader Messali Hadj and say his wife, Emilie Busquant, sewed an early version in the 1930s; others say the Algerian People's Party reached today's form in 1943.
It became the flag of the National Liberation Front, which fought for independence from France, and was carried at the Setif demonstration of 1945.
History
Long before, the Regency of Algiers under Ottoman rule used flags with red, yellow and green stripes, and many ships flew flags with crescents. In the 1800s Emir Abdelkader, who fought the French, used a green and white flag.
From 1830 to 1962 Algeria was ruled by France. The provisional government in exile used the green-white flag from 1958, and it became the national flag at independence in July 1962. It has stayed essentially the same ever since.
Fun facts
- The flag was used by freedom fighters for about 20 years before Algeria became independent.
- Its naval ensign adds two crossed white anchors in the top corner.
- Historians even disagree about when the flag first appeared: some say 1919, others 1934 or 1943.
Easy to mix up with
Pakistan
TürkiyeQuestions
What does the flag of Algeria look like?
Algeria's flag is split down the middle into green and white halves, with a red crescent and a red five-pointed star in the centre.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Algeria mean?
Green: most often explained as Islam; some writers also link it to the land and farming; White: usually explained as purity or peace; Red crescent and star: symbols of Islam; the crescent is linked to the Islamic calendar, and the five points of the star are often said to stand for the five pillars of Islam. There is no single official explanation; Three colours together: one historian suggests they first stood for unity between Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia; this is a theory, not an official meaning.
When was the flag of Algeria adopted?
The current flag of Algeria was adopted on July 3, 1962. (used by the independence movement from the 1940s and by the provisional government from 1958; raised as the national flag on 3 July 1962 and fixed by law on 25 April 1963)
What colours are on the flag of Algeria?
The flag of Algeria uses green, white and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Algeria?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Pakistan. Pakistan also has white and green with a crescent and star, but its white stripe is narrow and the crescent and star are white
Famous landmarks in Algeria
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)