Flag of Armenia
The flag of Armenia has three equal horizontal stripes: red on top, blue in the middle and orange at the bottom.
At a glance
- Adopted
- August 24, 1990first adopted on 1 August 1918 by the First Republic of Armenia, used until 1921, and brought back in 1990; a 2006 law sets the details
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Yerevan
- Colours
- red
- blue
- orange
What it means
- Red: officially the Armenian Highland, the people's long struggle to survive, the Christian faith and freedom; often simply described as the blood of the people
- Blue: the wish of the Armenian people to live under a peaceful blue sky
- Orange: the creative talent and hard work of the Armenian people
Where it came from
The tricolour was chosen by the First Republic of Armenia in 1918, after the end of the Russian Empire. The design is credited to Stepan Malkhasyants, a scholar who proposed the red, blue and orange stripes. His written report about it has been lost.
History
Long before, Armenian kingdoms used other banners. The medieval kingdom of Cilicia, for example, flew a red flag with a lion or leopard and a cross.
From 1921 Armenia was part of the Soviet Union. Its flags were red with Soviet symbols, and from 1952 a red flag with a blue stripe across it. On 24 August 1990, as Armenia moved toward independence, the old 1918 tricolour was brought back. A law in 2006 fixed the official meanings and colours.
Fun facts
- In 1918 orange cloth was hard to find, and some lawmakers wanted green instead. The prime minister kept orange because he thought it looked better.
- One government instruction in 1918 actually listed the colours as red, blue and yellow, not orange.
- Armenia celebrates National Flag Day on 15 June, the day the 2006 flag law was passed.
- Some people say the colours come from a rainbow over Mount Ararat, but that is a popular story, not the official meaning.
Easy to mix up with
Colombia
BoliviaQuestions
What does the flag of Armenia look like?
The flag of Armenia has three equal horizontal stripes: red on top, blue in the middle and orange at the bottom.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Armenia mean?
Red: officially the Armenian Highland, the people's long struggle to survive, the Christian faith and freedom; often simply described as the blood of the people; Blue: the wish of the Armenian people to live under a peaceful blue sky; Orange: the creative talent and hard work of the Armenian people.
When was the flag of Armenia adopted?
The current flag of Armenia was adopted on August 24, 1990. (first adopted on 1 August 1918 by the First Republic of Armenia, used until 1921, and brought back in 1990; a 2006 law sets the details)
What colours are on the flag of Armenia?
The flag of Armenia uses red, blue and orange.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Armenia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Colombia. Colombia is yellow, blue and red, with a much wider yellow stripe at the top
Famous landmarks in Armenia
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)