Flag of Jordan
Three horizontal stripes of black, white and green, with a red triangle at the flagpole holding a small white seven-pointed star.
At a glance
- Adopted
- April 16, 1928
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Amman
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- black
- white
- green
- red
What it means
- Black stripe: the Abbasid caliphate
- White stripe: the Umayyad caliphate
- Green stripe: the Fatimid caliphate (some sources say the Rashidun)
- Red triangle: the Hashemite royal family and the Arab Revolt
- Seven-pointed star: the unity of the Arab people; it is also commonly said that the seven points stand for the seven verses of Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran
Where it came from
The flag is based on the banner of the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, when Arabs rose against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. The revolt was led by Sharif Hussein, the ancestor of Jordan's royal Hashemite family.
Jordan's version adds a white star to the red triangle, and the flag was adopted on 16 April 1928.
History
After the First World War, the region used several related flags, such as the flag of the Hejaz and the flag of the short-lived Arab Kingdom of Syria (1920). The Emirate of Transjordan, which later became Jordan, had its own version from 1922.
In 1958 Jordan and Iraq briefly joined as the Arab Federation, which had its own flag, but the union soon ended. The 1928 design is still used today.
Fun facts
- The sides of the red triangle line up exactly with the diagonals of the flag.
- The king's own flag replaces the star with a gold crown.
- Jordan's flag is twice as long as it is tall.
Easy to mix up with
Palestinian Territories: The Palestinian flag has the same stripes and red triangle but no star
Sudan: Sudan has red, white and black stripes with a green triangle
Kuwait: Kuwait uses the same colours, but the black shape at the pole is a trapezoid and the stripes are green, white and red
Questions
What does the flag of Jordan look like?
Three horizontal stripes of black, white and green, with a red triangle at the flagpole holding a small white seven-pointed star.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Jordan mean?
Black stripe: the Abbasid caliphate; White stripe: the Umayyad caliphate; Green stripe: the Fatimid caliphate (some sources say the Rashidun); Red triangle: the Hashemite royal family and the Arab Revolt; Seven-pointed star: the unity of the Arab people; it is also commonly said that the seven points stand for the seven verses of Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran.
When was the flag of Jordan adopted?
The current flag of Jordan was adopted on April 16, 1928.
What colours are on the flag of Jordan?
The flag of Jordan uses black, white, green and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Jordan?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Palestinian Territories. The Palestinian flag has the same stripes and red triangle but no star
Famous landmarks in Jordan
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)