Flag of Kuwait
Green, white and red horizontal stripes, with a black trapezoid (a shape with two slanted sides) at the flagpole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 7, 1961set by law on 7 September 1961 and officially hoisted on 24 November 1961
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- green
- white
- red
- black
What it means
- White: good deeds
- Black: battles (the battlefield)
- Green: the land
- Red: swords
- Another telling: some sources instead link each colour to a historical Arab dynasty
Where it came from
Kuwait adopted this flag after it gained full independence from Britain in 1961. Its four colours are the pan-Arab colours, used by the Arab Revolt during the First World War.
The meaning of the colours comes from a poem by the medieval Arab poet Safi al-Din al-Hilli.
History
Like other Arab states on the Persian Gulf, Kuwait first used red-and-white flags. Later it used the Ottoman flag, and from 1914 a red flag with the word Kuwait in Arabic. In 1921 the Shahada, the Muslim statement of faith, was added, and in 1940 a falcon's claw.
The current flag replaced all of these in 1961. When Iraq occupied Kuwait in 1990, the flag was banned; it returned when Kuwait was freed in 1991.
Fun facts
- It is the only national flag with a black trapezoid of this kind at the pole.
- In 2005 a kite shaped like the Kuwaiti flag became the largest kite in the world, at 1,019 square metres.
- The emir's own flag is the national flag with a yellow crown on the green stripe.
- The flag is twice as long as it is tall.
Easy to mix up with
United Arab Emirates: The United Arab Emirates has the same colours but a straight red vertical bar at the pole
Palestinian Territories: Palestine has a red triangle at the pole and black on top
Jordan: Jordan has a red triangle with a white star and black on top
Questions
What does the flag of Kuwait look like?
Green, white and red horizontal stripes, with a black trapezoid (a shape with two slanted sides) at the flagpole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Kuwait mean?
White: good deeds; Black: battles (the battlefield); Green: the land; Red: swords; Another telling: some sources instead link each colour to a historical Arab dynasty.
When was the flag of Kuwait adopted?
The current flag of Kuwait was adopted on September 7, 1961. (set by law on 7 September 1961 and officially hoisted on 24 November 1961)
What colours are on the flag of Kuwait?
The flag of Kuwait uses green, white, red and black.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Kuwait?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates has the same colours but a straight red vertical bar at the pole
Famous landmarks in Kuwait
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)