Flag of Palestinian Territories
The Palestinian flag has three sideways stripes, black, white and green, with a red triangle at the pole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- 1964adopted by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the flag of the Palestinian people in 1964 and as the flag of the State of Palestine in 1988; a 2006 law changed the length of the triangle
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- black
- white
- green
- red
What it means
- Four colours: the pan-Arab colours of the 1916 Arab Revolt; the flag stands for the Palestinian people
- Black: often linked to the Abbasid dynasty and to defeating enemies in battle
- White: often linked to the Umayyad dynasty and to purity and good deeds
- Green: often linked to the Fatimid dynasty and to fertile land
- Red triangle: often linked to the Hashemite dynasty and to the blood of fighters
Where it came from
The flag comes from the flag of the Arab Revolt of 1916, a rising against the Ottoman Empire. Who first designed that flag is disputed: accounts credit an Arab literary club in Istanbul, a Paris-based Arab society, or the British diplomat Mark Sykes. Flags of the World notes that the Palestinian flag is the Jordanian flag without its star.
History
The flag was flown in Palestine during the revolt of 1936 to 1939 and was adopted by the All-Palestine Government in 1948. The PLO made it the flag of the Palestinian people in 1964, and in 1988 the flag of the State of Palestine. It is used by the Palestinian Authority today.
A 2006 law set the red triangle to reach one third of the way along the flag. Palestinians mark Flag Day on 30 September.
Fun facts
- One story says the colours come from a medieval poem by Safi al-Din al-Hilli with the line "white are our deeds, black are our battles".
- It is almost the same as Jordan's flag, minus the white star.
- In 2006 the triangle was made a little longer by law.
- Since 2015 Palestinians have marked a Flag Day every 30 September.
Easy to mix up with
Jordan: Jordan has the same stripes and triangle, but with a small white star in the red triangle
Sudan: Sudan uses the same colours, but its stripes go red, white, black and its triangle is green
Western Sahara: The Sahrawi flag has black, white and green stripes and a red triangle too, plus a red crescent and star
Questions
What does the flag of Palestinian Territories look like?
The Palestinian flag has three sideways stripes, black, white and green, with a red triangle at the pole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Palestinian Territories mean?
Four colours: the pan-Arab colours of the 1916 Arab Revolt; the flag stands for the Palestinian people; Black: often linked to the Abbasid dynasty and to defeating enemies in battle; White: often linked to the Umayyad dynasty and to purity and good deeds; Green: often linked to the Fatimid dynasty and to fertile land; Red triangle: often linked to the Hashemite dynasty and to the blood of fighters.
When was the flag of Palestinian Territories adopted?
The current flag of Palestinian Territories was adopted on 1964. (adopted by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the flag of the Palestinian people in 1964 and as the flag of the State of Palestine in 1988; a 2006 law changed the length of the triangle)
What colours are on the flag of Palestinian Territories?
The flag of Palestinian Territories uses black, white, green and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Palestinian Territories?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Jordan. Jordan has the same stripes and triangle, but with a small white star in the red triangle
Famous landmarks in Palestinian Territories
All about Palestinian Territories →
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)