Flag of Sudan
Sudan's flag has three sideways stripes, red, white and black, with a green triangle at the pole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- May 20, 1970
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Khartoum
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- red
- white
- black
- green
What it means
- Red: the struggle for independence and the martyrs of Sudan and the Arab world
- White: peace, optimism and light; sources also link it to the people or to Islam
- Black: Sudan itself, and the black flag of the Mahdist revolution of the 1880s
- Green: prosperity, goodness and agriculture
Where it came from
After the 1969 coup led by Gaafar Nimeiry, Sudan held a national competition for a new flag. Wikipedia says it was won by the artist Abdel Rahman Ahmed Al-Jali. The design uses the pan-Arab colours and was inspired by the Arab Liberation Flag of Egypt's 1952 revolution.
History
Before independence, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan had no flag of its own; the British and Egyptian flags were flown together. At independence in 1956 Sudan adopted a blue, yellow and green tricolour, designed by Macki Sufi, for the Nile, the Sahara and the farmland. Its colours were chosen so as not to favour any group or party.
That flag was replaced by the current one on 20 May 1970. The old blue-yellow-green flag reappeared during the protests of 2018 and 2019.
Fun facts
- Sudan's first flag was blue, yellow and green, with no red, white or black at all.
- The green triangle reaches one third of the way along the flag.
- No law gives exact shades for the colours.
- Before independence, Sudan had no flag of its own, so the British and Egyptian flags flew side by side.
Easy to mix up with
Palestinian Territories: Palestine uses the same colours, but its stripes are black, white, green and its triangle is red
Jordan: Jordan is black, white and green with a red triangle and a white star
Questions
What does the flag of Sudan look like?
Sudan's flag has three sideways stripes, red, white and black, with a green triangle at the pole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Sudan mean?
Red: the struggle for independence and the martyrs of Sudan and the Arab world; White: peace, optimism and light; sources also link it to the people or to Islam; Black: Sudan itself, and the black flag of the Mahdist revolution of the 1880s; Green: prosperity, goodness and agriculture.
When was the flag of Sudan adopted?
The current flag of Sudan was adopted on May 20, 1970.
What colours are on the flag of Sudan?
The flag of Sudan uses red, white, black and green.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Sudan?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Palestinian Territories. Palestine uses the same colours, but its stripes are black, white, green and its triangle is red
Famous landmarks in Sudan
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)