Flag of Turkmenistan
A green flag with a red vertical stripe near the pole holding five carpet patterns above two crossed olive branches, plus a white crescent moon and five white stars in the top corner.
At a glance
- Adopted
- January 24, 2001first flag 1992; olive branches added 1997; shape changed to 2:3 and green lightened in 2001
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Ashgabat
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- green
- red
- white
- orange-gold
- black
What it means
- Green: no official meaning is given; it is often linked with Islam
- Five carpet guls: the five main Turkmen tribes; the coat of arms law says they stand for the friendship and unity of the Turkmen people
- Olive branches: peace and the country's neutral status
- Crescent: one source says Islam; another explanation is the sky over the people (there is no official meaning in the law)
- Five stars: often said to be the country's five provinces; no official meaning is given
Where it came from
Turkmenistan became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991, and its first national flag came in 1992. The red stripe shows five guls, traditional patterns from the famous carpets woven by Turkmen tribes. Each gul belongs to one of the five main tribes.
History
The 1992 flag was long (1:2), with the carpet stripe and the crescent and stars. In 1997 two crossed olive branches were added under the carpet patterns, after the United Nations recognised Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality in 1995.
On 24 January 2001 the flag was changed again: it became shorter (2:3) and its green became lighter.
Fun facts
- It is one of the most detailed national flags, because it shows real carpet patterns.
- A giant version flew on a 133-metre flagpole in Ashgabat that was listed in Guinness World Records.
- The olive branches look like the ones on the United Nations flag.
- The flag changed shape twice in less than ten years.
Easy to mix up with
Pakistan: Pakistan also has a green field with a white crescent and a white vertical stripe, but no carpet patterns
Questions
What does the flag of Turkmenistan look like?
A green flag with a red vertical stripe near the pole holding five carpet patterns above two crossed olive branches, plus a white crescent moon and five white stars in the top corner.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Turkmenistan mean?
Green: no official meaning is given; it is often linked with Islam; Five carpet guls: the five main Turkmen tribes; the coat of arms law says they stand for the friendship and unity of the Turkmen people; Olive branches: peace and the country's neutral status; Crescent: one source says Islam; another explanation is the sky over the people (there is no official meaning in the law); Five stars: often said to be the country's five provinces; no official meaning is given.
When was the flag of Turkmenistan adopted?
The current flag of Turkmenistan was adopted on January 24, 2001. (first flag 1992; olive branches added 1997; shape changed to 2:3 and green lightened in 2001)
What colours are on the flag of Turkmenistan?
The flag of Turkmenistan uses green, red, white, orange-gold and black.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Turkmenistan?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Pakistan. Pakistan also has a green field with a white crescent and a white vertical stripe, but no carpet patterns
Famous landmarks in Turkmenistan
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)