Flag of Western Sahara
This flag has black, white and green horizontal stripes, a red triangle at the flagpole side, and a red crescent and star on the white stripe. It is the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which claims Western Sahara.
At a glance
- Adopted
- February 27, 1976first used by the Polisario Front movement; it became the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic when that state was proclaimed on 27 February 1976
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- black
- white
- green
- red
What it means
- Colours: they are the Pan-Arab colours. Sources give different meanings; one common reading is black for grief or the colonial past, white for peace, green for hope and life, and red for the blood of those who died
- Crescent: Islam
- Star: the SADR as an Arab state
Where it came from
Western Sahara is a territory in northwest Africa whose status is disputed. Spain left in 1975-1976. The Polisario Front, a Sahrawi independence movement, proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976, while Morocco controls most of the territory and uses the Moroccan flag there.
The flag is usually credited to El Ouali Mustapha Sayed, the movement's founder and the SADR's first president. Another founding member has said a committee designed it in 1974, so the exact designer is not certain.
History
Before 1975 a Sahrawi party used a blue and yellow flag. The Polisario Front then chose the Pan-Arab colours in a layout like the Palestinian flag, which itself follows the flag of the Arab Revolt of 1916.
The flag has not changed since 1976. It is used by the SADR, which many countries recognise and which is a member of the African Union, and by Sahrawi people in camps and abroad. The question of who should govern the territory is still unresolved under United Nations talks.
Fun facts
- It looks almost exactly like the Palestinian flag, with a crescent and star added.
- Its emoji is made from the letters E and H, the code for Western Sahara.
- Reports say a future version might swap the black and green stripes.
Easy to mix up with
Palestinian Territories: Palestine has the same stripes and red triangle but no crescent or star
Jordan: Jordan has the same stripes and a white seven-pointed star in the red triangle
Sudan: Sudan has red, white and black stripes with a green triangle
Questions
What does the flag of Western Sahara look like?
This flag has black, white and green horizontal stripes, a red triangle at the flagpole side, and a red crescent and star on the white stripe. It is the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which claims Western Sahara.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Western Sahara mean?
Colours: they are the Pan-Arab colours. Sources give different meanings; one common reading is black for grief or the colonial past, white for peace, green for hope and life, and red for the blood of those who died; Crescent: Islam; Star: the SADR as an Arab state.
When was the flag of Western Sahara adopted?
The current flag of Western Sahara was adopted on February 27, 1976. (first used by the Polisario Front movement; it became the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic when that state was proclaimed on 27 February 1976)
What colours are on the flag of Western Sahara?
The flag of Western Sahara uses black, white, green and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Western Sahara?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Palestinian Territories. Palestine has the same stripes and red triangle but no crescent or star
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)