The national flag of Yemen (Arabic: علم اليمن, romanized: 'Alam al-Yaman) is the official flag of the Yemen. It was adopted on 22 May 1990, the day of the Yemeni unification. It resembles the Arab Liberation Flag that was used by the National Liberation Front. It served as the derivation for the flags of both North and South Yemen prior to their unification, and the distinctive elements of flag were removed in choosing the flag post-unification.[1]
Use | National flag and ensign |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 22 May 1990 |
Design | A horizontal tricolour of red, white and black |
Presidential standard | |
Proportion | 2:3 |
Design | The national flag with the Yemeni coat of arms on the canton corner. |
Flag of the Armed Forces | |
Proportion | 2:3 |
Design | The national flag with the Emblem of the Yemeni Armed Forces in the canton corner. |
Army flag | |
Proportion | 2:3 |
Design | A red field with the national flag in the canton corner, and the Emblem of the Yemeni Armed Forces centered on the fly side. |
Navy Flag | |
Proportion | 2:3 |
Design | A blue field with the national flag in the canton corner, and the Emblem of the Yemeni Navy centered on the fly side. |
Air force flag | |
Proportion | 2:3 |
Design | A sky blue field with the national flag in the canton corner, and the Emblem of the Yemeni Air Force centered on the fly side. |
According to the official description, the red stands for unity and the bloodshed of martyrs, the white for a bright future, and the black for the supposed dark past. The flag is graphically identical to the flag of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1972.[1]
Colors
editConstruction sheet
editMeaning behind the colors
editScheme | Textile colour |
---|---|
Red | the blood of martyrs who struggle to achieve independence and unity[2][3] |
White | Represents a bright future[2][3] |
Black | To stand for the dark days of the past[2][3] |
Color shades
edit Colors scheme |
Red | White | Black |
---|---|---|---|
Hexadecimal | #CE1126 | #FFFFFF | #000000 |
RGB | 206–17–38 | 255–255–255 | 0–0–0 |
Government flags
edit-
Flag of the Yemeni Interior Ministry.
-
Flag of the Yemeni Republican Guard
-
Flag of the Yemeni Special Security Forces
Regional flags
editThe Federalization of Yemen or the Federal Republic of Yemen was the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference. The Dialogue members also agreed that Yemen would be transformed into a six-region federal system.[4] The regions would be Azal in the North, Saba in the center, Tihama in the West, Aden and Janad in the South, and Hadhramaut in the East.
-
Flag of Aden Region
-
Flag of Azal Region.
-
Flag of Hadhramaut Region.
-
Flag of Janad Region.
-
Flag of Saba Region.
-
Flag of Tihama Region.
Historical flags
editBefore Yemen was unified into the present-day Republic of Yemen in 1990, it existed as two states, North and South Yemen.
Kingdom of Yemen
editUse | Historical |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 1927 |
Relinquished | 1970 (North Yemen civil war) |
The Kingdom of Yemen was never a British protectorate, it was nominally part of the Ottoman empire until 1918 and was independent thereafter. Independently, here were two British protectorates (known as the Eastern and Western Aden Protectorates) which contained 24 sultanates, emirates and sheikhdoms in the hinterland of Aden.[5]
The flag was in use until 1962 when the imam was overthrown and the Yemen Arab Republic was established. A civil war between republicans (supported by Egypt) and royalists (supported by Saudi Arabia) continued until 1970, with the royalist side continuing to use the flag of the kingdom.[5]
Meaning behind the flag
editThe five stars represent the five natural geographic divisions of Yemen; they also recall the Five Pillars of Islam, and the five times a day the prayers are recited by the faithful.[5]
The saber, widely used as an emblem by Arabs, and the red field on which it is placed, are reminders to the people of the blood they have sacrificed in defense of the liberty and independence of their country.[5]
-
Kingdom of Yemen
(1918–1923) -
Kingdom of Yemen
(1923–1927)
Yemen Arab Republic
editUse | Historical |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | November 1, 1962 (slight adaptation from September 26, 1962) |
Relinquished | May 22, 1990 (Yemeni unification) |
Design | A horizontal tricolour of red, white, and black with a green five-pointed star in the centre |
After its independence from the Ottoman Empire, the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen used a red flag with a sword and stars for most of its existence, from 1927 to 1970. When it became the Yemen Arab Republic in 1962, the flag adopted the Arab Liberation colors of 1952 with one green star in the center of the white band.
-
Yemen Arab Republic
(1962–1990) -
Vertical standard
South Yemen
editThe flag of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in the South was the Arab Liberation Flag of 1952 with a sky-blue chevron with a red star (the emblem of the Yemeni Socialist Party) next to the hoist. The flag was adopted on 30 November 1967 when South Yemen declared independence from the United Kingdom until the Yemeni unification in 1990. It was used again for a few months in 1994 during the existence of the Democratic Republic of Yemen. Today, the South Yemeni flag is used by the separatist supporters from the Southern Movement and the Southern Transitional Council.
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People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990)
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People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990), Presidential Standard
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Flag of South Yemen, vertical standard
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Colony of Aden (1937–1963)
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Colony of Aden (1937–1963), Standard of the Governor
-
Federation of South Arabia (1962–1967)
-
State of Aden (1963–1967)
Other Yemeni polities
editEastern Yemen
editThe Protectorate of South Arabia consists of states located at the southern central tip of the Arabian Peninsula (Hadhramaut) under protection agreements with Britain. The states did not join the Federation of South Arabia. The protectorate became from southern Yemen after the Radfan uprising and the coup against the Sultans of the provinces. Now it is part of the Republic of Yemen.
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Qu'aiti (1880-1939)
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Qu'aiti (1939-1967)
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Upper Yafa, located outside the borders of Hadhramaut
Political flags
edit-
Ba'ath Party Flag
-
Houthi Flag
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Smith, Whitney (February 16, 2001). "Flag of Yemen". Britannica. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Flag of Yemen | History, Design & Meaning | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ a b c Crouch, Alex (2015-05-18). "Flag of Yemen". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ "Yemen to become six-region federation". Al Jazeera English. 10 Feb 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Yearbook of the United Nations 1951". Yearbook of the United Nations. 1951-12-31. doi:10.18356/63e49774-en. ISBN 978-92-1-060218-1. ISSN 2412-1541.