The national flag of the Republic of Ethiopia displays three equal horizontal stripes of three different colors. The upper stripe is green, yellow is in the middle, and red is at the bottom of the flag. At the center of the flag, there is a yellow five-pointed star with the rays of the sun rising from the dented edges. The star is encircled within a blue circle. The flag has a width and length with a ratio of one to two. The Prime Minister Meles Zenawi officially adopted Ethiopia’s flag on October 31, 1996.
The color green color on the flag represents the land used for agriculture. Yellow stands for peace and the hope for more significant achievements in the future. The red color symbolizes the strength exhibited by the Ethiopians and their systems of governance and administration. The five-pointed, yellow star represents the diversity of the people and the unity that has kept them together after independence. The sun’s rays depict the prosperity of the land of Ethiopia as well as the knowledge acquired from their learning institutions. The national flag as a whole is a symbol of the hope that springs from the influence of Haile Selassie.
Abebe Alambo was the designer of Ethiopia’s national flag. He created it on February 6, 1996. Alambo was a resident of Ethiopia. It is not clear whether he designed the flag from scratch or he recreated it from other designs like the ones made by Haile Selassie or the Emperor. He is also believed to have designed the flag used by the national football team.
There have been different versions of the national flag since the first time Ethiopia chose to have a national flag. However, most of the designs have maintained the three colors of green, red, and yellow. Initially, Ethiopia flew a three colored pennant with the same colors. The only difference was that the red color was at the top, followed by yellow, then green at the bottom. The design has changed over time with Menelik II introducing the rectangular stripes instead of the pennants.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
More on Graphicmaps
Published on 2019-11-06
What is a Trade Embargo?
Published on 2019-11-04
Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?
Published on 2019-09-16
What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?
Published on 2019-09-16
Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?
Published on 2019-08-29
Flags That Resemble the US Flag
Published on 2019-08-20