The current flag of South Sudan has been in use since July 9, 2005, when this country was still part of the entire territory of Sudan. In this year, present-day South Sudan reached a peace agreement with present-day Sudan after years of fighting. It officially became an independent country on July 9, 2011 and the flag remained the same. The flag of South Sudan consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width. From top to bottom, these stripes are black, red, and green. Each stripe is separated by a narrow white line. On the left side of the flag is a blue triangle shape that extends toward the center of the flag. A yellow, 5-pointed star is situated at the center of the blue triangle.
Each of the 6 colors on the South Sudanese flag has a special meaning. The black color, for example, is said to represent the native people of the region, while the red is meant to stand for the blood lost during the war for independence. The white stripes stand for the hope for peace in the nation. Blue is the Nile river that sustains the local wildlife, which is represented by the color green. Finally, the yellow star represents the attitude of the people to stand together with hope for the future and to never give up on that hope.
The flag was designed in contrast to the flag of Sudan. At its independence in 1956, the majority Muslim population in the north of the country were more represented by the government and the national symbols than the Christian population in the southern region. The first flag to represent the unity of the people of South Sudan was developed by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.
The first flag designed by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement was similar in appearance. The bottom horizontal stripe was a light blue, however, and the triangle on the left side was green. The yellow star in the center was surrounded by a red circle. In 1983, the flag stripes adopted the current colors, although the white stripes were slightly wider than they are today. Additionally, the triangle was light blue and the star was red. In 1995, the star was reverted back to its yellow color. This final flag was used until the region signed the peace agreement approximately 10 years later. Other flags were used on the first independence day, but none of them were made official.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
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