Flag of Yemen - Colors, Meaning, History ??

The flag of Yemen is tri-colored red, white, and black. It was officially adopted on May 22, 1990, when North and South Yemen were unified. This flag consists of the colors of the Arab Liberation Movement and holds a profoundly political, religious, and societal meaning. In general, the flag is a symbol of independence unity and hope.

History of the Flag of Yemen

The Kingdom of Yemen existed under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, two British Protectorates, East and West Aden protectorate were part of South Yemen. The first flag to be hoisted in the country consisted of a plain red field. This was the official banner of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen that existed from 1918 to 1962. In 1923, an Arab script (shahada or the Islamic declaration of faith) was included in the red background. In 1927, the Arab writing was replaced with a large white saber (famous Arabian emblem) and five-pointed stars. The five stars represent the five natural geographic divisions in the country, as well as the five principles of Islam. The red field represents the necessary bloodshed for liberty and independence.

In South Yemen, the British blue ensign was used in 1937. This flag consisted of a plain blue field with the British Union Jack on the upper left, and at the center, there was a badge depicting a ship at sea. Before 1937, Aden was part of British India. However, a Government Act in 1935 detached the region from British India and made Aden a separate colony of the United Kingdom. On January 18, 1963, the territory of Aden became the State of Aden. This region was reconstituted within the New Federation of South Arabia in 1962. At the time, the 15 various states and Emirates in South Yemen joined together to form South Arabia.

The Federation of South Arabia was still under British control. The flag used during this time consisted of black, green, and light blue horizontal stripes. The green line at the center of the flag was bordered with yellow fimbriations and at the center of the flag was a white crescent with a white five-pointed star next to it. This flag was in use from 1962 to 1967. On November 30, 1967, the federation joined the Soviet Union and became the People’s Republic of South Yemen. The flag used in this new republic consisted of horizontal stripes of red, white, and black respectively. At the point of the hoist was a light blue triangle with the hoist as its base and at the center was a red five-pointed star.

In 1962, Northern Yemen became a republic, although the region had proclaimed independence in 1918 after decades of Ottoman rule. Since then, they were under an Imam. However, in 1962, an Egyptian supported revolution broke out in the region that led to the establishment of a Republic. Northern Yemen adopted a new flag that consisted of the Arab Liberation colors of the United Arab Republic. The flag was a tri-color horizontally striped red-white-black, with a green five-pointed star at the center.

In 1990, North and South Yemen united to form one Nation. There was the traditional view that the two regions were separated by the British. As a result, most leaders at the time viewed the unification of the two territories as inevitable. The political groups on both sides called for a need to unify the two regions. The Yemeni Prime Minister Hassan Al-Amri (1964-1971) told an Algerian Correspondent that he believed the destiny of North and South Yemen are one. As the two States united, the most original resolution for the flag was to remove the distinctive elements from each design. The light blue triangle with the red star for the South Yemen flag was removed, while the green star at the center of the North Yemen flag was removed. Once those two elements were removed, the flag that remained was a simple tri-colored red-white-black flag.

What is the meaning behind the colors of the Flag of Yemen?

Colors
The precise meaning of the colors of the flag of Yemen are:

Red: Bloodshed for independence and the Unity of the Martyrs, as well as the unity of the people.
White: Yemen’s Bright future
Black: The dark past of the country

The colors were derived from the Pan-Arab colors, where red represents the descendants of the Prophet, the Ashrafs [ie. Sharifians] of the Hijaz and the Hashemites. The incorporation of the white stripe dates back to the Umayyad Dynasty, which adopted the white color to distinguish themselves from the Abbasids. Moreover, white also became a reminder of the Prophet’s first battle at Badr. Lastly, Black is associated with the seventh century during the rise of Islam and the subsequent liberation of Mecca. At the time, flags were either white or black.

Shape
The flag has a width to length ratio of 2:3, and all three stripes are equal.

Interesting Facts about the Flag of Yemen

Each of the 15 members of the Federation of South Arabia had its flag. One of the flags was the flag of the Wahidi Balhaf, which consisted of green-yellow-light blue horizontal stripes with a red band and a white crescent moon as well as a white five-pointed star on the hoist side.
Presently, the country is under civil unrest, which has led to the adoption of a different flag by anti-government movements. In the Republic of Taiz, for instance, a banner with the tri-colors red-blue-yellow horizontal stripes can be spotted.
The flag of Yemen is similar to the flag of the Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq
Each of the colors of the flag has an in-depth historical and religious meaning. When North Yemen was under Ottoman rule, for instance, the empire had red and white banners. The two colors were a symbol of Ottoman authority. The hero of Ottoman Yemen, known as Haydar Agha, is recorded as marching into Yemen with a red flag. Moreover, the color white is generic for Shiite rebellion against the Sunni rule.
The flag of the President of Yemen consists of the national flag with an emblem at the top left. The national insignia consists of an Eagle protected with a shield and the image of a coffee plant and a Marib dam on the waves. The eagle is surrounded by the national flag. Moreover, a banner appears below the eagle and states “The Yemeni Republic” in Arabic.

Do you know any other interesting facts about the flag of Yemen? Share your thoughts below.