Flags from Our World

• Ethiopia
• Addis Ababa
• On the road
• Harar
• Dire Dawa
• Bahir Dar
• Monastery
• Gondar
• Lalibela
• Aksum

A Flag History of Ethiopia

Ethiopia's colours green yellow and red at first appeared as three separate whimps, and were arranged in rectangular shape on 6 October 1897, initially with red at the top. The colours were interpreted as: red - power and faith, yellow - church, peace, natural wealth and love, green - land and hope. The colours were also interpreted as having a connection to the Holy Trinity, and three main provinces. At some point the order of colours was changed. Imperial Ethiopia claimed direct descent from King David of Israel: hence of the Lion of Judah, bearing a cross, on the central stripe.

Ethiopia had never been conquered by a colonial power and defeated the Italians, in their quest of an African colony, on 1 March 1896 ant the Battle of Adwa (usually known as Adowa, or sometimes by the Italian name Adua), in Tigray. However on 3 October 1935, the Italians used tanks, planes and chemical weapons, and for five years, from 1936 to 1941, occupied Ethiopia, that was then forced to fly the Italian flag. In 1941 the Italians were driven out by British and Ethiopian patriot forces and the National flag was restored. In 1949 Emperor Haile Selassie I adopted an Imperial Standard, featuring the Lion of Judah on the front (obverse) and St. George staying the dragon on the back (reverse), encircled by the collar of the Order of Solomon's Seal.

Ethiopia's State flag was modified after the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie I by the military on 12 September 1974: the crown was removed from the lion's head the Cross finial was changed to a Spear point. The following year the repressive "Derg" military regime adopted a new flag with an emblem, designed by Taddesse Mesfin. This version lasted until 1987 when, through a referendum, Ethiopia became a "Democratic People's Republic" with Mengistu Haile Mariam as president. The green-yellow-red flag now carried a new emblem and was used from 1987 until Mengistu's regime was overthrown in 1991.

A green-yellow-red flag without any emblem had always been used by the people, as it could be cheaply made and would remain current even when regimes changed: this basic pattern could not be changed. It became the country's only flag after the overthrow of the communist regime until, on 6 February 1996, new symbols were introduced for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The emblem features a blue disk, symbolising peace, with a pentagram with rays from the inner angles signifying "the bright prospect in sight for the Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (of Ethiopia) united in their common will".

Since the reorganisation of Ethiopia into nine ethnic regions, each region now has its own flag as well.

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