U N Member
Flag Adopted
1996
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Flag Proportion: |
1:2 |
| Capital: |
Addis Ababa |
| Language: |
Amharic |
| Currency: |
Birr |
| Continent: |
Africa |
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The current flag of Ethiopia was officially adopted in
February of 1996, however use of the pan-African tricolor dates back to
1895. This design features three equal horizontal bands, green-yellow-red,
with the national emblem centered on the flag. Ethiopia’s coat of arms,
adopted in 1996, consists of a blue disc with a yellow pentagram with some
‘ray-like’ embellishments. Blue is a symbol for peace, and the pentagram
represents unity of the people within Ethiopia and between nations.
Historically the colors have a religious foundation, however there has been
a shift towards broader interpretations of the meanings. Red is generally
accepted as a symbol of sacrifice, power and heroism, yellow stands for
peace, justice and hope. Green represents the land and fertility, and
similar to the yellow band, is also considered a reference to hope.
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