Everything about Flag Of Ethiopia totally explained
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The
Flag of Ethiopia was adopted on
February 6,
1996.
The colours of
African unity - red, green, yellow - are seen here on one of the oldest African flags. These
colours were used for the national flag of
Ethiopia in
1897, a year after Ethiopia decisively defended itself from colonial
Italy at the
Battle of Adwa. The flag's tri-colour scheme has existed since the early 19th c. and was previously the official banner of the Ethiopian Empire's
Solomonic dynasty. The colors green, yellow, and red have carried special importance since at least the early 17th century. The royal flag often featured the emblem of a
Lion of Judah, a crowned lion carrying a cross centred in the banner's yellow mid-section. The flag is understood to be a link between the
Ethiopian church, the peoples, and the nation were united in the one flag. The processional cross carried by the lion was the former "flag" or symbol of Ethiopia, and has been in use since at least the early 17th century, as well. Whilst red is currently featured at the bottom of the horizontal tricolour this was reversed in the mid 19th century and the emblem was added in
1996. What the colours symbolise varies depending on point of view, but generally: red represents power or African blood spilled in defence of the land; yellow for peace and harmony between Ethiopia's various ethnic and religious groups; green is said to symbolize hope, or the land and its fertility. Other African nations, upon their independence from their
colonial rulers so often adopted these three colours that they're known as the
Pan-African colours.
Prior to 1996, and to some extent even today, the 'plain' flag was commonly seen across the nation and the world. Previously, especially during the
Derg regime, a number of different emblems were experimented with; however, the basic colour schematic has remained constant. Even the oppressive Derg didn't dare to tamper with the colours' layout, but simply removed and changed the imperial emblem after
Haile Selassie's overthrow. An alternative coat of arms featuring a five pointed star and rays over a cogwheel surrounded by a wreath of leaves is now the featured emblem.
The
star, which is a
pentagram, is yellow on a blue disc, which overlaps the green and red stripes. The star testifies to Ethiopia's bright future and possibly echoes the connection with the House of
King Solomon, while the yellow rays which it emits are equidistant and are said to represent the equality of all Ethiopians regardless of race, creed, or gender.
Historical flags
Image:Ethiopian Pennants.svg|Before the rectangular flag was created, Ethiopia flew three colored pennants. Note that the red was originally on the top.
Image:Flag of Ethiopia (1897).svg|The old flag with the Lion of Judah. It remains popular with the Rastafari movement and people loyal to Haile Selassie.
Image:Flag of Ethiopia (1975-1987, 1991-1996).svg|The Original flag, which was used from 1975 to 1987 and 1991 to 1996, and is still widely seen today.
Image:Flag of Ethiopia (1987-1991).png|Flag of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia between 1987-1991.
Further Information
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