All the Red, Black, and Green Country Flags (Plus History & Meaning)

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Plus, African mythology experts Adeche Atelier share the meaning of the Pan-African flag
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Looking for a red, black, and green flag? You might be looking for the Pan-African flag. We talked to African mythology experts Adeche Atelier and global geography and flag expert Austin Krance to learn more about the significance of this flag. We’ll also show you the most common and relevant red, green, and black flags used throughout history.

Which flag is red, green, and black?

An illustration of red, green, and black flags from different countries, including Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Sudan, Malawi, Afghanistan, and more.

The African mythology experts at Adeche Atelier explain that the most common red, black, and green flag is the Pan-African flag, which is a symbol of unity. Red represents blood, black represents collective identity, and green represents natural wealth. Palestine, Iraq, and Jordan also have red, black, and green flags.

Section 1 of 3:

Pan-African Flag Meaning & History

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  1. Step 1 The red, green, and black Pan-African flag represents the African diaspora.
    Perhaps the most common red, black, and green flag you’ll see is the Pan-African flag, which features horizontal bars of red, green, and black, says Krance.[1] It’s a simple flag that represents the African diaspora, which is the worldwide community of African people, whether they live in Africa or abroad.[2]
    • “The Pan-African flag, which is also known as the Afro-American flag, Black Liberation flag, or UNIA flag, was created in 1920 by the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) under Marcus Garvey,” says Adeche Atelier.[3]
    • Garvey was a Jamaican activist and the founder of UNIA and the African Communities League.
    • “[The flag] was designed as a unifying symbol for people of African descent worldwide, representing shared identity, pride, and solidarity in the face of colonialism and racial oppression,” shares Adeche Atelier.[4]
    • The flag was made to represent all Black people and in response to widespread anti-Black racism, the popular and bigoted song “Every Race Has a Flag But the Coon,” and as a way to unite African people under one banner, no matter where they lived.[5]

    Meet the wikiHow Experts

    Adeche Atelier—or duo Adwoa Botchey and Solomon Adebiyi—are fine artists, storytellers, and content creators inspired by African mythology, folklore, and spirituality. They have over 580k followers on social media.

    Austin Krance is a global geography and flag expert. He specializes in creating viral short form content, with a focus on trivia and geography, and has over 100k followers on Instagram and TikTok.

  2. Step 2 The flag’s colors represent blood, people, and wealth.
    The colors of the Pan-African flag are essential to its meaning. The colors are meant to be seen as equal. They represent:
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Section 2 of 3:

Red, Green, & Black Country Flags

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  1. Step 1 Palestine
    The Palestinian flag was officially adopted in 1948, but existed as the flag of the Arab Revolt beforehand. It features horizontal bars of black, white, and green, with a red chevron.[10]
    • Meaning: Black represents protection in the night, white represents conscience, and green represents hope. Red represents the blood of freedom fighters.
  2. Step 2 Iraq
    The flag of Iraq was adopted in 2008 and features horizontal bars of red, white, and black, with the takbir reading “God is the greatest” in green Arabic letters.[11]
    • Meaning: Black represents struggle, red for martyrs, green for prosperity and agriculture, and white for pure motives and deeds.
  3. Step 3 Jordan
    The Jordanian flag was officially adopted in 1922 and features horizontal bars of black, white, and green, with a red triangle that features a white 7-pointed star.[12]
    • Meaning: The 4 colors represent the 4 major dynasties in Arab history (Abbasids, Fatimids, Umayyads, and Hashemites). The star (heptagram) symbolizes the 7 verses of the Surah Al Fatiha, which is the first chapter of the Quran.
    • They also represent the classic meanings of the Pan-Arab colors: Black for the people, red for blood spilled for independence, and green for prosperity and agriculture.
  4. Step 4 Kenya
    The Kenyan flag was created in 1951, then adopted in 1963. It features horizontal bars of black, red, green, and white, with a shield and spears at its center.[13]
    • Meaning: Red represents blood spilled in the fight for independence. Blacks stands for the people of Kenya. Green represents fertility and wealth, and white represents peace. The shield and spears represent the ongoing struggle for independence.
  5. Step 5 Kuwait
    The Kuwait flag was adopted in 1961 and features a black trapezium with horizontal bars of green, white, and red.[14]
    • Meaning: Black for struggle, red for martyrs, green for prosperity and agriculture, and white for pure motives and deeds.
  6. Step 6 Libya
    The current Libyan flag was first introduced in 1951, when the Kingdom of Libya was established, and features horizontal red, black, and green bars with a white crescent moon and star in the center. It was abolished in 1969, then reinstated in 2011.[15]
    • Meaning: Red for the blood of those who fought for Libya, black to remember the struggle and turmoil under Italian occupation, and green to represent wealth and agriculture.[16]
  7. Step 7 Sudan
    Sudan’s flag was officially adopted in 1970. It features a green triangle on the left, pointing toward horizontal bars of red, white, and black, and is based on the Arab Liberation flag used during the 1952 Egyptian Revolution.[17]
    • Meaning: Red stands for the struggle for independence. White represents peace. Black represents the nation, and green represents Islam, prosperity, and agriculture.
  8. Step 8 Syria
    The Syrian flag was adopted in 2024, after the fall of Assad as the nation’s ruler. It features bars of green, white, and black, with 3 red stars on the center white bar.[18]
    • Meaning: The 4 colors represent the 4 major dynasties in Arab history (Abbasids, Fatimids, Umayyads, and Hashemites).
    • They also represent the classic meanings of the Pan-Arab colors: Black for the people, red for blood spilled for independence, and green for prosperity and agriculture, says Krance.[19]
  9. Step 9 Western Sahara
    The flag of Western Sahara and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was adopted in 1976 and features horizontal bars of black, white, and green with a red chevron and red crescent moon with a star.
    • Meaning: The red triangle represents revolution, while the star and crescent represent Islam. The color green stands for life, black for death, and white for peace.
  10. Step 10 Malawi
    The Malawi flag was first adopted in 1964, and then again in 2012. It features horizontal bars of black, red, and green, with a red rising sun in the black bar.[20]
    • Meaning: Red for martyrs, green for prosperity, and black for the people of the country. The red sun was added to distinguish it from the Malawi Congress Party, which originally represented economic progress.
  11. Step 11 United Arab Emirates
    The UAE flag was designed in 1971 by 19-year-old Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, and was adopted the same year. It features horizontal bars on green, white, and black, with a vertical bar of red.[21]
    • Meaning: Red for the swords of the Emirates, black for struggle, white for pure acts, and green for the plains.
  12. Step 12 Somaliland
    The Somaliland flag was adopted in 2001 and consists of horizontal bars of green, white, and red with a black star in the center and Arabic script reading “There is no god except for Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” in white across the green bar.[22]
    • Meaning: The Somaliland flag features the colors of the Pan-Arab flag—Black represents struggle, red for martyrs, green for prosperity and agriculture, and white for pure motives and deeds.
  13. Step 13 Vanuatu
    The Vanuatuan flag was designed in 1977, then a similar design was adopted in 1980. It features fields of black, red, and green separated by gold bars, with a gold emblem depicting 2 crossed leaves inside of a pig’s tusk.[23]
    • Meaning: Black for the people and the soil, green for the lush nature, red for spirituality and blood. The pig’s tusk and leaves nod to local traditions, and the yellow borders resemble the shape of the islands and the light of Christianity.
  14. Step 14 Biafra
    The Republic of Biafra existed until 1970, when Nigeria reclaimed it. The flag features horizontal bars of red, black, and green, with a golden half sun in the center.[24]
    • Meaning: The 11 rays of the sun represent the region’s provinces. The red color stands for the blood of martyrs, black for mourning, and green and gold for posterity.
  15. Step 15 East Karelia
    The Republic of Karelia was an independent state that existed from 1919 to 1920, when the region was split between the Republic of Karelia and the Russian Federation. The flag of East Karelia featured a green field separated by a black and red cross, with a red field in the corner that features white northern lights.[25]
    • Meaning: Green for nature, red for blood and joy, black for sadness.
  16. Step 16 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
    From 2004-2021, during the ruling period of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the official flag featured black, red, and green vertical bars, with the national emblem of Afghanistan—a mosque flanked by wheat.[26]
    • Meaning: The black represents struggle. Red represents the blood of independence fighters, and green represents prosperity.
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Section 3 of 3:

Other Red, Green, & Black Flags

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  1. Take a look at these other red, green, and black flags.
    Throughout history, many states, regions, and smaller organizations have used the colors red, green, and black on their flags. There are too many to mention here, and even professional historians struggle to track down all of them, but here are relevant flags:
    • Morašice, Czechia
    • Makedonska Kamenica, North Macedonia
    • Debaltsevo, Ukraine
    • Ipixuna, Brazil
    • Duitama, Colombia

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References

  1. ↑ Austin Krance. Global Geography and Flag Expert. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://websites.umass.edu/wbdubois/2022/09/13/the-colors-of-pan-african-solidarity/
  3. ↑ Adeche Atelier. African Mythology Experts. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ Adeche Atelier. African Mythology Experts. Expert Interview
  5. ↑ https://www.leecountyblackhistorysociety.org/our-flag/
  6. ↑ Adeche Atelier. African Mythology Experts. Expert Interview
  7. ↑ Adeche Atelier. African Mythology Experts. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ Adeche Atelier. African Mythology Experts. Expert Interview
  9. ↑ Adeche Atelier. African Mythology Experts. Expert Interview
  1. ↑ https://www.palquest.org/en/highlight/33555/palestinian-flag
  2. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Iraq
  3. ↑ https://jordanembassyjapan.com/the-jordanian-flag-and-the-national-anthem/
  4. ↑ https://kenyaembassystockholm.com/index.php/about-kenya/the-flag/
  5. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Kuwait
  6. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Libya
  7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20151031013922/http://24dec1951.com/libya/national-flag-of-libya.html
  8. ↑ https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sudan/flag
  9. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Syria
  10. ↑ Austin Krance. Global Geography and Flag Expert. Expert Interview
  11. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Malawi
  12. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Arab-Emirates-flag-of-the
  13. ↑ https://www.fotw.info/flags/so-mv.html
  14. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Vanuatu
  15. ↑ https://face2faceafrica.com/article/flags-africa-causing-controversies-21st-century/3
  16. ↑ https://journal.oraltradition.org/wp-content/uploads/files/articles/23ii/05_23.2.pdf
  17. ↑ https://nationalflags.org/flag/afghanistan/

About This Article

Adeche Atelier
Co-authored by:
Adeche Atelier
African Mythology Experts
This article was co-authored by Adeche Atelier and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Adeche Atelier, also known as Adwoa Botchey and Solomon Adebiyi, are fine artists, storytellers, and content creators inspired by African mythology, folklore, and spirituality based in London, UK. The name 'Adeche' is a fusion of their surnames, symbolising the collaborative nature of their art, created together on the same canvas. With over 5 years of experience researching this field, they now share what they've learned in a bite-sized, accessible format on their social media to a community of over 580k followers. Together, they also host the Afro Mythos Podcast, releasing longer-form episodes every month that explore the world of African mythology and folklore. They have been commissioned to create paintings by major institutions, including The National Gallery London, BBC Arts, the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, and EA Games in collaboration with Black Girl Gamers. They have produced digital content for The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and The Hayward Gallery.
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Updated: December 1, 2025
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Categories: Flags
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