Flag of Yemenالجمهورية اليمنية

What the flag looks like

The Yemeni flag consists of three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white (middle) and black (bottom). The proportion is 2:3. It was adopted on 22 May 1990, when North Yemen and South Yemen unified to form the Republic of Yemen, and has remained unchanged since.

Colors and meaning

Red represents the blood shed by Yemeni patriots in the struggle for independence and the unity of the nation, white represents peace and purity, and black represents the dark years of oppression under foreign rule and the determination of the Yemeni people to overcome them.

Red

Represents the blood shed by Yemeni patriots in the struggle for independence, and the revolutionary spirit of the Yemeni people. Red is also a traditional color of the Arab Liberation Flag, used by many Arab nationalist movements.

White

Represents peace, purity and hope for a bright future. White is the middle band and provides a neutral background between the red and black bands.

Black

Represents the dark years of oppression under Ottoman and British colonial rule, and the determination of the Yemeni people to overcome it. Black also represents the historic Abbasid and other Islamic dynasties that used black banners.

Arab Liberation Flag

The design is based on the Arab Liberation Flag, which was first used by the Free Officers movement in Egypt in 1952. It was later adopted by several Arab states — Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya — with different emblems added in the center. Yemen's flag is the plain version without any emblem, distinguishing it from Egypt, Iraq and Syria.

History and adoption

Yemen was divided for most of the 20th century — the northern part was the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (later the Yemen Arab Republic after a 1962 revolution), and the southern part was the British colony of Aden and later the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, a Marxist-Leninist state. Both states used versions of the Arab Liberation Flag — red, white and black horizontal bands — with different emblems in the center. On 22 May 1990, the two Yemens unified to form the Republic of Yemen, and the unified flag was adopted — the plain red, white and black tricolor without any emblem, symbolizing the unity of the two former states. The design has remained unchanged since, though the country has been in civil war since 2014.

Key facts

Adopted

22 May 1990

Proportion

2:3

Designer

Based on the Arab Liberation Flag

Capital

Sanaa (constitutional), Aden (temporary)

Country code

YE

Similar flags

Egypt, Iraq, Syria

Historical and related flags

Yemen has used several flags across its divided and unified periods.

• Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (1918–1962): Red field with a white sword and five stars.
• Yemen Arab Republic / North Yemen (1962–1990): Red, white and black tricolor with a green star.
• South Yemen (1967–1990): Red, white and black tricolor with a blue triangle and red star.
• Current flag (1990–present): Plain red, white and black tricolor.
• Presidential standard: Uses the Yemeni coat of arms with the Marib Dam, coffee plant and other symbols.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Yemen look like?

The flag of Yemen has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white (middle) and black (bottom). The proportion is 2:3.

When was the flag of Yemen adopted?

The current flag of Yemen was officially adopted on 22 May 1990.

What do the colors mean?

Red represents the blood shed by Yemeni patriots in the struggle for independence and the unity of the nation, white represents peace and purity, and black represents the dark years of oppression under foreign rule and the determination of the Yemeni people to overcome them.

Which flags look similar to the Yemen flag?

Egypt, Iraq and Syria use the same red-white-black tricolor with different emblems in the white band — Egypt with the Eagle of Saladin, Iraq with the Takbir in green, and Syria with two green stars. Yemen's flag is the plain version without any emblem.