Yemen Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Facts
Yemen’s national flag is a simple red-white-black horizontal tricolour. It was adopted for the unified Republic of Yemen in 1990 and remains the national flag despite the country’s continuing political conflict.
What does the Yemen flag look like?
The national flag has three equal horizontal bands: red on top, white in the middle and black at the bottom. There are no stars, emblems or inscriptions.
What do the colors mean?
Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives explicit meanings: red for revolution, white for its principles and purity, and black for the era of darkness and reactionary rule.
Explore the official color meanings →
What is the official ratio?
The flag’s width is two-thirds of its length, giving it a 2:3 ratio.
When was the current flag adopted?
The current flag dates to the creation of the unified Republic of Yemen on May 22, 1990.
What flags existed before unification?
North Yemen used red-white-black with a green star. South Yemen used the same tricolour with a blue hoist triangle and red star.
How was the unity flag created?
The unified state removed the northern green star and the southern blue triangle and red star, leaving the shared Pan-Arab tricolour.
Has the national flag changed during the civil war?
The Republic of Yemen’s national flag remains the plain red-white-black tricolour. Political movements and armed groups use additional banners, but those are not the national flag.
How can you identify it?
Look for three plain equal horizontal bands in red, white and black with no central symbol.
Yemen flag facts
| Colors | Red, white, black |
|---|---|
| Symbols | None |
| Ratio | 2:3 |
| Current flag | Since May 22, 1990 |
