Libya
Trivia
The current flag is the same as original flag of the Kingdom of Libya.
Technical Specifications
| Adopted | 3rd August 2011 |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Design | A red-black-green horizontal tricolour with white crescent and five-pointed car. |
Brief History
From 1551 the area that was to be Libya was under Ottoman control and called Tripolitania. The flag featured a plain green field with three white crescent moons.
It wasn’t until 1911 that Italy overthrew the Ottoman rule and the area became an Italian colony. Italian Libya adopted the green-white-red vertical tricolour with arms of Savoy that was the national flag of the Kingdom of Italy.
Tripolitania gained independence from Italian Libya in 1918 and a flag that featured a plain blue field with green palm tree and small white five-pointed star at the centre was adopted. The independence did not last long; by 1923 Italy had control over Tripolitania with the flag of Italian Libya flying again.
After being defeated in World War Two Italy lost control of all of the Italian colonies, which included Libya. Administration of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania was handed over to the British Military. The flag flown was the red, white and blue Union Flag.
France took administration of the Southern Libyan territory of Fezzen-Ghadames. Rather than using the French Tricolour the flag was a plain red field with white crescent moon and white-bordered red five-pointed star.
In 1949 Britain handed over Cyrenaica to Sayyid Idris and the area became the Emirate of Cyrenaica. A black flag with white crescent moon and five-pointed black star was flown.
In 1951 the whole of Libya gained full independence and the flag of Fezzan-Ghandames, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were merged to create a red-black-green horizontal tricolour flag of the Kingdom of Libya that also featured the Islamic crescent moon and five-pointed star at the centre.
In 1969 Muammar Gaddafi lead a bloodless coup d’état overthrowing King Idris I creating the Libyan Arab Republic. The flag chosen for this era was a red-white-black horizontal tricolour.
In 1972 Libya merged with Egypt and Syria to create the Federation of Arab Republics. The flag with the red-white-black tricolour with the Coat of Arms of the Federation in the centre. This was short lived because the countries could not agree on rules.
In 1977 Libya broke free of the merger and became the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. A plain green flag, the only plain coloured flag in the world, was chosen to represent Gaddafi’s political philosophy.
When Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011 the United Nations chose the original flag of Libya as the national flag. It is flown and used in all diplomatic posts and situations.
The Seal of the President of Libya
The Seal of the President of Libya is the national flag made in the outline of country surrounded by a black-bordered circle with the Presidents Office written in Arabic.
The Naval Flag of Libya
The Flag of the Navy of Libya is a plain blue field with the national flag in the top left hand corner with a white anchor centre right.
Historical Coat of Arms of Libya
Currently Libya does not have an official coat of arms, however the Islamic crescent moon and star is used on the national flag. Here are some examples of the historical Coat of Arms of Libya.
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