Flag of Afghanistan

Meaning and history of the flag of Afghanistan

The flag of Afghanistan is made up of three equal vertical stripes of black, red, and green, from the hoist to the fly. At the center of the red stripe sits the national emblem in white, which depicts a mosque with its mihrab facing Mecca, flags on either side, and an inscription of the shahada above. Black stands for the country's turbulent past, red for the blood shed in the struggle for independence, and green for prosperity and Islam.

Afghanistan is one of the countries that has changed its flag most often throughout history, with more than twenty different designs since the early twentieth century. Every change of political regime has brought a new flag with it, making the country a singular case in world vexillology. The current tricolor design was originally adopted in 1928 and has been restored on several later occasions.

The black-red-green combination is shared by few other countries, which makes it fairly distinctive. The central emblem is one of the most detailed found on any national flag, and its intricacy has historically made it difficult to reproduce exactly in official settings.

You can view the flag of Afghanistan in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Afghanistan profile, its map, or the current local time in Kabul.