Flag of Jordan

Meaning and history of the flag of Jordan

Jordan's flag has three horizontal stripes of equal width, black over white over green, with a red triangle extending from the hoist side and overlapping all three bands. Inside the triangle sits a white seven-pointed star. Black, white, green, and red are the pan-Arab colors, each tied to a historic Islamic dynasty: the Abbasids, the Umayyads, the Fatimids, and the Hashemites, respectively.

The flag was officially adopted on April 16, 1928, during the British mandate, and it was retained after full independence in 1946. Its design descends directly from the flag of the 1916 Arab Revolt, led by Sharif Hussein of Mecca against the Ottoman Empire, with the seven-pointed star added on top. The star's seven points stand for the seven verses of the Quran's opening sura, Al-Fatiha, as well as for the unity of the Arab peoples.

Jordan's flag closely resembles that of Palestine, which uses the same colors and layout but lacks the white seven-pointed star. The similarity is no accident, since both flags trace back to the Arab Revolt banner and share historical and cultural roots. It also bears some resemblance to the flag of South Sudan, though that flag uses a yellow star instead. The seven-pointed star is the distinguishing feature that sets Jordan's flag apart among pan-Arab flags.

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