Afghanistan Flag Pictures
Afghanistan Has Changed Its Flag More Than Any Other Country This Century
Unlike many international flags that have remained basically unchanged over decades or even centuries, the flag of Afghanistan has changed dramatically since it was introduced in 1901. In fact, there have been so many variations that Afghanistan is known as the nation with the most frequent flag changes in the 20th century.
Learn about other Afghanistan flags throughout history.
Afghanistan's current flag was introduced at the inauguration ceremony of President Karzai on Dec. 7, 2004. According to Chapter I, Article 19 of the Afghan constitution, the new national flag of the recently born Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is made up of three equal parts, with black, red and green colors juxtaposed from left to right perpendicularly. The width of every colored piece is equal to half of its length. The new national emblem is located in the center of the flag. The national emblem of the state of Afghanistan is composed of Mehrab and Pulpit in white color. Two flags are located on its sides. In the upper-middle part of the insignia, the sacred phrase of There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet and Allah is Great are placed along with a rising sun. The word Afghanistan and the year 1298 (solar calendar) are located in the lower part of the insignia. The emblem is encircled with two branches of wheat.
A Color Controversy
What do the colors mean? Many believe that the the different colors represent a different page of Afghan history. The black symbolizes the 19th century when Afghanistan was occupied and didn't even have independence; the red represents the blood spilled in the fight for independence; and the green signifies that independence has been achieved.
However, others don't believe that to be true since Afghan flags between 1928 and 1978 incorporated the same colors. Their theory is that the black symbolized the previous monochrome field from past Afghan flags, which represents the sovereign; the red stands as a sign of modernity and progress and copied from the Soviet flag; and the green is for Islam.
Which ever version you believe, one thing is for certain. These three colors represent what equates to national colors and are an important part of not only the flag's history, but the country's heritage.
Similarities & Differences
Very similar in appearance to the flag of the Transitional Authority in Afghanistan, which was flown from 2002 up until the introduction of the new flag, there are some key differences to keep in mind as well, including a change in proportion, a revision of the year of the coronation of Mohammed Nadir Shah (1348) to the year of independence from Great Britain (1298) and an addition of a rising sun composed of 9 long and 8 short rays is added between the shahada and the takbir (Allahu akbar).
You may have seen images of the new Afghan flag that seem to differ from the official flag seen here. As in the past, many variations of actually manufactured flags have been reported. They include deviations to the color, content and size of the coat of arms, the detail of the leaves in the wreath, the format of the temple and the placement of the rising sun, Shahada text or takbir phrase.
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More About Afghanistan Flags at Wikipedia.org
Description of Afghan Flag at CIA Fact Book
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