Asia ยท AM / ARM

Flag of Armenia

The Armenia flag is a horizontal tricolor of red, blue and orange, in equal bands from top to bottom. It was first used by the independent Republic of Armenia in 1918 and was restored in 1990 as the Soviet Union ended.

The national flag of Armenia
Ratio 1:2 ยท adopted August 24, 1990

What the flag of Armenia looks like

The flag of Armenia consists of three horizontal bands of equal width: red at the top, blue in the middle and orange at the bottom. The proportions are 1:2. It has no coat of arms, stars or text, which makes it a simple tricolor.

The orange is the most unusual part. It is sometimes compared to the color of the apricot, a fruit closely linked with Armenia, and is also described as gold. In Armenian the flag is often simply called the tricolor (yerraguyn). The Armenia flag emoji shows the same three bands.

Armenia flag colors

Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.

Red
HEX #D90012
RGB 217, 0, 18
CMYK 0, 100, 92, 15
Orange
HEX #F2A800
RGB 242, 168, 0
CMYK 0, 31, 100, 5
Blue
HEX #0033A0
RGB 0, 51, 160
CMYK 100, 68, 0, 37

Armenian flag colors and meaning

The colors are explained in the law on the national flag and in traditional accounts. Red stands for the Armenian Highland, the Armenian people's continued struggle for survival, the maintenance of the Christian faith, and Armenia's independence and freedom. Blue stands for the sky and the will of the people to live under a peaceful sky. Orange stands for the creative talent and hard-working nature of the Armenians.

The meanings of the colors are interpreted in many ways. When the colors were debated in 1918, several members of parliament said red represented the blood of the Armenian people. Such readings are informal and vary from source to source. Mount Ararat, where the Bible says Noah's ark came to rest, appears on Armenia's coat of arms rather than on the flag.

History of the Armenian flag

Armenia has used many banners over its long history, including those of the Armenian kingdoms, which often showed lions and eagles. The red, blue and orange tricolor was chosen on 1 August 1918 at the first session of the National Assembly of the First Republic of Armenia, on a proposal by Stepan Malkhasyants. It was meant as a temporary design, and the republic used it until Soviet forces took Yerevan on 29 November 1920.

Under Soviet rule, Armenia's flag was a red banner with gold lettering, later with a hammer and sickle, and from 1952 it had a blue stripe through the center. The tricolor was banned until 1988. As the Soviet Union weakened, the Armenian Supreme Soviet adopted the tricolor on 24 August 1990, and Armenia declared independence in 1991. A law on the national flag was passed in 2006.

Armenia celebrates Flag Day on 15 June, in honor of the day in 2006 when the law was passed.

Armenia flag facts

CountryRepublic of Armenia
Flag adoptedAugust 24, 1990
Proportions1:2
Colors#D90012, #F2A800, #0033A0
Flag emoji๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒ
Country codeAM, ARM (ISO 3166)
CapitalYerevan
ContinentAsia
Population2,930,450
Area29,743 kmยฒ
CurrencyArmenian dram
National anthemMer Hayrenik

Armenia flag: frequently asked questions

What does the Armenian flag symbolize?

Red stands for the Armenian Highland, the people's struggle for survival, the Christian faith and independence, blue for the will to live under peaceful skies, and orange for the creative talent and hard work of the people.

What country is ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒ?

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒ is the flag of Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus. It shows the red, blue and orange horizontal tricolor.

Who designed the flag of Armenia?

The tricolor was proposed by Stepan Malkhasyants for the First Republic of Armenia in 1918. It was brought back in 1990.

Is Armenia part of Europe or Asia?

Armenia lies in the South Caucasus, in Western Asia, though it has close historical and cultural ties to Europe and is a member of the Council of Europe.

When did Armenia change its flag?

The red, blue and orange tricolor was presented to the National Assembly of the First Republic of Armenia in August 1918. After Soviet rule began in 1920, Soviet flags replaced it. The Armenian Supreme Soviet restored the tricolor on 24 August 1990, and a law on the national flag followed in 2006.

Is the Armenian flag orange or yellow?

Officially orange. Orange cloth was hard to find in 1918, and an instruction that September told institutions to use yellow, but the 1918 proposal and the 2006 law both specify orange. Some describe it as apricot or gold.

Which country did Armenia belong to?

After the First Republic (1918 to 1920), Armenia became a Soviet republic, the Armenian SSR, and was part of the Soviet Union until it declared independence in 1991. The tricolor was banned under Soviet rule until it was allowed to fly again in 1988.

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