Africa ยท LY / LBY
Flag of Libya
The Libya flag has three horizontal bands of red, black and green, with the black band twice as tall and carrying a white crescent and star. It is the independence-era flag of 1951, restored in 2011 after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.
What the flag of Libya looks like
The flag of Libya is divided into three horizontal bands. The top band is red, the middle band is black and the bottom band is green. The black band is twice as tall as each of the other two. In the center of the black band is a white crescent with a white five-pointed star placed within its opening. The proportions are 1:2.
The crescent and star are the main symbols, and they are the same elements that appear on a number of other flags of Muslim-majority countries. Libya's is unusual for combining them with a red-black-green scheme. Nearby flags such as those of Tunisia and Egypt use quite different designs. You can also view the Libya flag emoji.
Libya flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#000000RGB
0, 0, 0CMYK
0, 0, 0, 100HEX
#E70013RGB
231, 0, 19CMYK
0, 100, 92, 9HEX
#239E46RGB
35, 158, 70CMYK
78, 0, 56, 38Libya flag meaning and symbolism
The colors are often linked to the history of the country. According to the designer's family, red was chosen for the blood sacrificed for the freedom of Libya, black to remember the dark days under Italian occupation, and green for agriculture and the future prosperity of the country. The colors also echo the flags of the three historic regions: Fezzan (red), Cyrenaica (black) and Tripolitania (green).
The flag is based on the banner of the Senussi dynasty from Cyrenaica, a black field with a star and crescent, and the star and crescent were placed in the black band as a reference to that flag and to King Idris's role in leading the country to independence. A booklet issued by the kingdom's Ministry of Information explained the crescent as a symbol of the beginning of the lunar month in the Islamic calendar, and the star as hope and the light of belief in God.
History of the Libya flag
Libya was an Italian colony from 1911 and was administered by the British and French after the Second World War. When it became independent as the United Kingdom of Libya on 24 December 1951, it adopted the flag it uses now, with the black field, crescent and star bordered by red and green.
After the coup of Muammar Gaddafi in 1969, the monarchy was overthrown and the flag was replaced with a red, white and black tricolor. That flag was used from 1969 to 1977, and then Libya changed its flag again. From 1977 to 2011 its flag was a plain green rectangle with no symbols, which made it the only national flag in the world with a single color and no design, apart from a brief period in 1996 to 1997 when Afghanistan used an all-white flag. Green was the color of Gaddafi's Green Book ideology.
During the 2011 uprising, the opposition raised the independence-era flag as the symbol of a new Libya. The National Transitional Council adopted it as the emblem of the Libyan Republic, and on 3 August 2011 a decision was notified to the United Nations to change Libya's national flag back to the original. It has been in use since.
Libya flag facts
| Country | State of Libya |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | August 3, 2011 |
| Proportions | 1:2 |
| Colors | #000000, #E70013, #239E46 |
| Symbols | five-pointed star, crescent, star and crescent |
| Flag emoji | ๐ฑ๐พ |
| Country code | LY, LBY (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Tripoli |
| Continent | Africa |
| Population | 7,381,023 |
| Area | 1,759,541 kmยฒ |
| Currency | Libyan dinar |
| National anthem | Libya, Libya, Libya |
Libya flag: frequently asked questions
What was the old flag of Libya?
From 1977 to 2011 Libya used a plain green flag with no symbols. Before that, it used a red, white and black tricolor from 1969 to 1977.
Why did Libya change its flag in 2011?
The plain green flag had been tied to Muammar Gaddafi's rule. During the 2011 uprising the opposition revived the 1951 independence flag as a symbol of a new start, and it was officially restored after the government fell.
What flag was just green?
The flag of Libya from 1977 to 2011 was a single green field with no emblem. It was the only national flag in the world with no design, apart from Afghanistan's all-white flag in 1996 to 1997.
What does the Libyan flag represent?
According to the designer, red stands for the blood sacrificed for freedom, black for the dark days under Italian occupation, and green for agriculture and future prosperity. The colors also echo the flags of the three historic regions, and the crescent and star refer to the Senussi flag.
What country is ๐ฑ๐พ?
The flag emoji ๐ฑ๐พ stands for Libya, a country in North Africa with Tripoli as its capital.
Who designed the Libyan flag?
Omar Faiek Shennib, a member of the Cyrenaica delegation and later a minister under King Idris, is credited with the design of the original flag, according to UN commissioner Adrian Pelt. He presented it to the constitutional convention, which approved it for the new kingdom.
When was the Libyan flag adopted?
The red, black and green flag was first adopted in 1951, described in the constitution and officially adopted on 24 December 1951, when Libya became independent. It was abolished after 1969 and readopted after the fall of Gaddafi, with a notice sent to the UN on 3 August 2011.
