Flag of Ethiopia

What the flag looks like

Three horizontal stripes of green, yellow and red, with a blue disc in the center bearing a yellow five-pointed star with rays between its points.

What it means

Green stands for the land and fertility, yellow for hope and peace, and red for strength and sacrifice; the star on the blue disc represents the unity and equality of the nation's peoples.

How to remember it

Ethiopia gave Africa its green-yellow-red; its own flag adds a blue disc with a golden star, which Bolivia's and Lithuania's stripes lack.

Fun facts

• Because Ethiopia avoided colonisation, its green, yellow and red were taken up by many newly independent African states as the pan-African colors.
• Ethiopia uses its own calendar of 13 months, which runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

Ethiopia at a glance

Capital

Addis Ababa

Region

Eastern Africa

Population

132 million

Area

1,104,300 km²

Languages

Amharic

Currency

Ethiopian birr (Br)

Flag adopted

1996

Flags often confused with Ethiopia

• Bolivia: Bolivia and Ethiopia both have horizontal red, yellow and green stripes with a central emblem. Bolivia has red on top; Ethiopia has green on top and a blue disc with a yellow star.
• Lithuania: Ethiopia and Lithuania both use green, yellow and red stripes. Ethiopia has green on top and a blue disc with a star; Lithuania has yellow on top and no emblem.
• Ghana: Ethiopia and Ghana both use green, yellow and red stripes with a star. Ethiopia has green on top and a blue disc; Ghana has red on top and a plain black star.