Flag of Jordan

What the flag looks like

Three equal horizontal stripes of black, white and green, with a red triangle at the hoist containing a small white seven-pointed star.

What it means

The stripes recall the Abbasid (black), Umayyad (white) and Fatimid (green) caliphates and the red triangle the Hashemite dynasty; the star's seven points represent the seven verses of the first chapter of the Quran.

How to remember it

Jordan is Palestine's flag plus a small white seven-pointed star in the red triangle; Sudan's triangle is green and its stripes start with red.

Fun facts

• The design is based on the flag of the Arab Revolt of 1916 against Ottoman rule.
• Petra, the ancient city carved into rose-colored sandstone cliffs, is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Jordan at a glance

Capital

Amman

Region

Western Asia

Population

12 million

Area

89,342 km²

Languages

Arabic

Currency

Jordanian dinar (د.ا)

Flag adopted

1928

Flags often confused with Jordan

• Palestine: Jordan and Palestine are identical black, white and green stripes with a red triangle at the hoist. Only Jordan has a small white seven-pointed star in the triangle.
• Sudan: Jordan and Sudan both have three stripes with a triangle at the hoist. Jordan is black on top with a red triangle and white star; Sudan is red on top with a plain green triangle.
• Kuwait: Jordan and Kuwait both use black, white, green and red. Jordan has black on top with a red triangle holding a white star; Kuwait has green on top with a black trapezoid at the hoist.
• United Arab Emirates: The UAE and Jordan both use red, green, white and black. The UAE has a red vertical band with green on top; Jordan has a red triangle with a white star and black on top.