Flag of the Kurdistan Region
Locally Herêmî Kurdistan · هەرێمی کوردستان
What the flag looks like
Three equal horizontal stripes of red, white and green, with a golden sun of 21 rays in the center.
What it means
The sun is an ancient symbol in Kurdish culture, and its 21 rays are usually linked to 21 March, Newroz, the Kurdish new year; red is commonly said to stand for sacrifice, white for peace and green for the land.
How to remember it
Kurdistan
is red-white-green with a blazing 21-rayed gold sun; Tajikistan
has a crown under stars, and Iran
puts green on top.
Fun facts
- A similar flag was used by the short-lived Republic of Ararat around 1927, and the Kurdistan Region adopted it in 1992.
- Kurds in neighbouring countries also fly it as a symbol of Kurdish identity, but it has official status only in Iraq's Kurdistan Region.
Kurdistan Region at a glance
- Status
- Autonomous region of Iraq
- Sovereign state
- Iraq
- Capital
- Erbil
- Region
- Autonomous region of Iraq
- Population
- 6.4 million
- Area
- 46,862 km²
- Languages
- Kurdish, Arabic
- Currency
- Iraqi dinar (ع.د)
- Flag adopted
- 1992
Flags often confused with the Kurdistan Region
- Tajikistan: Kurdistan and Tajikistan are both red, white and green horizontal stripes with a gold emblem in the center. Kurdistan has equal stripes and a 21-rayed sun; Tajikistan has a wider white stripe with a crown under an arc of seven stars.
- Hungary: Hungary and Kurdistan are both red, white and green horizontal stripes. Hungary's flag is plain; Kurdistan has a gold sun in the center.
- Iran: Kurdistan and Iran both have red, white and green stripes with an emblem in the center. Kurdistan has red on top and a gold sun; Iran has green on top, a red emblem and white script along the stripe edges.