Flag of Western Sahara

What the flag looks like

Three horizontal stripes of black, white and green, with a red triangle at the hoist and a red crescent and star in the center of the white stripe.

What it means

Black, white, green and red are the Pan-Arab colors, and the crescent and star are symbols of Islam.

How to remember it

Western Sahara is Palestine's flag with a red crescent and star added to the white stripe; Jordan puts a white star in the triangle instead.

Fun facts

• The flag was adopted when the Polisario Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on 27 February 1976.
• Western Sahara is the largest territory by area on the UN's list of non-self-governing territories.

Western Sahara at a glance

Recognized by

The African Union and several dozen UN member states, though many have withdrawn or frozen recognition

Claimed by

Morocco, which controls most of the territory; the UN lists it as a non-self-governing territory

Capital

Laayoune (claimed)

Region

Northern Africa

Population

600,000

Area

266,000 km²

Languages

Arabic

Currency

Moroccan dirham (د.م.), Algerian dinar (د.ج)

Flag adopted

1976

Flags often confused with Western Sahara

• Palestine: Western Sahara and Palestine both have black, white and green stripes with a red triangle at the hoist. Western Sahara adds a red crescent and star on the white stripe; Palestine's stripes are plain.
• Jordan: Western Sahara and Jordan both have black, white and green stripes with a red triangle at the hoist. Jordan has a small white star in the triangle; Western Sahara has a red crescent and star on the white stripe.