Libya's Flag Change: World Loses the Only Single Colored National Flag Libya's Flag Change: World Loses the Only Single Colored National Flag Updated on January 24, 2012 Libya's Old and New Flags Libya's Old and New Flags Death of the Living Another endangered species has gone extinct. No we are not talking about the animal or plant kingdom but the national flag of the Libyan kingdom (agreed technically it was not a kingdom but it was no democracy either). With the demise of their king (read Muammar Gaddafi) comes the demise of a symbol that became the reason why primary school kids know of the existence of a nation called Libya. (If you have been on a sail-around-the-world-tour and are wondering what am I talking about, I suggest you take a tour of Wikipedia before returning to this land.) Libya's plain green (ex) flag, which was the only national flag of its kind, has been replaced by the original flag of 1951 that was adopted when the Kingdom of Libya came into being. One will no longer be able to ask what may have been one of the favorite GK questions in the domain of flags.

Rebirth of the Dead The new (or original) flag has a design typical of Islamic nations. It consists of a horizontal tricolor of red, black and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black center stripe. To give credit to the designer, the flag was designed by Omar al Fayek Shennib who was the Minister of Defense along with being Chief of the Royal Diwan and Vice-President of the Libyan National Assembly under the reign of King Idris al Senussi. The flag which became a symbol of protest in the Libyan Revolution leading to the ousting of the military regime was officially notified to the United Nations by the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya on 3 August 2011. Evolution History The earlier plain green design with no symbol or insignia was adopted by Muammar Gaddafi in 1977. If you are wondering why did a colorful person like Gaddafi adopt such a simple design then this had to do with his Green Book on Third International Theory which was proposed as an alternative to capitalism and communism for third world countries. Gaddafi adopted the flag after he had overthrown the king in a military coup in 1969.

But history has a knacky way of repeating itself. The military ruler had come to power after a bloodless coup but his end of rule was not to be so peaceful. He was captured and brutally murdered by NTC revolutionaries. Condolences The revolutionaries have succeeded in their efforts. The new flag flies proudly all over Libya. Muammar Gaddafi is gone. And so is the flag he gave Libya for the world to admire. May both of them rest in peace. | Egypt , Italy , Libya The red band on the flag refers to the blood of those killed during the Libyan fight for independence from Italy [AFP] Anti-government protesters in cities across Libya have been hoisting national flags as a sign of their revolt against Muammar Gaddafi, the man who has led the country for 41 years. Abroad, where diplomats in several embassies have also renounced Gaddafi's leadership, the flag is also being used as a sign to show where loyalties lie. The flag being raised, however, is not the current national flag, but one from over 40 years ago, when Libya was still ruled by a constitutional monarchy under the el-Senussi family .

It depicts three bands of green, black and red, with a white crescent and star in the centre, and was the banner under which the Kingdom of Libya won its independence from Italy on December 24, 1951. The flag was used until 1969, when it was replaced by the pan-Arab red-white-and-black tricolour. The red band on the 1951 flag symbolises the blood of those killed during the struggle for independence from Italy, and the green band symbolises prosperity. The central black band appears to be a reference from the el-Senussi flag, under which King Idris I gathered Libyans together during the fight for independence. The crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam, the religion of most Libyans. A variation of the flag that has been used by anti-government protesters has vertical bands, and no star and crescent. 'Stolen by Gaddafi' Libya's current flag is a monochromatic green rectangle, and is the only national flag currently in use that does not feature some form of icon, symbol or design.

It is strongly associated with Gaddafi's rule, and has been in use since 1977, when the country was declared the "Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya". Speaking to Al Jazeera, Youcef Bouandel, an Algerian professor of international affairs at Qatar University, explained the significance of the protesters' choice of flag. "This flag is the flag of Libya when it achieved its independence from the Italians ... and I think that people are saying that Libya is going to achieve its independence that was stolen by Gaddafi," he said. Bouandel said the choice of flag did not indicate a particular predilection towards returning to a monarchical structure - as the original flag was used by the country when it was ruled by the el-Senussi family - rather it was a reaction against Gaddafi, and an expression of a desire for independence. Protesters shows areas they claim are controlled by anti-government forces under the 1951-69 flag "[It is] to tell him that there was a Libya before Gaddafi came to power," said Bouandel. "He seemed to imply in his speech that he was Libya, that he made Libya ...

[but they wish to say] there was a Libya that fought for its independence and that was the flag of Libya before you took power in what you called a revolution." Analysts say that while there is the possibility of the Libyan monarchy coming back to some form of power if Gaddafi were overthrown, it remains unclear at this point how strong a possibility that is. Awad Elfeituri, from the Libyan Information Centre, a Doha-based organisation that has been using contacts in the country to get information regarding the revolt out to the wider world, spoke to Al Jazeera about the significance of the flag. He said that it was unlikely that protesters had chosen the flag with its ties to the monarchy in mind, as most protesters are younger than 30 years old - Gaddafi seized power in a coup d'etat 41 years ago. Elfeituri said the choice of the older flag as a symbol of the revolution came from a sense of "nostalgia", of a longing for the "good old days", where, in particular, law and order were maintained. He said the protesters "do not want anything to do with Gaddafi", and the green flag is closely associated with the Libyan leader.

Those sentiments to be borne out by protesters against Gaddafi's rule. "It represents a free Libya [because] that's how it was before he [Gaddafi] came along. We just want someone that will listen to us," said Amina, a 22-year-old student in London at a protest in that city. Muftah Abdelsamad, a 57-year-old Libyan living in exile in Britain for 35 years, told Al Jazeera: "This flag means everything. It's our independence flag from the occupation of the Italian forces, and ... I'm proud to wear it around." While some protesters expressed admiration of the monarchy with which the flag is associated, others asserted that the meaning for them was primarily one of independence and revolution. Amjad Tahaa, a 19-year-old from Birmingham in the United Kingdom said the flag "represents the Libyan revolution and what the people want, regardless of the previous meaning". Divisions and unity In a speech televised on national television on February 21, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi's son, warned: "Libya is not like Egypt [referring to the revolution in that country], it is tribes and clans.

It is not a society with parties. Everyone knows their duties and this may cause civil wars." The deep tribal divisions do continue to predict loyalties in Libya, and during recent unrest several tribes have turned against Gaddafi [notably the Warfala tribe, the country's largest]. The 1951-69 flag, however, is a symbol of tribal unity, as all of the country's clans agreed to be ruled under the el-Senussi family [and an elected parliament], said Bouandel. Follow more of Al Jazeera's special coverage here The flag then, appears to symbolise both independence and unity. Interestingly, the plain green flag that Gaddafi made the national pennant in 1977 is also supposed to symbolise unity, Bouandel and Elfeituri said. The colour green, which is closely associated with Gaddafi's government in Libya, is in the Arab world considered a colour of peace, equality and the colour of heaven, Bouandel added. Gaddafi has also displayed a particular devotion to the colour.

His manifesto, which he quotes often, is called the Green Book and features a green cover, and during recent violence he urged his supporters to wear green armbands as a sign of where their loyalties lay. During his address to the nation on February 22, he urged his supporters to don their green armbands and "cleanse" Libya of anti-government protesters. ElFeituri says the colour is somewhat of an obsession with Gaddafi. In the city of Benghazi, which in recent days has become a stronghold for protesters, he had earlier reportedly "forced people to paint their walls and doors green". The colour appears to have a deeper importance to Gaddafi than simply being a means of identification. Bouandel narrated an anecdote to Al Jazeera, describing a function at the University of Benghazi some years ago when Gaddafi wanted to take notes of what speakers were saying. Students present at the university offered Gaddafi a pen that wrote in red ink. He was offended by the offer, Bouandel said, asking "Since when do I use that?" Gaddafi then demanded that a green pen be provided for him to write with.

Additional reporting contributed by Al Jazeera's Jacqueline Head in London You can follow Asad Hashim on Twitter at @AsadHashim Source: Al Jazeera Libya Flag | Libyan Flag Egypt Flag Design The flag of Libya is a tricolor, with three horizontal bands of red, back and green colors respectively, forming the base. Of these, the black band is the largest in width. On the center is an emblem comprised of a white crescent and a five-pointed star. The flag bears a ratio of 1:2, being twice as long as it is broad. Symbolism The design forming the central portion-the crescent and star on a black background-has its roots in the design of the banner used during the Senussi Dynasty, which was founded in Mecca in 1837. The red color represents the blood of the Libyan people who lost their lives in the fascist rule of Italy, and the green color stands for peace. History When Libya gained independence in 1951, the Kingdom of Libya was established. That was then the current flag of Libya was first adopted. After the coup of 1969, the Libyan Arab Republic was established, when the flag was changed under the directions of Muammar al-Gaddafi.

He was overthrown in the 2011 civil war, which featured the rebels using, and later re-establishing, the same flag. Fact about Libya flag Colors of Flags This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Colors of Flags FOTW Topical Index At the International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) held in Victoria, Canada, last year (1999) , I presented a paper (prepared by Theo Stylianides and myself) entitled VEXISTATS - A statistical overview of the colours, symbols and designs of national flags in the 20th Century. This paper dealt with the design, colours and symbols used on flags in 1917, 1939, 1958, 1970 and 1999 and has a number of tables showing use of colours, symbols/emblems etc. and highlighted the trends which emerged over the century.

The basic contents of the paper included Colours - number and type of colours; colour by continent, flag area covered by colour; Symbols - type of symbols, symbol by continent; Proportion - proportion, proportion by continent; Design - equal/unequal stripes, cantons, triangles, borders etc. This paper won the International Association of Flagmakers Award at the ICV for being one of the most interesting and unusual papers presented at the Congress. Bruce Berry, 29 May 2000 Colours The analysis of the number of colours used on flags between 1917 and 1999 reveals that the use of three colours is by far the most popular (Table 1), although this has declined between 1917 and 1999. The use of a single colour is negligible, the only examples being the plain red flag of Muscat and Oman in 1958 and 1970 and the green banner currently used by Libya. The use of bi-coloured flags increased between 1917 and 1939 but has since declined from the peak of 38% in 1939 to 25% currently.

While having three colours is the most popular, this has also declined from a high of 61% in 1917 to 45% in 1999. There was a slight increase from between 1958 (51%) to 1970 (53%), possibly due to the large number of newly independent African countries whose flags use a three-colour combination. The use of more than three colours has increased with four- (23% in 1999), five- (6% in 1999) and even a six-colour flag currently being in use. The increase in the number of colours can be explained by the improvements in flag manufacturing technology together with the cultural preferences of the African, Asian and Caribbean countries which gained independence in the latter half of the century. Table 1 - Percentage of flags with a given number of colours (1917-1999) % of flags with 100 100 Tables 2 and 3 deal with the number of colours by continent in 1999.

Table 2 gives the percentage of flags in each continent with a given number of colours and shows that over 70% of African flags contain three or four colours, while nearly 60% of the flags in America are three-coloured. Asia, by contrast, has almost an equal number of two-, three- and four-coloured flags. Table 3 shows where the numbers of colours on flags are located in the world in 1999. It is interesting to note that the only countries using a single-coloured flag (Libya) - the least number of colours currently used on a national flag - and a six-coloured flag (South Africa) - the most colours on a national flag - are both located in Africa. Table 2 - Percentage of flags in each continent with a given number of colours (1999) % of flags with Table 3 - Percentage of 1, 2, ..., 6 colour flags by continent (1999) % of flags with 7 100 The most popular colour used on flags is red (Table 4). Red has been the most popular colour throughout the century.

Although it has declined from appearing on 81% of the flags surveyed in 1917 to 74% in 1999, it is still the most popular colour used on flags today. White also remains a popular colour and is found in 71% of all flags, slightly down from a high of 77% in 1917. Yellow has shown an overall increase from 26% in 1917 to 43% currently, while the use of blue has declined steadily from 67% at the beginning of the century to 50% today. The use of both black and green has shown constant increases, green showing the most dramatic increase from appearing on 16% of the flags in 1917 to 42% in 1999. The most obvious explanation for this is the use of green in the flags of Africa, and the Islamic countries of the Middle East and Asia. The use of black is also a feature in nearly a third of African flags. The use of other colours remains small, with orange being found on 5% of flags.

In 1917 no orange was used, while in 1939 it was found on the flags of Ireland and South Africa. Today the number of countries using orange on their flag has grown to nine and includes such diverse countries as India, Armenia, C�te d'Ivoire, Ireland, Turkmenistan and the Marshall Islands. Other colours found on flags range from pink on the former flag of Persia in 1917, to brown (Lesotho shield and the tree branch in the flag of Dominica), silver/gray (Malta medal, Vatican keys and in part of the crested crane on the Ugandan flag) and purple (part of the Dominican parrot) in 1999. Maroon is now also found on the flags of Latvia, Qatar, Georgia and Turkmenistan. The point made by Weitman2 that "national flags make use of only seven outstanding colours: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, black and white ..." remains true in 1999.

Table 4 - Percentage of flags containing specific colours (1917-1999) % of flags containing 3 5 The review of the colours by continent in 1999 (Table 5) shows that the most popular colours used on African flags are green (79%), red (75%) and white (55%). White (74%) is the most popular in the Americas, followed by blue and red. White (84%) and red (81%) are also the most popular colours on Asian flags, while red (74%), white (72%) and blue (53%) are the most popular on European flags. White (86%) and blue (79%) predominate in the flags of Oceania. Table 5 - Percentage of flags in each continent containing specific colours (1999) % of flags containing - 5 As indicated earlier, red is the most popular flag being found on 74% of all the flags of the world today, followed by white on 71% of flags and blue on 50%.

It is interesting that these colours are associated with the countries of the Old World (UK, France, Netherlands and Russia) as well as the United States. Yellow is found on 43% of the world's flags, mainly in Africa, South America and Oceania. Green is found on 42%, predominantly in Africa and to a lesser extent in Asia. 22% of flags today contain black, the colour being popular in the flags of Africa and the Caribbean region. Bruce Berry, 31 May 2000 Colour Areas Red is the dominant colour both in terms of the number of flags it appears on as well as the area it occupies. Although blue occupies the second largest area on flags, the second most popular colour on the total number of flags is actually white. It appears, therefore, that white appears on more flags but in smaller amounts while blue is on fewer flags but in larger amounts. Yellow appears on more flags in smaller amounts than green, while green occupies the third largest area appearing on fewer flags than yellow but in larger amounts. Similar observations occur for the other main colours used on flags but the undisputed most popular colour remains red.

Table 8 - Percentage area of all flags covered by specific colors (1917, 1958 and 1999) % of Area Covered by 100 100 The last table shows the percentage flag area covered by a specific colour by continent in 1999. African flags account for most of the yellow, black, green and orange areas at 37%, 36%, 53% and 39% respectively. Most of the blue area is found in America and Europe (26% and 25%, respectively). Asia and Europe account for the bulk of the red area at 29% and 27%, respectively, as well as the white area at 29% and 33%, respectively. Other colours, mainly maroon and dark red, are predominantly a feature of European flags (Georgia and Latvia) at 65% and Asia (Qatar and Turkmenistan) at 30%. 84% of the area occupied by multi-coloured coats of arms is found in America and Europe (42% each).

Bruce Berry, 31 May 2000 Table 3 - Percentage flag area covered by a specific colour by continent (1999) Colour Libya, flag of Libya, flag of ▪ Flag History national flag consisting of a field of plain green. It has a width-to-length ratio of 1 to 2. Under Italian colonial rule from 1911 until 1942, Libya had no flag of its own, and subsequently, under British and French administration, only the Union Jack ( United Kingdom, flag of the ) and the French Tricolor ( France, flag of ) were flown. Nevertheless, the Sanūsīyah (Sennusiya), a powerful Islamic sect, had long displayed flags of black with inscriptions from the Qurʾān. In 1947 the Sanūsī leader became the king of Cyrenaica , which , with Tripolitania and Fezzan, became the Kingdom of Libya.

Cyrenaica's black flag with a white star and crescent was not acceptable as a national flag for all of Libya; consequently, green and red horizontal stripes were added to represent Tripolitania and Fezzan, respectively, when the Libyan flag was established in 1949. No change was introduced at independence on December 24, 1951, but in 1969 the monarchy was overthrown by Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi ( Qaddafi, Muammar al- ). He adopted a flag of red-white-black horizontal stripes in imitation of the liberation flag of neighbouring Egypt. Subsequently, a golden coat of arms ( arms, coat of ) was inserted in the centre of the flag. Qaddafi broke diplomatic relations with Egypt when its president, Anwar el-Sādāt ( Sādāt, Anwar el- ), went to Israel to broker a peace agreement. The national flag of Libya was changed at that time to reflect Libyan revulsion at Sādāt's break with the anti-Israel front of Arab states.

In its place Qaddafi established a plain green flag in November 1977, symbolic of the “Green Revolution” that he promised would bring a new life for the people. Under the Roman Empire, Libya had been an area of rich farmland, but increasing desertification impoverished the land. Qaddafi sought to find adequate water supplies and other resources that would make Libya green again. Green is also considered symbolic of Islam. Whitney Smith 15 of the World's Strangest Flags (swaziland flag, funny flags) - ODDEE 15 of the World's Strangest Flags 10/12/2009 1 Fryslan (Netherlands) Someone from Fryslan in the Netherlands must love Frogger. Or Chinese fortune cookies. Either way, they made this flag odd and ugly enough to be our first on the list. ( Source ) 2 Guam Guam's flag is just horrible, it looks as if they've just bought a T-shirt from the nearest souvenir shop and put it on a flag pole. Even if this was the case, we have a hard time believing that they couldn't find a better T-shirt.

( Source ) 3 Benin This was the flag of the Benin Empire, that was situated in modern Nigeria. A pre-colonial African state, it lasted from 1440 to 1897. ( Source ) 4 Swaziland Swaziland's flag. The colors go well together and the design is interesting; unfortunately, this is not a kitchen towel. While we're sure the shield and spears are traditional and part of Swaziland's culture, having weapons in your flag just sends the wrong message, not to mention the poor school children in Swaziland. Trying to make an accurate drawing of this flag for independence day must be a nightmare. ( Source ) 5 Isle of Man The flag of the Isle of Man shows a triskelion, the Three Legs of Man emblem, in the centre of a red flag. The three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee. In order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used. ( Source ) 6 Antwerp (Belgium) One of the worst flags in the world comes from the state of Antwerp in Belgium. It's a chess set on acid.

The flag is made of 24 square pieces, in 4 rows and 6 columns. The pieces in the upper right and lower left corners of the flag are white, the neighbouring pieces are blue, yellow, red and white, respectively. ( Source ) 7 Mozambique The hoe and the book in Mozambique's flag convey the best characteristics a nation wants in its people. But, an AK-47?! ( Source ) 8 Kyrgyzstan... Is that a tennis ball on this flag? 9 Bhutan's flag wins the award for the most bad-ass ever. 10 Northern Marianas Islands' flag appears to have been created from clip art. ( Source ) 11 U.S. Virgin Islands Another unspeakably horrible flag from a U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands. They actually have to use it. ( Source ) 12 Central African Republic The Central African Republic's flag has managed to make an incredibly busy flag with just five straight lines, and one lonely star. While this flag looks horrible enough as it is, if it is seen waving in the wind, it actually induces seizures.

( Source ) 13 Lombardy (Italy) Lombardy in Italy must have invented the game of Jacks, mustn't it? Not much else can explain this flag, that is simple to point of boredom, but still includes a slightly nauseous shade of green. ( Source ) 14 Nepal Nepal is the only country in the world that doesn't have a rectangular flag; Nepalese flag is shaped like two overlapping triangles. ( Source ) 15 Libya Libya's flag, adopted on an uninspired night of 1977, consists of a simple green field with no other characteristics. It is the only national flag in the world with just one color and no design, insignia, or other details. ( Source ) From the Web What's the deal with the new Libyan flag? - CSMonitor.com What's the deal with the new Libyan flag? A Libyan flag, used by the Kingdom of Libya before Muammar Qaddafi's regime, flies at the Libyan Embassy in Tokyo Tuesday. The embassy replaced the all green flag Monday with the Kingdom of Libya flag used by the Libyan rebels.

Hiro Komae/AP View Caption of Until recently, the flag of Libya held a special place in the hearts of vexillophiles as The World's Most Boring Flag. That's because it was nothing but a green rectangle, with no markings of any kind. But starting in February, a new flag – red, black, and green with a white star and crescent in the center – has been hoisted at Libyan embassies around the world, from Switzerland to Bangladesh . It is the same flag being flown by the jubilant rebels themselves as they descend on Tripoli . So what's the deal with this new flag? Is there a Libyan Betsy Ross among the rebels? Where did it come from? Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test? The new flag is actually a retro flag. It's the flag of the Kingdom of Libya, which existed from 1951 to 1969, until a group of military officers led by Col. Muammar Qaddafi overthrew the government.

The rebel National Transitional Council is calling for the establishment of a republic , but many of the rebels have been seen displaying photos of the country's first and only king, Idris of Libya, who died in exile in 1983. Photos of the Day Photos of the day 02/08 Before independence, Libya was governed by the Allies, the Italians, and from the 15th century to 1911, the Ottoman Empire . The Kingdom of Libya's flag is based on the flag of the Emirate of Cyrenaica, a region in eastern Libya that in 1949 unilaterally declared independence from the Allies under King Idris, who then went on to unite it with the country's other two historical regions, Tripolitania and Fezzan. Cyrenaica's flag was black with a white star and crescent. When Libya gained independence from the Allied forces in 1951, King Idris added a red stripe at the top to represent the blood of Libyans who died under Italian fascist rule, and a green stripe at the bottom to symbolize independence.

Upon taking power in 1969, Qaddafi renamed the country the "Libyan Arab Republic" and replaced the country's flag with a red, white, and black horizontal tricolor. In 1977, he changed the name of the country again, this time calling it the "Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya." ("Jamahiriya" is a word coined by Qaddafi and often left untranslated. It roughly means "state of the masses" or "peopledom.") For the flag of this newly renamed state, Qaddafi opted to go monochrome. Green is the traditional color of Islam, traditionally the favorite color of the Prophet Mohammed , and a powerful symbol of life for people living in the desert. The color also complements the Green Book , Qaddafi's 1975 collection of musings and aphorisms on everything from economics to the biological differences between women and men, which all Libyan schoolchildren were required to study for at least two hours a week. Qaddafi's green flag is not unprecedented: It was also the banner of the Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled over North Africa , including what is now Libya, from 909 to 1171.

Like that flag, it seems that Qaddafi's green flag will soon become little more than a historical curiosity. Next up Libya This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Libya A spurious flag for Fezzan Neighbouring Countries: Flag dates: by country The Flag of Libya At the Fourth Contact Group Meeting on Libya (a one-day meeting), held on July 15, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey "more than 30 Western and Arab countries, agreed to recognise the rebels" as the "legitimate governing authority".

The date could be: - first use in the uprising (could be 17 Feb 2011 as Wikipedia says...) - date of any act of the National Transitional Council (or any predecessor of such body) that declared this as the flag of the movement (in whatever form, order, declaration, guideline...) if there was such at any time (as far as I am aware, there was none, the use of the flag was so far not regulated) - date of first official hoisting of the flag, if there was such ceremony made in the capital or something similar - date of first official hoisting at the UN (which is not relevant for first hoisting/adoption, but still of general vexillological interest) - date of any new legislation adopting the flag, probably still to come - probably we shall have to wait for the new Constitution to make the new flag official and then there may be a separate law as well.

- there might also be a legislative act regarding the flags on ships Željko Heimer, 27 October 2011 Construction sheet 1:2, image by Abdul-Jawad Elhusuni, 13 December 2011 [Click on image for full size version.] I constructed the flag according to some of the pictures I found and made a construction sheet and placed my version of the flag on Wikipedia. Abdul-Jawad Elhusuni, 13 December 2011 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Libya: PMS 485 red, 348 green and black.

The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise. Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012 The NTC has a new emblem as coat of arms, seen here: . For additional information please visit: NTC (official website) Esteban Rivera, 18 July 2011 Re-introduction of the flag in 2011 As a result of the 2011 Libyan uprising, there are currently two entities claiming to be the official government of Libya. The English Wikipedia refers to the "Transitional National Council". The council refers to the state as the Libyan Republic. The 1951-1969 Libyan flag has been used by most flag-bearing protesters as an opposition symbol. Source: Ivan Sache, 12 March 2011 A common thread seems to be that most of these flags are homemade. Many variants are in use. We can probably attribute any irregularities to that. Here's an interesting phenomenon though: Multiple people carrying printouts of some digital image of the old flag. Note the equal-width stripes: I wonder where that image comes from.

Presumably there's a source online somewhere but it doesn't look like anything from Wikipedia or FOTW. Brendan, 21 February 2011 The red-black-green flag is also being raised at at least some Libyan embassies in foreign capitals: BBC television news reported that "tonight in London another extraordinary scene, a protester scales the front of the Libyan embassy to pull down the Gadaffi flag and replace it with the emblem of the previous monarchy. The fact he's unchallenged by Libya's diplomats inside suggests they too sense profound change in the air." Dave Fowler, 21 February 2011 Colin Dobson, 22 February 2011 The 2011 Libyan uprising began as a series of protests and confrontations occurring in the North African state of Libya against Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year old rule. The protests began on 15 February 2011 and has since become a widespread uprising that continues to the present. Inspiration for the unrest is attributed to the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt , connecting it with the wider 2010–11 Middle East and North Africa protests.

On 22 February, The Economist described the events as an "uprising that is trying to reclaim Libya from the world's longest-ruling autocrat." Gaddafi has referred the opposition variously as "rats", "cockroaches", "al-Qaeda" and "drugged kids". He has asserted that he will chase and hang them." Source: The opposition forces (Anti-Gaddafi forces) are: National Transitional Council (political body). They use the Kingdom of Libya flag (Arabic: المملكة الليبية‎) originally called the United Libyan Kingdom came into existence upon independence on 24 December 1951 and lasted until a coup d'état led by Muammar al-Gaddafi on 1 September 1969 overthrew King Idris of Libya and established the Libyan Arab Republic. The National Transitional Council was established in the city of Benghazi on February 27, 2011. Top 10 Unusual or Unique Flags - Listverse Top 10 Unusual or Unique Flags Jamie Frater September 26, 2010 Flags have been used since before we began recording history, to symbolize movements, peoples and even individuals.

Every country in the world has a flag – some weird, some beautiful and some incredibly boring (Libya’s flag for instance – plain green and nothing else). This list looks at ten flags, or types of flags, that are unique in one or another aspect from other flags. 10 Dannebrog Flags originated in China and India and spread around the world. Because they are so ancient it is not possible to pinpoint the very first, so we are doing the next best thing by including the Dannebrog – the world’s oldest state flag still in use. Dating back to the 13th century – allegedly June 15, 1219, the Dannebrog is the state flag of Denmark and is the inspiration behind the design of many other scandinavian country’s flags. Prior to its adoption the flag most commonly in use in the region was the Viking raven banner which was triangular in shape and carried the image of a Raven. Austria also lays claim to having the oldest flag though their flag most likely appeared around 1230. 9 Semaphores Language doesn’t just come in the form of speech and movement.

Semaphore Flags are a system for conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, rods, disks, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Information is encoded by the position of the flags; it is read when the flag is in a fixed position. Semaphores were adopted and widely used (with hand-held flags replacing the mechanical arms of shutter semaphores) in the maritime world in the early 1800s. Semaphore signals were used, for example, at the Battle of Trafalgar. This was the period in which the modern naval semaphore system was invented. This system uses hand-held flags. It is still used during underway replenishment at sea and is acceptable for emergency communication in daylight or, using lighted wands instead of flags, at night. 8 Nepal The flag of Nepal is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular. The flag is a simplified combination of two single pennants. Its crimson red is the color of the rhododendron, the country’s national flower. Red is also the sign of victory in war. The blue border is the color of peace.

Until 1962, the flag’s emblems, the sun and the crescent moon, had human faces. They were removed to modernize the flag. The faces remained on the sun and the moon on the Royal Standard until the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. The flag was adopted, with the formation of a new constitutional government, on December 16, 1962. The individual pennants had been used for the preceding two centuries and the double pennant since the 19th century. 7 White Flag The white flag is an internationally recognized protective sign of truce or ceasefire, and request for negotiation. It is also used to symbolize surrender, since it is often the weaker military party which requests negotiation. A white flag signifies to all that an approaching negotiator is unarmed, with an intent to surrender or a desire to communicate. Persons carrying or waving a white flag are not to be fired upon, nor are they allowed to open fire. The use of the flag to surrender is included in the Geneva Conventions. 6 Black Flag The black flag, and the color black in general, have been associated with anarchy since the 1880s.

Many anarchist collectives contain the word “black” in their names. There have been a number of anarchist periodicals titled Black Flag. The uniform blackness of this flag is representative of the negation of all oppressive structures, in deliberate contrast to the colorful flags typical of most nation-states. Additionally, as a white flag is the universal symbol for surrender to superior force, the black flag is a symbol of defiance, an opposition to surrender. 5 Transgender Flag We are all familiar with the rainbow flag of the gay pride movement, but less well known is the transgender flag. It was created in 2000, and first flown at a pride Parade in Phoenix, Arizona, that year. The flag designer most aptly sums up its meaning, so I will let her speak: “The light blue is the traditional color for baby boys, pink is for girls, and the white in the middle is for those who are transitioning, those who feel they have a neutral gender or no gender, and those who are intersexed. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it will always be correct.

This symbolizes us trying to find correctness in our own lives.” 4 Jolly Roger The Jolly Roger is the name given to any of various flags flown to identify a ship’s crew as pirates. The flag most usually identified as the Jolly Roger today is the skull and crossbones, a flag consisting of a human skull above two long bones, set in an x-mark arrangement on a black field. This design was used by several pirates, including Captains Edward England and John Taylor. Some Jolly Roger flags also include an hourglass, another common symbol representing mortality and death in 17th and 18th Century Europe. Despite its prominence in popular culture, plain black flags were often employed by most pirates in the 17th-18th century. 3 West African Flag This unusual flag is commonly (and wrongly) attributed to the Benin Empire. It is one of four currently held at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich near London. There is some uncertainty about the exact origin of the flag, and whether it came from Benin itself or was used by the forces of its Itsekiri allies. The name ‘Kennedy’ on the paper label attached to the flag seems to indicate it was brought back by Admiral F.W.

Kennedy from the 1897 expedition against Benin, and so is of Benin origin. The flag, however, is extremely similar to three other West African flags the Museum holds, which originated not in Benin itself but with the neighboring Itsekiri people. 2 Martian Flag The flag of Mars is a tricolor used to represent the planet of Mars. While not official in any legal sense, it has been approved by, and is used by, the Mars Society and The Planetary Society. The flag is designed to portray the “future history” of Mars. The red bar, which lies closest to the mast, symbolizes Mars as it is today. The green and blue symbolize stages in the possible terraforming of Mars, should humanity ever have the will and the ability to undertake such a task, the ethics of terraforming remaining a matter of debate. 1 Nazi Flag The Nazi flag is probably the most controversial flag in man’s history. It is even banned in a number of countries today.

The flag was designed by Hitler himself, who thought it was necessary to use the same colors as Imperial Germany, because, in his opinion, they were “revered colors expressive of our homage to the glorious past and which once brought so much honor to the German nation.” The most important requirement was that “the new flag… should prove effective as a large poster” because “in hundreds of thousands of cases a really striking emblem may be the first cause of awakening interest in a movement.” Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. Text is derived from Wikipedia. National flags Home » countries » National flags National flags Flags have been used for 4 000 years as cultural and national symbols. The study of flags and emblems is called vexillology, from the Latin vexillum, meaning “flag” or “guide.” Vexillum is the diminutive for velum, the word for “sail” or “banner.” More than a billion flags are made each year – 100 million flags are made annually in the United States – in different sizes and materials, from small plastic flags used by sports fans to big cloth flags flown on buildings and ships.

Flag factoids The United Nations flag is the only flag that may fly above the USA flag on an American flagpole. Libya’s flag is the only flag which is all one color (green) with no writing or decoration on it. The only place where a flag flies all day, never goes up or comes down, never flies half-mast and does not get saluted, is the moon . Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag (she also run a munitions factory in her basement). The flag of the Philippines is the only national flag that is flown differently during times of peace or war. The Nepalese flag has the most unique shape. The Swiss flag is square. Red is color most used on flags (75% of flags) followed by white (70%) and blue (50%). Flag Day in the USA is June 14th. U.S.A.

Question: What is the colour of the flag of Libya, which is the only national flag consisting of only one colour?
Answer: Green