Jordan

Jordan
Adopted	April 16, 1928
Proportions	1:2

The flag of Jordan consists of three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star.

The flag of Jordan is very similar to the flag of Palestine, which does not bear the star, and has a shorter triangle.

Symbolism

The design of the flag is based on the flag of the Arab Revolt.

The flag symbolizes the Kingdom's roots in the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, as it is adapted from the revolt banner. The black, white and green bands represent the Arab Abbasid, Umayyad and Fatimid dynasties respectively, while the crimson triangle joining the bands represents the Hashemite dynasty. The seven-pointed Islamic star set in the center of the crimson triangle represents the unity of Arab peoples in Jordan.

Other flags

The king's royal standard contains a white background with the flag of Jordan in the center (with the star replaced by a crown). Surrounding the Jordanian flag, are twelve rays of green, black, and red extending to the field's edges.

The crown prince's royal standard contains a white seven-pointed star, with its' points extending to the flag's parts, separating three fields of black, two fields of red and two fields of green.

Both the ensigns of the army, navy and air force contain the flag of Jordan in the upper canton, on fields of red, white and blue, respectively, and each contain a symbol in the lower corner; the army ensign contains a crown over crossed green swords, the navy ensign contains a black anchor, crossed black swords, and a black crown, and the air force ensign contains the country's roundel).

King's Royal Standard

Crown Prince's Royal Standard

Royal Jordanian Army

Royal Jordanian Navy

Royal Jordanian Air Force

History

Prior to World War I, young Arabs in Istanbul created a flag to symbolize their aspirations within the Turkish-dominated Ottoman Empire. They recalled a 13th-century poem by Ṣafī ad-Dīn al-Ḥilli that included the words: We are a people whose character refuses, for honour, to cause harm to those who do not harm us: white [pure] are our deeds, black are our battles, green are our fields, red [bloody] are our swords. Stripes of these colours were made into a party flag. In 1917 Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī raised the Arab Revolt Flag over his territories in the Hejaz: the original design had horizontal stripes of black-green-white with a red triangle at the hoist, but later the white and green stripes were reversed.

The Arab Revolt Flag was hoisted in Jerusalem in December 1917. Later, Abdullah, one of Ḥusayn’s sons, was recognized by the British as a ruler in what was then known as Transjordan. His flag modified the original Arab Revolt Flag by the addition of a white seven-pointed star on the triangle. It was recognized under the Transjordan constitution of April 16, 1928, and no change was made in the flag when Jordan gained its independence on March 22, 1946. However, when Jordan and Iraq announced a federation known as the Arab Union, their joint flag—in use only between March and July 1958—was the original Arab Revolt Flag without the star. Different interpretations have been given to the seven points of the star, but originally they were associated with the former districts of Syria (Aleppo, Damascus, Beirut, Lebanon, Palestine, Transjordan, and Deir ez-Zor).

Flag of the Arab Revolt, and flag of Transjordan in 1916-1921

Emirate of Transjordan, 1921-1928

Transjordan / Jordan, since 1928

Arab Federation of Jordan and Iraq, 1958