| Bookmark this page |  |
|
 | ||||||||
|
NEED HELP?
3 user(s) online
9 visits today
Ethiopia
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Flag adopted on 6 February 1996, coat of arms adopted 6 February 1996.
- The 1996 flag
- The plain tricolour
- Meaning of the flag
- Flag Article from 1994 Draft Constitution
- Possible 1987-1991 variant
- The Lion on the Flag
- War Ensign (blue ensign)
1996 flag
This is the new Ethiopian flag, based on information and a picture from the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC. The circle only just overlaps the top and bottom bands. The pentagram is actually made of five Y-shapes, each rotated 72 degrees around the centre of the star to make the new one.The plain tricolour
![[Flag of Ethiopia]](webpics/et-plain.gif)
Probably the most widespread Ethiopina flag in use no matter what the central symbol was official at the given time, is the plain tricolour. I have never seen any supporter waving a flag with the emblem. I first looked after some political meaning in this flag, but this was erroneous. My "definitive" interpretation is that the flag with emblem is complicate and expensive to manufacture, whereas everyone is able to identify correctly a "plain" Ethiopian flag. By the way, the "plain" flag seems to be usually 3:2 in proportion and not 1:2. I would say that the "plain" flag is a kind of non-official "civil" flag.
Meaning of the flag
The green-yellow-red flag appeared in 1897. It was the flag of Ethiopia that became the basis for the panafrican colours. Before the end of the Ethiopian Empire the colours were interpreted as: red for power and faith; yellow for church, peace, natural wealth and love; and green for land and hope. The colours were also interpreted as having a connection to the Holy Trinity, and the three main provinces. At first the flag was used as three separate whimps, and arranged in rectangular shape on 6 October 1897, with red at the top. At some point the order of colours was changed.
From http://www.nicom.com/~ethiopia/ogv.htm:
The national flag symbolizes the honor and beauty of the Ethiopian nation: green represents the fertility of the country, yellow the religious freedom found there, and red the lives sacrificed in the protection of national integrity.
Recently, the Council of Peoples' Representatives endorsed the proclamation of a new emblem on the national flag. The new emblem will have a radiant star with equidistant rays to show the equality of all ethnic groups as well as creed and gender equity. The shining rays from the star testify to a bright future for Ethiopia, and surrounding the emblem will be a blue background to denote peace and democracy in Ethiopia
From a website no longer active:
According to the Flag and Emblem proclamation colours and shape of the flag is:
The Flag shall have the colours: green at the top, yellow at the middle and red at the bottom.
The colours shall be bright and basic.
The colours shall be structured horizontally and be of the same size. The length of the Flag shall be twice its width.
The Emblem shall be a blue circle with depictions:
a) straight and equal lines of yellow that come from all directions and join each other;
b) a star formed by the straight and equal lines;
c) yellow rays radiating from the joints of the straight and equal lines.
Article from 1994 Draft Constitution
Draft constitution of 8 December 1994Article 3 The Ethiopian flag:
- The Ethiopian flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal size, the uppermost green, the middle yellow and the nethermost red.
- The National Emblem on the flag shall reflects the equality of the Nations, nationalities, peoples and religions in Ethiopia and their aspirations to live in unity.
- Each member state of the Federation may have its own flag and emblem. Particulars shall be determined by their respective parliaments.
Possible 1987-1991 variant
![[Possible 1987-1991 variant]](webpics/et-unkn.gif)
This Ethiopian flag was seen on a postage stamp. I think I recognize the Ethipian emblem 1987-1991, blue with yellow rays from a star above a cogweel, etc..
The Lion on the Flag
![[Earlier Lion Flag of Ethiopia]](webpics/et-lion1.gif)
![[Crowned Lion Flag of Ethiopia]](webpics/et-licr.gif)
In an atlas that I have from 1969, there is a flag chart, showing the Ethiopian flag with the golden crowned lion. It is reproduced here from the Ethiopia home page at the Abysinnian Cyberspace Gateway. The lion is golden (or orange?) and outlined with black. Since W. Smith claims that the pure green yellow red flag was adopted (reintroduced) in 1941 (although he indicates it as civil flag and ensign), this might be the state's (government) flag.
The North American Vexillological Association met in Trenton, New Jersey a few years ago (1986 IIRC, FOTW member Don Healy was our host) and the son of Haile Selassie (a local resident at that time) was invited to be our guest Dinner Speaker. Mr. Selassie was presented with a very nicely made reproduction of the Ethiopian flag with the Crowned Lion holding the flagstaff with the cross finial on the obverse and St George and the Dragon on the reverse. Mr. Selassie told us about the symbolism of the flag, and he stated that the Cross that the lion carried was a pre-Christian symbol. Since I was highly suspicious of this explanation, I asked him "If the cross on the Ethiopian flag is a Pre-Christian symbol, what does it represent?" Unfortunately I did not get a coherent answer, or at least not one that I could understand. IMHO the cross refers to the Coptic Christians. But that incident in Trenton does serve to remind me of the use of the cross in the Ethiopian flag during the Imperial era.
Mr. Selassie may have been confused or it may have been deliberate obfuscation and superstition (which I have occasionally noted in ancient cultures as they seek to legitimize their antiquity). Imperial Ethiopia claimed direct descent from King David of Israel (hence of the Lion of Judah in the flag and in the emperor's title), but these pre-Christian symbols apparently mingled with Christian ones pretty early in the history of the Christian church.
![[Uncrowned Lion Flag of Ethiopia]](webpics/et_1974.gif)
The State flag was modified after Haile Selassie's overthrow (12 September 1974) by removing the crown from the lion's head and by changing the Cross finial to a Spear point. This version lasted only a few years until the Socialists took over and radically changed Ethiopia's symbols. But they didn't mess with the basic green/yellow/red flag!
The lion is the old emblem of the emperor, and was part of the first Ethiopian flag hoisted on 6 October 1897, but then the order of the colours was red over yellow over green. I don't know when the order was change to the green-yellow-red, but this tricolor without any device was reintroduced in May 1941. AFAIK, the flag remained the same.
However, one should consider that W. Smith states that the pure green-yellow-red flag is used by civilians on land and sea (when his book was issued Ethiopia still included Eritrea and its coast on the Red Sea). He does not mention what kind of flag the government or army uses.
Former War Ensign (Blue Ensign)
![[Blue Ensign of Ethiopia]](webpics/etlicr.gif)
![[Blue Ensign of Ethiopia]](webpics/et1974.gif)
Imperial Ethiopia used a British-style blue ensign with the Ethiopian state flag in the canton. This was the familiar green-yellow-red tricolour with the addition of the Lion of Judah holding a staff with a Christian cross on the end and the tricolour as a banner. Christian Fogd Pedersen states baldly that this ensign was 'Modelled on the British Blue Ensign' but gives no further details.
Like the State flag, the ensign was modified after Haile Selassie's overthrow (12 September 1974) by removing the crown from the lion's head and by changing the Cross finial to a Spear point.