Flag of Eritrea Intro
Containing popular bright colors that are abundant in many African flags, Eritrea made their own version. Let’s find out what the meaning behind the flag is so we don’t confuse it with others!
Description of the Flag of Eritrea
The flag of Eritrea consists of the following colors: blue, red, gold, and green. Blue stands for Eritrea’s sea-based resources. Red stands for the blood that has been shed for independence. Green stands for Eritrea’s agricultural resources. In the middle you will see a gold olive branch symbolizing peace. The 30 leaves of the gold wreath which surrounds the olive branch stands for the 30 years of struggle for independence.
Before the current Eritrea flag, the Eritreans used a plain light blue flag with an olive branch design from 1952-1962. This was after British independence when Eritrea was a semi-autonomous part of Ethiopia. After the civil war broke out, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie outlawed Eritrean national symbols in 1962.
History
Before World War 2, Eritrea and Ethiopia were both under Italian rule from 1935-1941. Eritrea had a more developed economy due to its geographical location along the Red Sea. Once the war ended, the British occupied Eritrea until 1952. The British left, making Eritrea part of Ethiopia. The flag of Eritrea used was the 1952-1962 version
The Eritrean Liberation Front initiated a struggle against Ethiopia’s annexation. This war for independence lasted from 1961-1991 after the fall of the Mengitsu regime in Ethiopia. At this time, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front took control of Eritrea and issued a referendum for independence. The referendum was almost unanimously in favor of independence from Ethiopia which was granted in 1993. The current flag has been used ever since then.
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