Flag of Kuwait
 | |
| Alam Baladii, Derti | |
| Use | Civil and state flag, national ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 7 September 1961 Officially hoisted 24 November 1961 |
| Design | A horizontal triband of green, white and red; with a black trapezium based on the hoist side. |
The flag of Kuwait (Arabic: علم الكويت) was adopted on September 7, 1961, and officially hoisted November 24, 1961. Before 1961, the flag of Kuwait was red and white, like those of other Persian Gulf states at the time, with the field being red and words or charges being written in white.
During the period of Ottoman rule in Kuwait, the Ottoman flag, red with a white crescent and star, was used. This flag was retained after the country became a British protectorate in the Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899. Two different flag designs were proposed but not adopted in the period after this. The first proposal in 1906, a red flag with white Western letters spelling KOWEIT and the second in 1913, the Ottoman flag but the word كويت (Kuwait) in Arabic writing as a canton.[1][2]
The Ottoman flag kept being used until the First World War, when friendly-fire incidents with the British in 1914 during the Mesopotamian campaign around the river Shatt al-Arab occurred due to Kuwait and the enemy Ottomans both using the same flag. Because of this Kuwait adopted a new flag, red with كويت (Kuwait) in Arabic writing.[3][1][2] This flag was in use until 1921, when Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah added the Shahada to the flag.[4][1][2] This version was in use until 1940, when he also added a stylized falcons claw to the flag.[1][2] These flags were also depicted on the Emblems of Kuwait. The red flag remained the national flag of Kuwait until the adoption of the current one in September 1961. The present flag is in the Pan-Arab colours, but each colour is also significant in its own right.
Its also similar to the flags of Equatorial Guinea and Iran
| Scheme | Textile colour |
|---|---|
| Red | The Hashemite dynasty, symbolizes the blood color on the Shiv swords. |
| White | The Umayyad dynasty, symbolizes purity and deeds |
| Green | The Fatimid dynasty, represents the for the fertile land. |
| Black | The Abbasid dynasty, represents the defeat of the enemy in the battles |
The colours' meaning came from a poem by Safie Al-Deen Al-Hali:
- White are our deeds
- Black are our battles
- Green are our lands
- Red are our swords
Rules of hanging and flying the flag:
- Horizontally: The green stripe should be on top.
- Vertically: The red stripe should be on the left side of the flag.
In 2005, it became the design of the world's largest kite at a size of 1019 square metres. It was made in New Zealand by Peter Lynn, launched to the public for the first time in 2004 in the United Kingdom, officially launched in Kuwait in 2005, and has not been surpassed since.
Standard of the Emir
The current Emir of Kuwait is known to have a personal royal standard. The flag of the Emir was the national one with a yellow crown on the green stripe which as used from the 1980s to this day.
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Standard of the Emir
Historical flags of Kuwait
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1844-1914
(The Ottoman Empire adopted its flag in 1844) -
1906 proposal
(not adopted) -
1913 proposal
(not adopted) -
1914-1921 -
1921-1940 -
1940-1961 -
Maritime Ensign
1956-1961
Only used at sea -
1961–present
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References
- ^ a b c d Hubert de Vries (2018) [2011]. "KUWAIT دولة الكويت". hubert-herald.nl. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Mello Luchtenberg. "Kuwait". vexilla-mundi.com. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ Nunn, Wilfred (1932). Tigris Gunboats: The Forgotten War in Iraq, 1914-1917. Naval Institute Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-1861763082.
- ^ Farkas Al-Rashoud, Claudia (1993). Kuwait's Age of Sail : Pearl Divers, Sea Captains, and Shipbuilders Past and Present. Husain Mohammed Rafie Marafie. ASIN B000E4QEN4.
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| National flags | |
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| National coats of arms | |
