Colors and the Meaning of the Yemen Flag
The flag of Yemen consists of three equal sized horizontal lines. The top strip is red, the middle white and the bottom strip is black. The colors red, white, black and green are called pan-Arab colors and historically represent a commitment to the Arab people and Islamic faith for centuries. The Yemen flag was adopted on 22 May 1990, the date of the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen. Red, white and black lines are common colors of the North and South Yemen and traditional Arab colors. Flag of Yemen is similar to the flag of Arab Liberation.
The red strip represents the spilled blood during the fight for the independence of the country. White symbolizes the hope for the future, and the black line represents the dark past of the country.
Yemen Flag Map
History of the Yemen Flag
The Kingdom of Yemen never came under the British Colony. Yemen was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and was independent after this date. Independently, there were two British protectorates in the interior of Aden, including 24 sultans, emirates and sheikhs. In 1962, the imam of Yemen was overthrown and the Yemeni Arab Republic was established. The flag, which was adopted in 1927, was used until 1962, when the imam was overthrown and the Arab Republic of Yemen was established. A civil war between the republicans supported by Egypt and royalists supported by Saudi Arabia continued until the 1970s, and the kingdoms continued to use the flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Yemen Civil War
The North Yemen Civil War is a war between royalists and republicans between 1962-1970 in Northern Yemen. The war started in 1962 when the republican revolutionaries led by Abdullah al-Sellal took the military coup and the republic was removed from the throne of Imam Muhammad al-Badr. Imam then escaped to the border with Saudi Arabia to recapture the administration of the northern Shiite tribes to take the support of the counter-attack started shortly after the civil war escalated.
On November 30, 1967, the new administration, which declared independence of South Yemen, was in close contact with socialist countries such as the USSR and China. In return for weapons assistance from the USSR, the USSR won important naval bases in South Yemen. The National Liberation Front has also changed its name to the Yemeni Socialist Party and became the only political power. Abdulfettah Ismail, who was a hardcore in 1978 after the internal strife, was ousted in 1980 and sent into exile to the Soviet Union.
The successor, Ali Nasser Muhammad, tried to develop relations with the West by following a more moderate policy in the regional problems. Thousands died in the short-term civil war that broke out in January 1986 with open conflict between the parties. After the death of Abdulfettah Ismail and Ali Nasser Muhammad’s refuge in North Yemen, Haydar Ebubekir Attas was seen as a conciliator.
During this civil war, North Yemen and South Yemen used two different flags. The two flags had the same colored stripes, but the stars on the flag were positioned differently. The flag on the South Yemen flag was a blue triangle on the left and a red star on the triangle. The northern Yemen flag had a green star in the middle white strip.
Unification of Yemen
At the outset, rapprochement attempts between the two Yemenis opposed to different management systems and foreign policy alliances have failed in the complex environment of the 1970s. Meanwhile, the actions of the National Democratic Front, supported by the South Yemen administration, in North Yemen have also been an important factor in disrupting relations. In the mid-1980s, when the two sides turned to major policy changes, the issue of unification came to the fore. The process of softening, which accelerated in 1989, especially with the initiatives of Iraq and Jordan, resulted in a draft constitution that envisions unification. After the two countries’ legislative councils approved the bill, it was announced on 22 May 1990 that the unified Yemen State was established.
Yemen, which merged in 1990, began to use today’s flag, and since then no changes have been made to the flag.
Neighboring Countries of Yemen
Yemen, located in the Middle East, is neighbor to Oman in the East and Saudi Arabia in the North.
Main Characteristics of Yemen
Yemen name comes from the word Al Yaman, which means south. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of North Yemen and South Yemen. The capital of the country is Sana’a. The official language is Arabic. The Yemeni rial is used as currency.
A hot and dry desert climate prevails. In the western highlands, the temperate climate is cooler. Chicken meat and mutton are consumed very much. Saltah is one of the most popular dishes of the country. Black tea and coffee are preferred as drink.
| Country | Yemen |
| Code | ZM (ZMB) |
| Calling Code | YE (YEM) |
| Capital City | Sanaá |
| Currency | yemeni rial (YER) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇾🇪 |
| Highest Point | Jabal an Nabi Shu’ayb (3,666 m) |
| Internet TLD | .ye |
| Population(2017) | 28,576,839 |
| Total Area | 527,968 km2 |