Flag of Afghanistan
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The Flag of Afghanistan was adopted by the transitional government of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in 2002-2004. This flag is similar to the one flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973. The difference is the addition of the shahadah at the top of the coat-of-arms (seen in gold/yellow) in the center. The new flag was adopted January 4, 2004.
This flag consists of three stripes of the colors black, red and green. This has been present on most flags of Afghanistan in the last twenty years. The center emblem is the classical emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque with its mihrab facing Mecca.
The pre-Taliban-era and Afghan Northern Alliance flag featured the same emblem, but with green, white and black horizontal stripes instead.
[edit] Historical flags
Afghanistan has used other flags in the past. Below are the flags from approximately 1880 to present.
| Years of Use | Flag | Ratio | Government | Notes |
| 1880-1901 |  |
Unknown | Emirate of Afghanistan | Flag flown under the rule of Abdur Rahman Khan. |
| 1901-1919 |  |
3:5 | Emirate of Afghanistan | Flag flown under the rule of Habibullah Khan. Habibullah added to his father’s flag a seal that is the precursor of the modern-day seal. |
| 1919-1928 |  |
2:3 | Emirate/Kingdom of Afghanistan | First flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Khan/Shah. He expanded upon his father’s flag by adding rays emanating from the seal in the form of an octogram. This new style of seal was common in the Ottoman Empire. Afghanistan became a kingdom in 1926. |
| 1928 |  |
Unknown | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Second flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Shah. He removed the octogram then enlarged and slightly modified the national seal. |
| 1928-1929 |  |
2:3 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Third flag flown under the rule of Amanullah Shah. The black, red, and green tricolor, respectively representing the past (previous flags), the bloodshed for independence (Third Anglo-Afghan War), and hope for the future, was probably influenced by Khan’s visit abroad to Europe in 1927. The new seal shows the sun rising over two snow-capped mountains, representing a new beginning for the kingdom. |
| 1929 |  |
Unknown | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Flag flown under the rule of Habibullah Kalakani or Habibullah Khan, formerly known as Bacha-i-Saqao. The red, black, and white tricolor was the same flag that was used when modern-day Afghanistan was under Mongol occupation in the 13th Century. |
| 1929-1930 |  |
2:3 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | First flag flown under the rule of Mohammed Nadir Shah. The black, red, and green tricolor was re-established; the octogram seal borrowed from the first flag of Amanullah Shah replaced the sun and mountains seal. |
| 1930-1973 |  |
2:3 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Second flag flown under the rule of Mohammed Nadir Shah, it was also used by his son, Mohammed Zahir Shah. The black, red, and green tricolor were retained. The octogram rays were removed, and the seal enlarged. In between the mosque and the seal is the year ١٣٤٨ (1348 of the lunar Islamic calendar, or 1929 AD of the Gregorian calendar) the year Mohammed Nadir Shah’s dynasty began. |
| 1973-1974 | 2:3 | Republic of Afghanistan | First flag flown for the Republic of Afghanistan. It is identical to the previous flag, except with the year ١٣٤٨ was removed. | |
| 1974-1978 |  |
2:3 | Republic of Afghanistan | Second flag flown for the Republic of Afghanistan. The same colors were used, but the meanings reinterpreted: black for the obscure past, red for blood shed for independence, and green for prosperity from agriculture. In the canton is a new seal, with an eagle with spread wings, a pulpit on the eagle’s chest (for a mosque), wheat surrounding the eagle, and the sun’s rays above the eagle (for the new republic). |
| 1978 |  |
2:3 | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | When the leader of the republic was killed in a coup, the new regime established a communist government. The same flag design was kept, sans seal. |
| 1978-1980 |  |
1:2 | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | This flag used a red field with a yellow seal in the canton, a common design for communist regimes. The wreath of wheat remained, but a star was added at top (representing the five ethnic groups of the nation) and the word 'Khalq' in Arabic script (meaning people) in the center. The flag was also the flag of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan's Khalq faction |
| 1980-1987 |  |
1:2 | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | After the overthrow of the Khalq faction by the Parcham faction (lead by Babrak Karmal), the flag was changed. The new leadership re-established the black, red, and green tricolor, representing the past, blood shed for independence, and the Islamic faith, respectively. A new seal was designed, with a rising sun (a reference to the former name, Khorasan, meaning "Land of the Rising Sun"), a pulpit and the Qur'an for Islam, ribbons with the national colors, a cogwheel for industry, and a red star for communism. |
| 1987-1992 |  |
1:2 | Republic of Afghanistan | Same as the previous flag, except that in the national seal, the cogwheel is moved from the top to the bottom, the red star and the book are removed, and the green field curved to resemble the horizon. |
| 1992 | 1:2 | Republic of Afghanistan | This flag was used as a provisional flag after the fall of the pro-Soviet regime. It appeared in many variants of which one is shown here. In the upper stripe is Arabic Allahu Akbar, (“God is great”); the center stripe contains the Shahadah. | |
| 1992-1996 |  |
1:2 | Islamic State of Afghanistan | The black and green stripes are switched from the previous flag. Also, the Shahadah is replaced with another logo. |
| 1996-1997 |  |
Unknown | Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan | A plain white flag was flown by the Taliban |
| 1997-2001 |  |
2:3 | Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan | On the white flag was written the Shahadah. |
| 2001 | Unknown | War | Various flags were flown by the different factions during the 2001 war in Afghanistan, including the designs of 1992, 1973 and versions of these without emblems. | |
| 2002-2004 |  |
1:2 | Islamic State of Afghanistan | Existed in two versions, one with white and one with golden emblem (latter shown here.) |
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1 Has some territory in Europe.
