Introduction
The flag flown over Western Sahara by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a horizontal triband of black, white and green with a red triangle at the hoist and a red crescent and star in the centre.
The territory is disputed: most of it is administered by Morocco, which flies the Moroccan flag there.
Meaning & Symbolism
The colours are the Pan-Arab palette, the same four that appear in the flags of Palestine, Jordan and several others, and they carry the standard reading: black for the past, white for peace, green for the land, red for struggle.
The crescent and star are the usual marks of Islam.
History of the Western Sahara Flag
The flag was proclaimed with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on 27 February 1976, the day after Spain withdrew from what had been Spanish Sahara.
Western Sahara is on the United Nations list of non self governing territories and is the only one in Africa. A promised referendum on its status has never been held.
Curiosities
- It is the only territory in Africa still on the United Nations list of non self governing territories.
- The flag was proclaimed the day after Spain withdrew, in February 1976.
- The colours are the Pan-Arab four, shared with Palestine, Jordan and others.
- Morocco administers most of the territory and flies its own flag there.
- A referendum on the territory status has been promised since 1991 and has never taken place.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Western Sahara in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.