National Flag of the Syrian Arab Republic (1980)

The current flag of Syria is a re-adoption of a flag first used by the country when Syria and Egypt merged to form the United Arab Republic in 1958, a union that lasted until in 1961.

From 1961 until 1972, Syria used two different flags, both were horizontal striped flags charged with stars and included the pan-Arab colours of red, white, black and green.

In 1972, Syria, Egypt and Libya formed a union called the Federation of Arab Republics. 

The flag adopted by all three Federation members was based on the Arab Liberation Flag (red-white-black horizontal stripes) featuring the arms of the Federation.

Syria left the Federation in 1980 after Egypt made conciliatory overtones to the Israeli government and reverted to their 1958 flag on the 3rd of April 1980. Libya had already seceded from the union for similar reasons in 1977.

ARAB LIBERATION FLAG

Egyptian army officers involved in the 1952 coup d’etat that overthrew the Egyptian monarchy first introduced the Arab Liberation Flag. 
It has since been the inspiration for the flags of several countries in the region, choosing a republican system of government. 

Red, white, black and green are called the pan-Arab colours and have been historically linked to the Arab people and Islamic faith for centuries. They symbolise Arab unity and independence.

The Symbolic Meaning

At the time of the flag’s creation, in 1958, the two stars symbolised the two members of the United Arab Republic, Syria and Egypt. Today they represent Syria’s desire for Arab unity.

Red represents the struggle for freedom, white symbolises peace, black connotes an end to colonial oppression and green is a traditional colour of Islam.