View source for Flag of Sudan

{{Infobox flag
| Name = Sudan
| Image = Flag of Sudan.svg
| Use = 111110
| Symbol = 
| Proportion = 1:2
| Adoption = 20 May 1970
| Design = A horizontal tricolour of red, white, and black with a green triangle at the hoist.
| Image2 = Sudanese Naval Ensign.svg
| Use2 = 000001
| Proportion2 = 1:2
| Adoption2 = 
| Design2 = 
| Type = 
}}

The '''flag of [[Sudan]]''' ({{lang-ar|'''علم السودان'''}}) was adopted on May 20, 1970, and consists of a horizontal red-white-black [[tricolor flag|tricolor]], with a green triangle at the hoist. The flag is based on the Arab Liberation Flag shared by [[Flag of Egypt|Egypt]], [[Flag of Iraq|Iraq]], [[Flag of Syria|Syria]], and [[Flag of Yemen|Yemen]], that uses a subset of the [[Pan-Arab colors]] in which green is less significant. Prior to the 1969 military coup of [[Gaafar Nimeiry]], a blue-yellow-green tricolor design was used. 

According to ''World Flags 101'':

{{bquote|Red, white, black and green are called the pan-Arab colors and have been historically linked to the Arab people and Islamic religion for centuries. The colors stand for Arab unity and independence. The red stripe represents Sudan's struggle for independence and many other struggles, and the sacrifices of the country's martyrs. The white represents peace, light and optimism. It also represents the [[White Flag League]] which was a nationalist group that rose up against colonial rule in 1924. The black represents Sudan; in Arabic 'Sudan' means black. It also represents the black flag of nationalists who fought colonial rule during the Kimokino Revolution, late in 19th century. Green represents [[Islam]], agriculture and the prosperity of the land.<ref name="worldflags101">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldflags101.com/s/sudan-flag.aspx |title=Sudan Flag - World Flags 101 |accessdate=2008-08-09 |author=World Flags 101 |work=WorldFlags101.com |publisher=Moxy Media}}</ref>}}

==Historical flags==

===Mahdist Revolt===
In 1881, at the beginning of the [[Mahdist Revolt]], the Mahdi [[Muhammad Ahmad]] appointed [[Abdallahi ibn Muhammad]] as one of his four caliphs (''Khalifa'') and handed him a black flag.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hill |first=Richard Leslie |title=A Biographical Dictionary of the Sudan |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=QS_GYMeSzRMC&pg=PA6 |edition=2nd |origyear=First published 1951 |year=1967 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780714610375 |page=6}}</ref> Abdallahi used his black flag to recruit [[Baggara Arabs]] and other tribes from the west. The other caliphs used differently colored flags.<ref>{{cite book |last=Featherstone |first=Donald F. |authorlink=Donald Featherstone (wargamer) |title=Khartoum 1885: General Gordon's Last Stand |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=NPxN5dNSrvEC&pg=PA18 |series=Osprey military campaign series, v. 23 |year=1993 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=9781855323018 |page=18}}</ref> The black horizontal stripe in the current Sudanese flag is a reference to this Mahdist-era black flag.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fadlalla |first=Mohamed Hassan |title=The Problem of Dar Fur |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oN5LbDnKCt4C&pg=PA33 |year=2005 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=9780595365029 |page=33}}</ref>

===Anglo-Egyptian Sudan===
Between 1899 and 1956, [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]] was administered jointly as a [[condominium]] by [[Egypt]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. The condominium did not have its own flag; instead the [[flag of Egypt]] and the [[flag of the United Kingdom]] were always flown together, with the British flag taking precedence. <ref>http://flagspot.net/flags/sd-hist.html#cond</ref>

A flag did exist as a rank flag for the British Governor General of the Sudan. In Common with the rank flags of governors and commissioners of other British overseas territories, it consisted of a Union Flag defaced with a white disk bearing the territory's badge or coat of arms, surrounded by a wreath of laurel. As no badge or coat of arms existed for Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, the disk instead contained the words "'''G'''OVERNOR '''G'''ENERAL OF THE '''SUDAN'''. 

===1956-1970 flag===
Upon independence from the [[Egypt]] and the [[United Kingdom]] on 1 January 1956, Sudan adopted a blue-yellow-green tricolor as its national flag. This flag remained in use until 1970, when the current flag was adopted. <ref>http://flagspot.net/flags/sd-hist.html</ref> The colours of the flag represented the River Nile (blue), the Sahara Desert (yellow) and farmlands (green). They were chosen as they were neutral between ethnic groups and political parties.<ref>http://www.rbvex.it/africapag/sudanrb.html</ref>

===Gallery===

<gallery>
File:Mahdist Revolt Flag.png|A flag used during the Mahdist Revolt period
File:Flag of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.png|Flags used in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
File:Flag of the Governor-General of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.svg|Flag of the British Governor General
File:Flag of Sudan (1956-1970).svg|Former flag of Sudan (1956-1970)
File:Naval Ensign of Sudan (1956–1970).svg|Naval Ensign of Sudan (1956–1970) 
</gallery>

== Provincial flags ==
<gallery>
File:Flag of Bahr el Ghazal.svg|Flag of Bahr el Ghazal
File:Flag of Northern Kordofan.jpg|Flag of Northern Kordofan
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== See also ==
* [[Sudan]]
* [[Coat of arms of Sudan]]
* [[Flag of Southern Sudan]]

==External links==
*{{FOTW|id=sd|title=Sudan}}

<br clear=all>
{{Arab Flags}}
{{Africa topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Africa]]}}
{{nationalflags}}<!-- to edit this table, go to [[Template:Nationalflags]] -->

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sudan, Flag of}}
[[Category:National symbols of Sudan|Flag]]
[[Category:National flags]]

{{Sudan-stub}}
{{africa-flag-stub}}

[[af:Vlag van Soedan]]
[[am:የሱዳን ሰንደቅ ዓላማ]]
[[ar:علم السودان]]
[[ast:Bandera de Sudán]]
[[az:Sudan bayrağı]]
[[be:Сцяг Судана]]
[[bs:Zastava Sudana]]
[[bg:Национално знаме на Судан]]
[[ca:Bandera del Sudan]]
[[cs:Súdánská vlajka]]
[[cy:Baner Sudan]]
[[da:Sudans flag]]
[[de:Flagge des Sudan]]
[[et:Sudaani lipp]]
[[el:Σημαία του Σουδάν]]
[[es:Bandera de Sudán]]
[[eo:Flago de Sudano]]
[[fa:پرچم سودان]]
[[fr:Drapeau du Soudan]]
[[ko:수단의 국기]]
[[hi:सूडान का ध्वज]]
[[hr:Zastava Sudana]]
[[bpy:সুদানর ফিরালহান]]
[[id:Bendera Sudan]]
[[it:Bandiera del Sudan]]
[[he:דגל סודאן]]
[[sw:Bendera ya Sudan]]
[[lv:Sudānas karogs]]
[[lt:Sudano vėliava]]
[[hu:Szudán zászlaja]]
[[mk:Знаме на Судан]]
[[ms:Bendera Sudan]]
[[nl:Vlag van Soedan]]
[[ja:スーダンの国旗]]
[[no:Sudans flagg]]
[[nds:Flagg vun Sudan]]
[[pl:Flaga Sudanu]]
[[pt:Bandeira do Sudão]]
[[ro:Drapelul Sudanului]]
[[ru:Флаг Судана]]
[[sco:Banner o Sudan]]
[[sk:Vlajka Sudánu]]
[[sr:Застава Судана]]
[[sh:Zastava Sudana]]
[[fi:Sudanin lippu]]
[[sv:Sudans flagga]]
[[th:ธงชาติซูดาน]]
[[uk:Прапор Судану]]
[[vi:Quốc kỳ Sudan]]
[[yo:Àsìá ilẹ̀ Sudan]]
[[zh:苏丹国旗]]