The flag of South Sudan was adopted following the signing of the

Comprehensive Peace Agreement The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA, ar, اتفاقية السلام الشامل, Ittifāqiyyah al-salām al-šāmil), also known as the Naivasha Agreement, was an accord signed on January 9, 2005, by the Sudan People's Liberation Movem ...

that ended the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated ...

. A similar version of the flag was previously used as the flag of the

Sudan People's Liberation Movement The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM; ar, الحركة الشعبية لتحرير السودان, ''Al-Ḥarakat ash-Shaʿbiyyat liTaḥrīr as-Sūdān'') is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as the political w ...

. The flag of

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...

is older than the country itself, as the flag was adopted in 2005, while the country became independent in 2011.

History

When

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

became independent in 1956, the predominantly Christian people living in the south of the country had no regional symbols, while the already dominant Muslim north displayed Islamic symbols on the national flag. Before independence, the British government had arranged for appropriate local symbols for the regions in Sudan, but the new government in independent Sudan had opposed the use of these symbols as being counterproductive to fostering national unity. From the outset, the southern Sudanese felt discriminated against by the Islamic north. The southerners fought a drawn-out and bloody civil war to gain their independence, followed by a peace agreement in 2005 that included a referendum on independence in the south. The referendum was passed with overwhelming support in 2011, and

became officially independent on 9 July that same year. In the 1990s, during their struggle with the north, the southern Sudanese had created a banner of independence, which would become the new national flag. The flag was designed by Samuel Ajak, who was an artist and brigadier general for the Sudan People's Liberation Army under revolutionary leader John Garang.

Description

The flag bears striking similarities with both the flags of

and

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. It shares the black, white, red, and green of the Sudanese flag (although different symbolism is given to each of the colours), in addition to having a chevron along the hoist. The horizontal black, white, red, and green bands of the flag share the same design as the Kenyan flag, and the

Pan-African Pan-Africanism is a worldwide movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous and diaspora peoples of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement exte ...

symbolism thereof. Another main difference between the flags of Sudan and South Sudan is that there is a yellow star inside the blue triangle that represents the unity of South Sudan. In an illustration of the contrasting regional orientation of the two Sudans, the flag of Sudan shares the stripes of the Egyptian flag, while the flag of South Sudan shares the stripes of the Kenyan flag. Flag of South Sudan (construction sheet)

Flag of South Sudan (construction sheet)

Colour scheme

Symbolism and representation

The South Sudanese government specifies that the colours of the flag are there to represent these descriptions of South Sudan: * Black: Represents the people of South Sudan. * Red: Represents blood that was shed for the independence of the country. * Green: Represents the country's agricultural, natural wealth, land, as well as progress * White: Represents South Sudan's peace attained after many years of the liberation struggle. * Blue: Represents waters of the Nile River, a source of life for the country. * Yellow: Represents unity (of the states), hope, and determination for all people.

History

South Sudan as part of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

File:Flag of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1914–1922).png, Flags used in

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ar, السودان الإنجليزي المصري ') was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt in the Sudans region of northern Africa between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day ...

(1914–1922) File:Flag of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.svg, Flags used in

(1922–1956) File:Flag of Sudan (Bandung Conference).svg, Provisional flag of Sudan used during the Afro-Asian Conference (April 1955).

South Sudan as part of the Republic of Sudan

File:Flag of Sudan (1956–1970).svg, National flag of

used in South Sudan (1956–1970) File:Flag of Sudan.svg, National

Flag of Sudan The current flag of Sudan ( ar, علم السودان, ʿalam as-Sūdān) was adopted on 20 May 1970 and consists of a horizontal red-white-black tricolour with a green triangle at the hoist. The flag is based on the Arab Liberation Flag of the ...

used in South Sudan (1970–2011) File:Flag of South Sudan.svg, Regional flag of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (2005–2011)

Republic of South Sudan

File:Flag of South Sudan.svg, National flag of the Republic of South Sudan (2011–present)

Other flags

Government flags

File:Flag of the President of South Sudan.svg, Standard of the President of South Sudan. File:Flag of the Governor-General of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.svg, Flag of the British Governor General (used in

Military flags

File:Flag of the SPLA (2011 to present).svg, Flag of the

South Sudan People's Defence Forces The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of the Republic of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a ...

(2011-present) File:Flag of the SPLA (until 2011).svg, Flag of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (until 2011) File:Flag of the Sudan Defense Force (1925-1956).svg, Flag of the

Sudan Defence Force The Sudan Defence Force (SDF) was a locally recruited British-led force formed in 1925 to assist the police in the event of civil unrest, and to maintain the borders of British administered Sudan. During the Second World War, it also served be ...

(1925-1956; used in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) File:Roundel of South Sudan.svg, Roundel of the

South Sudan Air Force The South Sudan Air Force (SSAF), also previously known as the Sudan People's Air Force or Sudan People's Liberation Air Force, is the air force of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) of South Sudan. The headquarters are located in ...

Political party flags

File:Flag of the SPLA (1983).svg, Flag used by the

. File:Flag of the SPLA (1995).svg, Flag used by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. File:Flag of Sudan People's Liberation Movement.svg, Flag used by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. File:Flag of South Sudan.svg, Flag used by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (identical to the national flag). File:Flag of the South Sudan Liberation Movement.svg, Flag of the South Sudan Liberation Movement File:Flag of the National Salvation Front.svg, Flag of the National Salvation Front File:Flag of the United Democratic Salvation Front.svg, Flag of the United Democratic Front File:Sn anyaanya1.PNG, Flag of the

Anyanya The Anyanya (also Anya-Nya) were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972). A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II. ''Anyanya'' ...

(1963-1972) File:Flag of the Azania Liberation Front.svg, Flag of the

Azania Liberation Front The Azania Liberation Front (ALF) was an armed rebel faction established in 1965, during the First Sudanese Civil War, by exiled members of the Sudan African National Union (SANU). It was a part of the original South Sudan Liberation Movement, t ...

(1965-1970)

Miscellaneous flags

File:South Sudan Independence Day flag.svg, One of the many flags flown in the capital of South Sudan on Independence Day. File:Flag of South Sudan (proposal).gif, Proposed flag of the Republic of South Sudan File:Flag of Dinka people.svg, Flag of the

Dinka people The Dinka people ( din, Jiɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ) are a Nilotes, Nilotic ethnic group native to South Sudan with a sizable diaspora population abroad. The Dinka mostly live along the Nile, from Jonglei to Renk, South Sudan, Renk, in the region of Bahr el Gh ...

File:Flag of the Bari people.svg, Flag of the Bari people

Sub-national flags

South Sudan is currently divided into ten states, two administrative areas and one area with special administrative status. The ten states have all adopted distinctive state flags.

States

File:Flag of Central Equatoria.png,

Central Equatoria Central Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. With an area of , it is the smallest of the original South Sudanese states. Its previous name was Bahr al-Jabal (also Bahr-el-Jebel), named after a tributary of the White Nile that flows through the ...

File:Flag of Eastern Equatoria.png,

Eastern Equatoria Eastern Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 73,472 km². The capital is Torit. On October 1, 1972, the state was divided into Imatong and Namorunyang states and was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 Febr ...

File:Flag of Jonglei.png,

Jonglei Jonglei State is a state of South Sudan with Bor as its centre of government and the biggest city. Jonglei state comprises nine counties: Bor, Akobo, Ayod, Uror, Duk, Nyirol, Pigi, Twic East, and Fangak. Jonglei State is the largest st ...

File:Flag of Lakes State.png,

Lakes State Lakes State is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 43,595.08 km2. Rumbek is the capital of the state. Lakes is in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan, in addition to Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Warrap st ...

File:Flag of Northern Bahr el Ghazal.png, Northern Bahr el Ghazal File:Flag of Unity State.png, Unity State File:Flag of Upper Nile State.png, Upper Nile File:Flag of Warrap State.png, Warrap File:Flag of Western Bahr el Ghazal.png, Western Bahr el Ghazal File:Flag of Western Equatoria.png,

Western Equatoria Western Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of . Its capital is Yambio. The state was divided into counties, each headed by a County Commissioner. Western Equatoria seceded from Sudan as part of the Republic of South Sudan ...

Administrative areas

Flag of the Abyei Area.png, Abyei Special Administrative Area File:Flag of Greater Pibor Administrative Area.png,

Greater Pibor Administrative Area The Greater Pibor Administrative Area is an administrative area in South Sudan. History From the beginning of South Sudanese independence, the Anyuak, Jie, Kachepo, and Murle people in Jonglei sought greater autonomy from the Jonglei State gove ...

File:Flag of Ruweng.png,

Ruweng Administrative Area The Ruweng Administrative Area is an administrative area in South Sudan. The area was known as Ruweng State between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020 when it was a state of South Sudan. History On 1 October 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a ...

Municipalities

File:Juba flag.png,

Juba Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a population ...

Regions

Equatoria National Flag.jpg,

Equatoria Equatoria is a region of southern South Sudan, along the upper reaches of the White Nile. Originally a province of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it also contained most of northern parts of present-day Uganda, including Lake Albert and West Nile. It ...

History

Description

Colour scheme

Symbolism and representation

History

South Sudan as part of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

South Sudan as part of the Republic of Sudan

Republic of South Sudan

Other flags

Government flags

Military flags

Political party flags

Miscellaneous flags

Sub-national flags

States

Administrative areas

Municipalities

Regions

See also

Notes

References

External links