---
title: "Flag of Iraq: colours and meaning"
description: "What every colour and symbol on the Iraq flag stands for, its official 2:3 ratio, and the year the current design was adopted. Plus the flags it gets mistaken for."
url: https://atoneplace.net/flag/iraq/
site: "At One Place"
---

# The flag of Iraq

**The flag of Iraq: Three equal horizontal bands of red, white and black, with the phrase ALLĀHU AKBAR in green Kufic script on the white band.**

Ratio 2:3 · current design adopted 2008

The three green stars that stood on the white band from 1963 were removed in 2008 and the takbir was rendered in Kufic script, replacing the handwriting version added in 1991 which had been widely reported as Saddam Hussein's own. Iraq is one of the few countries whose flag changed four times in fifty years, each change legible as a political statement. The Arab Liberation colours it shares with Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Sudan make the emblem the only reliable identifier. A 2008 competition to replace the design entirely was abandoned.

## What the colours mean

*Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.*

- **Red** (#CE1126) — Courage; an Arab Liberation colour
- **White** (#FFFFFF) — Generosity; an Arab Liberation colour
- **Black** (#000000) — The battles of Islam; an Arab Liberation colour
- **Green** (#007A3D) — The script; the colour of Islam

- **Ratio:** 2:3
- **Current design adopted:** 2008
- **Colours:** red, white, black, green

## Common questions

### What does the flag of Iraq look like?

Three equal horizontal bands of red, white and black, with the phrase ALLĀHU AKBAR in green Kufic script on the white band.

### What do the colours of the Iraq flag mean?

Red: courage; an Arab Liberation colour. White: generosity; an Arab Liberation colour. Black: the battles of Islam; an Arab Liberation colour. Green: the script; the colour of Islam.

### When was the Iraq flag adopted?

The current design dates from 2008, and its official ratio is 2:3.

## Related pages

- [Iraq](https://atoneplace.net/country/iraq/)
- [Every flag with red in it](https://atoneplace.net/flag/colour/red/)
- [The flag of United States](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-states/)
- [The flag of United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-kingdom/)
- [The flag of Canada](https://atoneplace.net/flag/canada/)
- [The flag of France](https://atoneplace.net/flag/france/)
- [The flag of China](https://atoneplace.net/flag/china/)
- [The flag of Germany](https://atoneplace.net/flag/germany/)
- [The flag of Russia](https://atoneplace.net/flag/russia/)
- [The flag of Italy](https://atoneplace.net/flag/italy/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]