ETHIOPIA

The Flag of Ethiopia was adopted on February 6, 1996. The 3 traditional colors- green, yellow, and red- date back to the Emperor Menelik (1889-1913) and were first used in a flag in 1895. The current flag and emblem were adopted after the defeat of the Marxist Mengistu regime, in power from 1974-1991. The emblem is intended to represent both the diversity and unity of the country. The colours of African unity - red, green, yellow - are seen here on one of the oldest African flags.