A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Azerbaijan.
Flag of Azerbaijan
The national flag of Azerbaijan consists of three horizontal stripes of blue, red, and green, with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star centered on the red stripe. The blue stripe represents the Turkic heritage of the Azerbaijani people, the red stripe symbolizes the country’s aspiration to build a modern and democratic society, and the green stripe reflects Azerbaijan’s connection to Islamic civilization.
Printable Azerbaijan Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Azerbaijan’s flag
1. The tricolor flag was first adopted on 9 November 1918 by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world.
2. After the Soviet occupation of Azerbaijan in 1920, the tricolor flag was removed and replaced with Soviet symbols. It was restored as the national flag after Azerbaijan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
3. The eight-pointed star is often interpreted as representing the eight branches of the Turkic peoples: the Azerbaijanis, Jagatais, Kazakhs, Kipchaks, Ottomans, Seljuqs, Tatars and Turkmen.
4. Azerbaijan celebrates National Flag Day on November 9 each year, commemorating the original adoption of the tricolor flag in 1918.
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Evolution of Azerbaijan’s flag
First flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918)
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic first adopted a red flag with a white crescent and eight-pointed star. The design closely resembled the late Ottoman flag.
Zscout370, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
National flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920)
Azerbaijan adopted the blue, red, and green tricolor with a white crescent and eight-pointed star in the center of the red stripe.
Flag of the Azerbaijan SSR (1920–1991)
The tricolor was abolished and replaced by a series of Soviet flags. The final Soviet-era flag, adopted in 1952, was a red flag with Soviet symbols and a horizontal blue stripe near the bottom.
National flag of Azerbaijan (1991–present)
The 1918 tricolor was restored. It was officially recognized as the national flag on 5 February 1991 and has remained in use since then, with later laws defining its exact proportions, design, and colors.
History of Azerbaijan’s flag
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declared independence on 28 May 1918. One of its first national symbols was a red flag with a white crescent and eight-pointed star, adopted in June 1918.
Later that year, the government decided to create a new flag that would better reflect the political and cultural ideals of the republic. On 9 November 1918, the tricolor flag of blue, red, and green with a white crescent and eight-pointed star was adopted.
The colors of the flag were connected with the ideas of Turkic identity, modernization, and Islamic civilization. This reflected the political thought associated with leaders of the period, including Ali bey Huseynzade.
Soviet period
The tricolor remained the national flag until April 1920, when Azerbaijan was occupied by Soviet forces and incorporated into the Soviet system. During the Soviet period, the Azerbaijan SSR used a number of different flags, all based on Soviet designs.
The last Soviet-era flag of Azerbaijan, adopted in 1952, remained in use until the collapse of Soviet rule.
Restoration of the national flag
During the late Soviet period, the tricolor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic reappeared in demonstrations supporting national independence.
On 17 November 1990, the flag was adopted by the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Soon afterward, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan recognized the tricolor as the national flag on 5 February 1991.
Modern use
After independence, the tricolor became one of the main national symbols of Azerbaijan. The 1995 Constitution formally described the flag, and later legislation defined its proportions, construction, and official colors.
Azerbaijan celebrates National Flag Day on 9 November, marking the original adoption of the tricolor in 1918.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.