Ethiopia's Flag: Red, Gold, Green—Not Black

The Ethiopian flag is a horizontal tricolor (top to bottom):

• Green: Fertility of the land, hope, labor.
• Gold (Yellow): Peace, harmony, bright future.
• Red: Blood shed defending sovereignty; sacrifice.

Adopted 1897 under Emperor Menelik II; the central star emblem (unity in diversity) was added in 1996. There is no black stripe. (The Pan-African colors—red, black, green—derive from Marcus Garvey's UNIA flag; Ethiopia's are distinct, though both inspire African flags.)