The Syrian Arab Republic

The National Flag of Syria

Modern Syria was created with a League of Nations mandate, handing the territory to France after the Second World War. However, in 1918, Syria broke from the Ottoman Empire, and declared the creation of the Arab Kingdom of Syria. This saw the raising of the pan-Arab flag of a black, green and white tricolour with a red triangle on the hoist of the flag.

However, France was determined to take control, and the Sykes-Picot Agreement ultimately led to this. However, in March 1920, Syria adopted a resolution declaring Syrian independence, and calling for Iraqi independence as well. They also altered a new flag, by placing a white 7 point star on the red triangle.

In July the same year, the French moved in and established their protectorate. They divided Syria into individual states, and each state was granted its own flag. 

The State of Aleppo consisted of a white field, with the French flag in the upper hoist, and was faced with 3 gold stars placed on the fly.

The state of Damascus again had the French flag in the upper canton, but this time was a blue flag, with a white disc in the centre.

The Alawaite Territory again featured the French flag, but this time, a large god star in the centre, and each corner had a red triangle.

The State of Jabal-ad-Druze featured a white stripe along the hoist of the flag, topped by the French flag. The rest of the flag was 5 stripes of equal width running horizontally. Green, yellow, red, blue, and white.

Lebanon was also part of the Syrian Mandate, and used the French tricolour with a green Cyprus tree.

The State of Hatay was red, with a white crescent, and had a white-edged red star.

The overall flag for the mandate was light blue, with the French tricolour in the upper hoist canton, and featured a white crescent in the centre. 

In 1922, the mandate was altered, becoming the Syrian Federation. And this meant a new flag. This time, a green field with a central white stripe, and in the top hoist canton, the French flag. 

In 1932, the movement to independence was well under way, and a new flag came in. This time, doing away with the French tricolour. A horizontal tricolour of green, white, and black, featuring 3 red stars laid along the central white stripe. It was whilst this flag was in use, that Syria finally gained its independence in 1936.

In 1958, Syria announced the formation of the United Arab Republic. Born out of Syria's government being very fragile, and in admiration of Nassers handling of the Suez crisis.The flag that was created took the Egyptian tricolour of red, white, and black, and placed 2 green stars on the central white stripe. 1 for each participating nation.

The union was not successful, and very quickly collapsed in 1961, and the Syrian Arab Republic was re-established, and bringing back the previous horizontal tricolour of green, white, and black.

In 1963, following several coup, the Ba'ath party seized power through its own coup. They altered the flag by switching colours round. This now went for an Egyptian horizontal tricolour of red, white, and black, with 3 green stars laid along the centre white stripe.

From 1972 to 1980, Syria joined the Federation of Arab Republics. A union with Egypt once again, and this time, also merging with Libya. This union again quickly collapsed due to disagreements between each member. However, the flag took the tricolour of Egypt and Syria and replaced their central emblems with a golden hawk. 

Then, finally, in 1980, Syria adopted its current flag. A horizontal tricolour of red, white, and black, and placed 2 green stars on the central white stripe. 

the 2 stars represent the two nations in the first United Republic, Syria, and Egypt. The red represents the Hashemite Dynasty, the white represents the Umayyads, and the black represents Abbasids, and the green represents the Rashidun or Fatamids.