Asia

Flag of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a South Caucasian country bordering the Caspian Sea, Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Armenia, and is one of the oldest oil-producing regions in the world, with records of oil collection dating to the 10th century. Baku, the capital, is known for its striking contrast of medieval walls and winding old city lanes alongside futuristic modern architecture including the flame-shaped Flame Towers. The country is also home to Yanar Dag ('Burning Mountain'), a natural gas seep that has burned continuously for centuries.

CapitalBaku
RegionAsia
Current flag since1991
Main coloursBlue, Red, Green, White
Populationabout 10 million
Areaabout 87,000 km²
Flags in history3

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Azerbaijan means

Blue represents Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red progress and modern democracy, and green Islam. The white crescent and eight-pointed star are often linked to the eight branches of the Turkic peoples. First adopted in 1918 by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the flag was restored in 1991.

More about the flag

The tricolour was adopted by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, the first parliamentary republic in the Muslim world, which lasted until the Red Army arrived in 1920. It was restored in 1991. Baku's National Flag Square displays one of the largest flags in the world on a very tall flagpole, and Azerbaijan marks National Flag Day each year on 9 November.

How to recognise it

Horizontal blue-red-green with a white crescent and eight-pointed star in the red stripe.

Did you know?

Azerbaijan was the world's first predominantly Muslim nation to operate as a democratic republic, in 1918.

Easily confused with

Azerbaijan's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Flag history of Azerbaijan

Every flag that has flown over Azerbaijan, from today back through time.

1991–present

Republic of Azerbaijan

On regaining independence, Azerbaijan restored the 1918 tricolour of turquoise, red, and green with a white crescent and eight-pointed star. The blue honors Turkic heritage, red modernity, green Islam.

1952–1991

Azerbaijan SSR

The final Soviet-era design added a blue horizontal band along the bottom of the red flag, evoking the Caspian Sea.

1918–1920

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

The first democratic, parliamentary republic in the Muslim world adopted this turquoise-red-green tricolour in 1918 — revived almost unchanged after 1991.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Azerbaijan.

1922–1991

Soviet Union

The gold hammer and sickle beneath a red star stood for the worker-peasant alliance. The exact shade and proportions were fixed by Soviet law in 1955.

1920–1991

Azerbaijan SSR

The red Soviet flag of Azerbaijan with a blue lower band and the hammer, sickle and star, used until the republic restored its independence in 1991.

1918–1920

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

The first secular democratic republic in the Muslim world, which gave women the vote before many Western states; its blue-red-green flag flies over independent Azerbaijan again today.

1922–1936

Transcaucasian SFSR

For 14 years Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan were fused into a single Soviet republic — one of the four founding members of the USSR — before Stalin split them apart.