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Sudan

Republic of the Sudan / Jumūrīyyat as-Sūdān

Last modified: 2025-04-12 by bruce berry
Keywords: sudan | africa | arab |
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Image by Zoltan Horvath, 12 October 2024
Proportions: 1:2
Flag adopted 20 May 1970; coat of arms adopted 1970

See also:

Explanation of the Flag

The Sudanese national flag was adopted on 20 May 1970 and comprises three horizontal stripes of red, white and black with a green triangle next to the hoist.

The symbolism of the colours is as follows:

  1. Red stands for struggle and the martyrs of the Sudan and the Great Arab Land.
  2. White stands for Islam, peace, optimism, light and love.
  3. Black stands for Sudan and the Mahdiya revolution (the Black Flag).
  4. Green stands for prosperity, good and agriculture.

Jaume Ollé, 04 Mar 1996

It appears that Sudan adopted a new set of flag related legislation in 1993 and 1994, available at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) site in Arabic. These are:

Sudanese Marine Flags Act of 1994 (1994)
Emblem of the Republic Act of 1993 (1993)
National Flag Act of 1993 (1993)
Seal of the State Act of 1993 (1993).
Željko Heimer, 03 Feb 2012

The National Flag and Foreign States Flags (Amendment) Act

The construction diagram (shown below) is based on the Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives (National flags and distinctive markings) 2000 edition [pay00] and is correct according to 'The National Flag and Foreign States Flags (Amendment) Act' which established it and which came into force on 20th May 1970. The relevant Article reads as follows:

Description and Dimensions of the National Flag.

3. The National Flag is rectangular in shape, its width is half its length and it consists of three equal horizontal rectangles and ends on the side of the staff with a triangle of two equal sides, the length of the base of the triangle is the width of the flag and the length of its vertical height is one-third the length of the flag. The colours of the rectangles from top to bottom are red, white and black respectively and the colour of the triangle is green."

Christopher Southworth, 30 Dec 2003

Flag Construction details

Image by Željko Heimer, 21 Jan 2003

According to the construction details provided in the Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives (National flags and distinctive markings) 2000 edition [pay00], the triangle reaches with its top from hoist towards center double the width of one stripe (which in turn is 1/3 of the length, of course).
Željko Heimer, 21 Jan 2003

Colours of the flag

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual, London, 2012 [bib-lna.html]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each National Olympic Committee was sent an image of their flag, including the PMS shades, by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for their approval. Once this was obtained, the LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specifications may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the National Olympic Committee believed their flag to be.

For Sudan : PMS 032 red, 355 green and black. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 10 Oct 2012

Other sources for colors:

There is no official source that gives exact colors of the national flag; these are all approximate colors from these documented sources:

The Album des Pavillons 1990 [pay98] (Corr. No. 29.) gives approximate colors in Pantone and CMYK systems:
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 0-90-80-5
Green: Pantone 356c, CMYK 100-0-90-25

The Flag Manual - Beijing 2008 gives Pantone colors: PMS 032 (red), PMS 355 (green), and Black.

The Album des Pavillons 2000 [pay00] (Corr. No. 6.) gives approximate colors in Pantone and CMYK systems:
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 0-90-80-5
Green: Pantone 356c, CMYK 100-0-90-25

The Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [loc12] gives Pantone colors: PMS 032 (red), PMS 355 (green), and PMS Black.

The Album des Pavillons 2023 specifies the colors of the flags in three color systems:
Blue: Pantone Blue c, CMYK 100-70-0-3, RGB 0-77-155
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 10-100-74-2, RGB 210-16-52
Yellow: Pantone 109c, CMYK 0-17-93-0, RGB 255-209-0
Green: Pantone 356c, CMYK 89-29-100-18, RGB 0-114-41

Vexilla Mundi gives colors in Pantone system: PMS 186C (red), PMS 356C (green), PMS White, and PMS Black.

Wikipedia illustrates the flag, and construction details, and gives color values as follows:
Green: CMYK 100-0-64-55, Hex #007229, RGB 0-114-41
Red: CMYK 0-92-75-18, Hex #D21034, RGB 210-16-52
Black: CMYK 0-0-0-100, Hex #000000, RGB 0-0-0
White: CMYK 0-0-0-0, Hex #FFFFFF, RGB 255-255-255

Flag Color Codes gives the following color values:
Red: Hex # D21034, RGB 210-16-52, CMYK 0-90-76-0, Pantone 032, RAL 3028
White: Hex #FFFFFF, RGB 255-255-255, CMYK 0-0-0-0, Pantone N/A, RAL N/A
Black: Hex #000000, RGB 0-0-0, CMYK 0-0-0-100, Pantone Black, RAL 9005
Green: Hex #007229, RGB 0-114-41, CMYK 93-0-100-0, Pantone 355, RAL 6029

Zoltan Horvath, 12 Oct 2024

Emblem

1985 version

Image by Zoltan Horvath, 12 Oct 2024

The current name of country – جمهورية السودان (Jumhūriyat as-Sūdān – Republic of the Sudan) is written on lower scroll of the current version of the emblem. This version has been used since 1985.

The emblem has a full gold version, which is used on Presidential flag and other flags.
Zoltan Horvath, 12 Oct 2024

Version from 1970-1985

Image by Zoltan Horvath, 12 Oct 2024

The description of the Arms is given as follows:
'The arms are a secretary bird with a native shield on its breast; above it is a scroll with the motto, "Al Nadr Nila" (Victory is Ours), and beneath it is the name of the country.'
Sources: Flags and Arms across the World by Whitney Smith (1980) [smi80] and Guide to the Flags of the World by Mauro Talocci (1982) [tal82].
Paige Herring, 21 May 1998

The text above eagle's head reads An-Nasr Lana, which means "Victory is Ours". The text below reads Jumhuriyat as-Sudan ad-Dimuqratiyah (The Democratic Republic of Sudan).
Henry Churchyard, 06 April 2004

It seems that Nadr is simply a typo in the Crampons book. (Ed.)

The original version of current emblem was adopted in 1970, when the country was renamed as the Democratic Republic of the Sudan, and this Arabic name was written on a white lower scroll: جمهورية السودان الديمُقراطية (Jumhūrīyat as-Sūdān ad-Dīmuqrāṭīyah).
Zoltan Horvath, 02 Aug 2010

Emblem from 1956-1970

image by Martin Grieve, 26 Oct 2024

Above is an image from Wappenlexikon of the former Sudanese coat of arms used between 1956 and 1970.
Zoltan Horvath, 02 Aug 2010

Upon independence in 1956, the Republic of Sudan adopted an emblem depicting a rhinoceros enclosed by two palm-trees and olive branches, with the name of the state, جمهورية السودان (Jumhūriyat as-Sūdān - Republic of the Sudan).
Zoltan Horvath, 12 Oct 2024

The source for my drawing is Christian Fogd Pederson's "The international flag book in colour", (1970).
In Hubert De Vries' website "National arms and emblems past and present" at http://www.hubert-herald.nl/INHOUD.htm the Author states "The first national emblem is not of the usual British design but of Soviet fashion. It consists of a brown rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis - Rhinocerotidæ) surrounded by two palm trees and a garland of laurel. Below is the name of the country Djamhuriyat as-Sudan on a white ribbon with brown ends. The rhinoceros is a symbol of strength and power."
Martin Grieve, 26 Oct 2024

Constitutional Court emblem

Image sent by Vanja Poposki, 11 May 2012