Different Countries with Green and White Flags

Written by Drew Wood
Updated: April 23, 2023
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Many countries of the world have green flags, but they don’t always occur in combination with white. In this article, you’ll find out the meaning behind the colors green and white when they appear together on national flags. We’ve provided a picture for each, and if you’d like to know any more about any of these countries and their flags, click on the hyperlink of the country name to reach a dedicated article about each.

Algeria

The North African country of Algeria uses green as well as a crescent moon and star to symbolize its Islamic cultural heritage. White in the flag may represent purity or the peace the country found after its armed struggle for independence.

Flag of Algeria

The flag of Algeria uses the colors green and white to honor its Islamic heritage and the virtues of purity and peace.

©tatohra/Shutterstock.com

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is located between Russia and Iran. Its flag uses the color green as a colored band at the bottom of the flag, and white in the crescent moon and star in the center. These colors and symbols represent Azaerbaijan’s Islamic cultural heritage.

The flag of Azerbaijan waving in the wind

The flag of Azerbaijan uses the colors green and white in ways that honor the country’s Islamic heritage.

©iStock.com/EA

Belarus

Belarus, a neighbor of Russia and Poland, uses a red, green, and white flag. Green is said to symbolize life. No interpretation of the color white is given, but it is part of a traditional Belarussian embroidered design depicted on the hoist side of the flag. Note, however, that the term “Belarus” means “White Russian,” so this would be a possible association with the color.

flag of Belarus

In the Belarussian flag, green represents life. White is used as part of a traditional embroidery pattern.

©MaciejForyszewski/Shutterstock.com

Bulgaria

The white of Bulgaria’s flag represents the virtues of peace, love, and freedom. The green represents agriculture, one of the key economic underpinnings of the country.

Bulgaria's flag

The Bulgarian flag uses white for key virtues and green for agricultura wealth.

©Maxim Studio/Shutterstock.com

Burundi

Burundi, an East African country, flies a red, green, and white flag. Green represents the country’s future development and white represents peace.

Burundi's flag

Burundi’s flag is red, green, and white. Green represents development and white represents peace.

©Wasan Ritthawon/Shutterstock.com

Comoros

The island nation of Comoros is located in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar and the African mainland. The colors green and white are found in a triangle, with a crescent moon and four stars. Green is associated with Islamic culture, as are the moon and stars. The four stripes of the flag represent the four islands of the group. The white one is for Mayotte, which is still under French control but claimed by Comoros.

Comoros uses green to represent Islam and a white stripe for one of the islands in the chain.

©iStock.com/Waehatman Waedarase

Djibouti

Djibouti is a small, strategic country at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Green in the country’s flag represents the earth and the Afar people group. White is a color of peace.

Djibouti's flag flying in the wind

Djibouti’s flag honors the earth and the Afar people group with the color green, and the concept of peace with the color white.

©M_Videous/Shutterstock.com

Equatorial Guinea

In the flag of Equatorial Guinea, a West African nation, green symbolizes the country’s natural resources, agriculture, and jungles. White symbolizes peace.

Equatorial Guinea flag

Green symbolizes natural resources, agriculture, and jungles and white symbolizes peace in the flag of Equatorial Guinea.

©Dmytro Balkhovitin/Shutterstock.com

The Gambia

In the flag of the West African country of The Gambia, green represents the land, and white stands for unity, peace, and purity.

Flag of Gambia

The flag of The Gambia uses green to represent the land and white for ideals of unity, peace, and purity.

©iStock.com/titoOnz

Hungary

Hungary’s flag is known as a horizontal tricolor. In this flag, white represents the country’s rivers and green its mountains.

Hungary Flag

Hungary’s flag celebrates its green mountains and frothing white rivers with its color choices.

©Supparsorn/Shutterstock.com

Iran

Green is a popular color in the flags of Islamic countries like Iran. Iran also uses white in the national flag to symbolize peace.

The flag of Iran uses green for Islam and white for peace.

©iStock.com/Royal Graphics

Italy

In the flag of Italy, green symbolizes the values of equality, freedom, and hope, and white symbolizes faith.

flag of Italy

The flag of Italy is horizontally colored in green, white and red. These colors represent some of the country’s cherished virtues.

©Philipp Dase/Shutterstock.com

Lebanon

In the flag of Lebanon, white represents snow, which is also a symbol of purity and peace. Green is used on the flag in a depiction of a cedar of Lebanon. Cedar trees have grown in the dry Mediterranean climate and altitude of Lebanon since ancient times. In the Bible, they were used as a symbol of strength and wealth.

Flag of Lebanon waving in the wind

The flag of Lebanon uses white and green to represent natural features that also have symbolic meaning.

©iStock.com/3dmitry

Lesotho

In the flag of the southern African country of Lesotho, white stands for peace, and green for prosperity.

close up waving flag of Lesotho. flag symbols of Lesotho.

In the flag of Lesotho, white stands for peace, and green for prosperity.

©Tatohra/Shutterstock.com

Madagascar

The flag of Madagascar, an island country off the southeast coast of Africa, uses white to stand for purity and green for both its verdant coastal regions and its future hope.

Flag of Madagascar

Madagascar’s flag is white, green, and red. White stands for purity and green stands for green coastal areas and future hope.

©Millenius/Shutterstock.com

Maldives

In the flag of the Indian Ocean nation of Maldives, green represents wealth and peace, as well as being a favored color of Islam. The white crescent moon and star are also Islamic symbols.

Maldives flag

The Maldives flag honors Islam with its color choices and iconography.

©iStock.com/Nabil Kamara

Mexico

Mexico’s flag uses green to represent hope and victory, and white to represent national unity.

Mexico's flag

The flag of Mexico uses green, white, and red as its color scheme.

©H.studio/Shutterstock.com

Nigeria

In the flag of the large West African nation of Nigeria, green bands stand for the wealth of the country and the white band represents peace.

The flag of Nigeria

The flag of Nigeria represents peace and wealth.

©Millenius/Shutterstock.com

Oman

Oman’s flag uses white to represent peace and green to symbolize fertile land. Green is typically used in the flags of Islamic countries, like Oman.

Flag of Oman

The flag of Oman features green for agricultural land and white for peace.

©Maxim Studio/Shutterstock.com

Pakistan

Pakistan is a predominantly Islamic country. The color green and the crescent moon and star are symbols of Islam. The white stripe on the hoist side of the flag represents the country’s religious minorities.

The flag of Pakistan represents its religious communities.

©iStock.com/Derek Brumby

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is where Islam began and the site of the religion’s most holy city, Mecca. The flag is predominantly green, the most popular color associated with Islam. The white sword represents strictly applied justice. The white script is a verse from the Qur’an that is the key Muslim profession of faith: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”

The flag of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, has a flag heavy with Islamic symbolism.

©iStock.com/Derek Brumby

Seychelles

In the flag of the island nation of Seychelles, white symbolizes justice and harmony, and green symbolizes the land.

Flag of Seychelles

The flag of Seychelles symbolizes justice and harmony and green symbolizes the land.

©iStock.com/Oleg Prolat

Sierra Leone

The nation of Sierra Leone uses green to represent the country’s mountains and farmland and white for the virtues of unity and justice.

Sierra Leone's flag

Sierra Leone’s flag represents its mountains in green and its positive virtues in white.

©Creative Photo Corner/Shutterstock.com

South Africa

The South African flag was designed to help bring together an ethnically divided nation. Green in the flag represents the natural environment and white represents peace and unity.

Flag of South Africa

The multiple colors of the flag of South

Africa

have unifying meanings for the country’s ethnic groups.

©iStock.com/ronniechua

Syria

In the Syrian flag, the color choices are taken from the flag of the Arab liberation movement. Each of the colors represents one of the historic dynasties that ruled the Arab world.

The colors of Syria’s flag represent different dynasties that ruled the Arab world over the centuries.

©iStock.com/Maksym Kapliuk

Togo

In the West African country of Togo, white represents future hope, and green symbolizes the country’s forests and agriculture.

flag of togo

Togo’s flag celebrates forests, agriculture, and hope, among other things.

©SKopp | CC BY-SA – License

Uzbekistan

In the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan, the flag uses white as a symbol of peace and good luck and green as a symbol of new life and an abundant harvest.

Flag of Uzbekistan waving in the wind

Uzbekistan’s flag focuses on peace and new life with its color choices of green and white.

©Maxim Studio/Shutterstock.com

Curious about more flags? Click here to learn about every single flag in the world! – Every Flag in the World: Photos, History, and More

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Efasein/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Drew Wood is a writer at A-Z Animals focusing on mammals, geography, and world cultures. Drew has worked in research and writing for over 20 years and holds a Masters in Foreign Affairs (1992) and a Doctorate in Religion (2009). A resident of Nebraska, Drew enjoys Brazilian jiu-jitsu, movies, and being an emotional support human to four dogs.

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