Cyprus

3×5' nylon national flag of Cyprus.

Cyprus has one of the few national flags designed specifically to offend no one. To avoid the blue and white of Greece and the red and white of Turkey, it shows the island itself in copper, above two olive branches of peace.

Design

A white field with a copper-orange silhouette of the island of Cyprus, above two crossed green olive branches.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 16 August 1960, the day of independence from Britain. The winning design is credited to İsmet Güney, a Turkish Cypriot art teacher. The copper color recalls the metal for which the island was famous in antiquity; the word "copper" itself comes, through Latin, from the name of Cyprus. White and the olive branches stand for peace between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 16 August 1960
• Official proportions: 3:5
• Colors: white, copper-orange, olive green
• Emblem: map of the island and olive branches

Vexillographer's Note

Cyprus and Kosovo are the only national flags to show a map of their country. In practice, both Greek and Turkish flags are often flown beside it on the island.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864