Country profile: Armenia

The red, blue and orange tricolour was adopted in 1918 by the First Republic of Armenia, born of the collapse of the Russian Empire. It disappeared when the country was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920.

The Supreme Council of Armenia restored it on 24 August 1990, shortly before independence was declared on 21 September 1991.

A law on the national flag, passed in 2006, now sets out its proportions and use.

The official meaning of the colours, set by law, is as follows:

• Red: the Armenian Highlands, the Armenian people's continuous struggle for survival, the Christian faith, independence and freedom.
• Blue: the will of the Armenian people to live beneath peaceful skies.
• Orange: the creative talent and hard work of the Armenian people.

According to another, older reading, red evokes the blood shed, blue the sky, and orange Armenia's wheat fields.

Mount Ararat, an Armenian national symbol now located in Turkey, does not appear on the flag, but it takes pride of place at the centre of the country's coat of arms.

The Armenian flag is one of the few national flags to use orange, like those of India, Ireland and Côte d'Ivoire.