The State Flag

The three-color national flag of Azerbaijan was accepted by the government of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan on November 9, 1918. After the collapse of the Democratic Republic in April 28, 1920 and the establishment of the Soviet regime, this flag was relinquished in Azerbaijan. Yet the flag was restored by the order of the Supreme Majlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as the national flag of the Autonomous Republic on November 17, 1990. At the same time the Supreme Majlis of the Autonomous Republic petitioned the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR to recognize the three-color flag as the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan considered the petition and approved the three-color flag as the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 5, 1991.

The national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan consists of three equal strips. The upper strip is blue, the middle strip is red, and the lower strip is green. The blue strip designates the Turkish origin of Azerbaijan, the red color - its intention to create a modern state and develop the democracy, the green strip - its relation to the Islamic civilization. In the middle of the red strip on both sides of the flag there is a white-color crescent and an eight-point star. The relation between the width and the length of the flag is 1 to 2.

The State Emblem

The government of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan declared a competition on the national emblem of Azerbaijan on January 30, 1920 and made a decision to present the emblem model in May of the same year. However, due to the collapse of the Democratic Republic on April 28, 1920, the emblem was not approved.

The Supreme Majlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic discussed the issue connected with the national emblem and raised petition in the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR on declaration of a new competition on the national emblem of Azerbaijan on November 17, 1990.

The competition was announced by the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 5, 1991. Tens of projects of the emblem were presented during the competition of 1991-1992 and it was also proposed to approve one of the projects developed in 1919-1920.

By the Constitutional Law of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan, approved on January 19, 1993, one of the projects, developed in 1919-1920 with certain alterations was confirmed as the national emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The National Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan symbolizes the independence of Azerbaijan. The national emblem is the image of an oriental shield and a semicircle formed by the branches of an oak-tree and ears resting on it. The shield contains the image of a fire in the center of an eight-point star against a background of the colors of the national flag of Azerbaijan.

National holidays

January 1 - New Year’s Day;

January 20 - Day of the Martyrs;

March 8 - Women’s Day;

March 20-25 - Novruz Bayrami;

May 9 – Day of Victory over Nazism;

May 28 - Republic Day;

June 15 - National Salvation Day;

June 26 - Day of Armed Forces;

October 18 - National Independence Day;

November 12 - Constitution Day;

November 17 - Day of National Revival;

December 31 - Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis throughout the World.