Old flag (1946-58, 1961-63) The flag of Syria was adopted in 1980. It is also the flag of the former United Arab Republic.
History
The first national flag of Syria after independence in 1944 was a green-white-black horizontal tricolour, with three red five-pointed stars. In 1958, Syria and Egypt merged to form the United Arab Republic and adopted the red-white-black design with two green stars that is Syria's current flag. When Syria left the UAR in 1961 it briefly reverted to its old flag.
However, the Ba'athist coup in 1963 led to a succession of red-white-black flags, culminating in a return in 1980 to the UAR design.
Symbolism
The colors of the flag are traditional Pan-Arabic colors, also seen on the flags of Yemen, Egypt and Iraq. The two stars represent Egypt and Syria, the two participating nations in the UAR.
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