Last modified: 2011-10-22 by rob raeside
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![Libyan flag, 1972]](../images/l/ly-72.gif)
image by Martin Grieve, 26 September 2011
See also:
A red-white-black horizontal tricolor with the hawk of Quraish looking to the hoist (at the right side) on the white band with a small inscription of the name of the country below.
![FAR flag]](../images/l/ly)72.gif)
image by Martin Grieve, 26 September 2011
![FAR flag]](../images/l/ly'72.gif)
image by Martin Grieve, 26 September 2011
On 17 Apr 1971, the presidents of Egypt, Libya and Syria signed an agreement
calling for confederation of their nations as a first step towards Arab unity.
The Federation of Arab Republics came into existence on 02 Sep 1971 following
referendums in the three lands.
The federation’s constitution called for
a single flag for the federation and its three member states; this was hoisted
on the first day of 1972. The flag chosen consisted of a horizontal tricolour in
the colours of the Arab liberation flag (red, white, black). Charged in the
centre of the white stripe appeared, all in gold, the hawk of Quraish. The bird
presents in its talons, a scroll with the words ‘Federation of Arab Republics’
in Arabic. Each of the member states added beneath the inscription, the name of
their own country, also in Arabic. In the case of Libya, this read ‘Libyan Arab
Republic’, and unlike its other two counterparts, this was contained within a
gold border.
Following a visit by the (then) president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat in November
1977 to Israel, with the intention of improving relations with that state and
the Arab world, Libya withdrew from the federation in protest and subsequently,
the Federation of Arab Republics ceased to exist as an entity.
Source:
‘Flags and Arms through the ages and across the World’ by Whitney Smith (1975),
‘Flags of the World by EMC Barraclough (1978).
Martin Grieve, 26 September 2011