Proportion 1:2 Use Presidential Standard | Adopted 23 July 1992 | |
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Design Seven horizontal stripes alternating green and white; in the canton, a white open hand below a semicircle of seven five-pointed stars on a red field. | ||
Abkhazia is claimed and controlled by the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia, and functions as a de facto independent Abkhazian state. Georgia, the United Nations and the majority of the world's governments consider Abkhazia to be part of Georgia, legally governed by the de jure Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
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Republic of Abkhazia
The flag of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1991 by V. Gamgia. It was officially adopted on 23 July 1992. The design of the red canton is based on the banner of the medieval Kingdom of Abkhazia. The open right hand means "Hello to friends! Stop to Enemies!". The seven stars in the canton have since been reinterpreted to correspond to the seven historical regions of the country - Sadzen, Bzyp, Gumaa, Abzhywa, Samurzaqan, Dal-Tsabal and Pskhuy-Aibga.
Seven is a number sacred to the Abkhaz and the green and white stripes represent the tolerance that allows Christianity and Islam to cohabit.
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
A flag and emblem have been proposed by the Georgian State Council of Heraldry for the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia that combines the flag of Georgia with the green and white stripes found on the flag of the breakaway state.
Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia
The flag of the SSR Abkhazia was adopted in 1925 when the SSR Abkhazia ratified its constitution. It was used until 1931, when the SSR Abkhazia was transformed into the Abkhaz ASSR with a different flag.
Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
This flag of the Abkhaz ASSR was introduced in 1978 and used until the collapse of the Soviet union in 1991. The previous flag used between 1931 and 1978 was identical to the flag of the Georgian SSR, and in 1978 the name of the Abkhaz ASSR was added written in the Abkhaz language and script.