Azerbaijan marks National Flag Day

Today Azerbaijan is celebrating the National Flag Day. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to declare November 9 as the National Flag Day on November 17, 2009.

The Azerbaijani tricolor was established as the national flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on November 9, 1918. The Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic announced a tricolor flag with a star and a crescent as the national flag of Azerbaijan on February 5, 1991, after gaining independence in 1991. In November 2009, Article 105 of the Labour Code was amended, according to which the National Flag Day November 9 was declared as a legal holiday.

The law 'On the State Flag of the Azerbaijan Republic' provides a detailed description. 

The state flag is a symbol of Azerbaijani national sovereignty. The state flag of Azerbaijan represents a rectangular panel consisting of three equal horizontal bands colored blue, red, and green, with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star are centered in the red band. The ratio of the flag's width to its length is 1:2.

National Flag Square was also inaugurated with President Aliyev's participation in Baku on Sept. 1, 2010. Aliyev signed an order on the establishment of National Flag Square in Baku on November 17, 2007.

The flag with a 162 meter-high flagpole measures 70 meters high and 35 meters wide. The total weight of the construction is 220 tons. The flag's total area is 2450 square meters with a weight of about 350 kilograms.

The national emblem, words of the anthem and the map of the country are made of gilded bronze.

The National Flag Museum was also established the square upon President Aliyev's initiative.