Every country in the world has a flag withmarkingsexcept the African nation ofLibya, whose long,rectangular flagis a field of pure green. Libya's leader, Colonel Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, designed the flag in 1977 and made it all green as a symbol of the country's national religion, Islam. It is said that an all-green banner was carried by the Prophet Mohammed, Islam's greatest saint.

Libya's history is reflected in its flags. Before 1977, Libya was part ofthe Union of Arab Republics, so its flag was the UAR's red, white, and black striped design with the stylized "Hawk of the Quraish" representing the Tribe of Mohammed. Before Libya joined the UAR in 1970, the flag bore the same stripes of color, but without the hawk.

In past centuries the part of Africa that is now Libya has had various flags representing the tribes and peoples that lived there. Today,Qadaffi's unification of Libya as an independent Islamic state is reflected in its pure green flag.