Ancient and medieval overland route of about 6,400 km/4,000 mi by which silk was brought from China to Europe in return for trade goods; it ran west via the Gobi Desert, Samarkand, and Antioch to Mediterranean ports in Greece, Italy, the Middle East, and Egypt.
Buddhism came to China via this route, which was superseded from the 16th century by sea trade.
Black stands for the African people. White symbolizes peace. Black, red, and green, the ‘black liberation’ colours, denote Africa's rebirth. Red represents the blood common to all people. Green recalls the fertile land. Effective date: 12 December 1963.