Flags of Africa: All 54 Country Flags and Their Meanings
Africa has 54 national flags, one for each UN-recognised country. Most were adopted at independence between 1957 and 1990, and many use the pan-African colours: green, gold and red (from Ethiopia's flag) or red, black and green (from the 1920 Pan-African flag). The oldest unchanged flag is Liberia's (1847); the newest design is Mauritania's (2017).
Below, each country's flag is shown with its year of adoption and a short explanation of its colours and symbols. Click a flag to open that country's guide. Regions follow the UN geoscheme used across this site.
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Algeria
North AfricaAdopted: 1962
Green and white halves with a red crescent and star. Green and white are traditional colours of Islam and of the independence movement; the red recalls those who died in the 1954–62 war of independence.
Egypt
North AfricaAdopted: 1984
Red, white and black stripes with the golden Eagle of Saladin. Red stands for the period before the 1952 revolution, white for the revolution itself and black for the end of colonial rule.
Libya
North AfricaAdopted: 2011
Red, black and green stripes with a white crescent and star. This is the 1951 independence flag, restored in 2011 after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi replaced his plain green flag (1977–2011).
Morocco
North AfricaAdopted: 1915
A red field with a green interlaced five-pointed star (the Seal of Solomon). Red is linked to the ruling Alaouite dynasty; the green star is associated with Islam.
Sudan
North AfricaAdopted: 1970
Pan-Arab red, white and black stripes with a green triangle. Red recalls the struggle for independence, white peace and optimism, black Sudan itself, and green Islam and prosperity.
Tunisia
North AfricaAdopted: 1831 (formalised 1959)
A red field with a white disc holding a red crescent and star. Based on the Ottoman flag, it dates from 1831 and was confirmed by the 1959 constitution, making it one of Africa's oldest designs.
Benin
West AfricaAdopted: 1959 (restored 1990)
A green vertical band beside yellow and red horizontal stripes. Green is hope, yellow wealth and red courage. It was replaced during the Marxist period (1975–90) and then restored.
Burkina Faso
West AfricaAdopted: 1984
Red over green with a yellow star. Adopted when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso; red stands for the revolution, green for agriculture and abundance, and the star for the guiding light of the revolution.
Cabo Verde
West AfricaAdopted: 1992
A blue field with white and red stripes and a ring of ten yellow stars. The stars represent the ten main islands; blue stands for the sea and sky.
Côte d'Ivoire
West AfricaAdopted: 1959
Vertical orange, white and green stripes. Orange stands for the savanna of the north, white for peace and green for the forests of the south and hope. It is a mirror image of the Irish flag.
Gambia
West AfricaAdopted: 1965
Red, blue and green stripes separated by thin white bands. The blue band represents the Gambia River running through the country, red the sun and savanna, and green the forests and farmland.
Ghana
West AfricaAdopted: 1957 (restored 1966)
Red, gold and green stripes with a black star. Designed by Theodosia Okoh, it was the first post-colonial African flag to use the Ethiopian colours; the black star is a symbol of African freedom.
Guinea
West AfricaAdopted: 1958
Vertical red, yellow and green stripes. Red stands for sacrifice and labour, yellow for the sun and mineral wealth, and green for the vegetation of the country.
Guinea-Bissau
West AfricaAdopted: 1973
A red vertical band with a black star beside yellow and green stripes. Based on the flag of the PAIGC independence movement; the black star represents African unity.
Liberia
West AfricaAdopted: 1847
Eleven red and white stripes and a blue square with a white star. Modelled on the US flag, the stripes stand for the eleven signatories of the 1847 Declaration of Independence. It is Africa's oldest unchanged national flag.
Mali
West AfricaAdopted: 1961
Vertical green, gold and red stripes. Mali removed a black human figure (the kanaga) from the centre in 1961, leaving the plain pan-African colours.
Mauritania
West AfricaAdopted: 2017
A green field with a gold crescent and star, with red stripes at the top and bottom. The red stripes were added after the 2017 constitutional referendum to honour those who died for independence.
Niger
West AfricaAdopted: 1959
Orange, white and green stripes with an orange disc. Orange represents the Sahara in the north, white purity, green the fertile south along the Niger River, and the disc the sun.
Nigeria
West AfricaAdopted: 1960
Green, white and green vertical stripes, designed by student Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi. Green stands for the country's agriculture and natural wealth, white for peace and unity.
Senegal
West AfricaAdopted: 1960
Vertical green, yellow and red stripes with a green star. The pan-African colours stand for hope, wealth and sacrifice; the star for unity.
Sierra Leone
West AfricaAdopted: 1961
Green, white and blue horizontal stripes. Green is for agriculture and the mountains, white for unity and justice, and blue for the natural harbour of Freetown.
Togo
West AfricaAdopted: 1960
Five green and yellow stripes with a red square holding a white star. The five stripes represent the country's regions; the white star stands for hope and life.
Burundi
East AfricaAdopted: 1967
A white saltire (diagonal cross) dividing red and green fields, with a white disc holding three red stars. The stars stand for the national motto: unity, work and progress.
Comoros
East AfricaAdopted: 2002
Four stripes (yellow, white, red and blue) and a green triangle with a white crescent and four stars. The four stripes and stars represent the islands of Mohéli, Mayotte, Anjouan and Grande Comore.
Djibouti
East AfricaAdopted: 1977
Light blue over green with a white triangle and a red star. Blue represents the Issa (Somali) and green the Afar peoples; white is peace and the red star unity.
Eritrea
East AfricaAdopted: 1995
A red triangle splitting green and blue fields, with a gold olive wreath and branch. Red recalls the independence struggle, green agriculture and blue the Red Sea; the olive emblem comes from the 1952 flag.
Ethiopia
East AfricaAdopted: 1996
Green, yellow and red stripes with a blue disc and yellow star. Ethiopia's green-yellow-red is the origin of the pan-African colours; the star represents the unity and equality of its peoples.
Kenya
East AfricaAdopted: 1963
Black, red and green stripes edged in white, with a Maasai shield and two spears. Black stands for the people, red for the struggle for freedom, green for the land, and the shield for the defence of freedom.
Madagascar
East AfricaAdopted: 1958
A white vertical band beside red and green horizontal stripes. Red and white recall the old Merina kingdom; green represents the coastal peoples and hope.
Malawi
East AfricaAdopted: 1964 (restored 2012)
Black, red and green stripes with a red rising sun. A 2010 redesign with a full white sun was dropped in 2012 and the original 1964 flag restored. The rising sun marks the dawn of freedom for Africa.
Mauritius
East AfricaAdopted: 1968
Four horizontal stripes of red, blue, yellow and green. Red is the struggle for freedom, blue the Indian Ocean, yellow the light of independence and green agriculture.
Mozambique
East AfricaAdopted: 1983
Green, black and yellow stripes with a red triangle holding a star, a book, a hoe and an AK-47 rifle. It is the only national flag that shows a modern firearm, standing for vigilance and defence.
Rwanda
East AfricaAdopted: 2001
Blue, yellow and green stripes with a golden sun. Adopted in 2001 to replace the flag associated with the 1994 genocide; blue is peace and happiness, yellow economic development, green prosperity.
Seychelles
East AfricaAdopted: 1996
Five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white and green fanning out from the lower hoist, meant to show a young, dynamic country moving into the future.
Somalia
East AfricaAdopted: 1954
A light blue field with a white five-pointed star. The five points stand for the five areas where Somalis live: former Italian and British Somaliland, Djibouti, the Ogaden in Ethiopia and northeastern Kenya.
South Sudan
East AfricaAdopted: 2011
Black, red and green stripes edged in white, with a blue triangle and a gold star. Based on the SPLM flag; black is the people, red the blood shed for freedom, green the land, blue the Nile.
Tanzania
East AfricaAdopted: 1964
A black diagonal band edged in yellow between green and blue triangles. It combines the flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar after their 1964 union: green for the land, blue for the Indian Ocean, black for the people, yellow for mineral wealth.
Uganda
East AfricaAdopted: 1962
Six stripes of black, yellow and red with a white disc showing a grey crowned crane. Black is the people, yellow the sunshine and red brotherhood; the crane is the national bird.
Zambia
East AfricaAdopted: 1964
A green field with an orange eagle above red, black and orange stripes. Orange stands for copper and mineral wealth; the eagle represents the ability to rise above the nation's problems. The shade of green was adjusted in 1996.
Zimbabwe
East AfricaAdopted: 1980
Seven stripes of green, yellow, red and black with a white triangle bearing a red star and the Zimbabwe Bird, a carving found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.
Angola
Central AfricaAdopted: 1975
Red over black with a yellow half cog-wheel, machete and star. The cog stands for industrial workers, the machete for peasants and the armed struggle, the star for progress.
Cameroon
Central AfricaAdopted: 1975
Vertical green, red and yellow stripes with a yellow star. The single star replaced two stars in 1975 when the federal state became a unitary republic.
Central African Republic
Central AfricaAdopted: 1958
Four horizontal stripes (blue, white, green, yellow) crossed by a red vertical band, with a yellow star. It combines the French colours with pan-African ones; the red band symbolises the blood that unites them.
Chad
Central AfricaAdopted: 1959
Vertical blue, gold and red stripes: blue for the sky and water, gold for the sun and desert, red for sacrifice. It is almost identical to the flag of Romania.
Republic of the Congo
Central AfricaAdopted: 1959 (restored 1991)
A diagonal yellow band between green and red triangles. Replaced during the Marxist period (1970–91) and restored in 1991.
DR Congo
Central AfricaAdopted: 2006
A sky-blue field with a red diagonal stripe edged in yellow and a yellow star. Blue is peace, red the blood of the country's martyrs, yellow its wealth, and the star a radiant future.
Equatorial Guinea
Central AfricaAdopted: 1968
Green, white and red stripes with a blue triangle and the national coat of arms. The six stars above the silk-cotton tree represent the mainland and five islands.
Gabon
Central AfricaAdopted: 1960
Horizontal green, yellow and blue stripes. Green stands for the rainforest, yellow for the Equator that crosses the country, and blue for the Atlantic Ocean.
São Tomé and Príncipe
Central AfricaAdopted: 1975
Green, yellow and green stripes with a red triangle and two black stars. The two stars represent the two main islands; yellow stands for the sun and cocoa.
Botswana
Southern AfricaAdopted: 1966
A light blue field with a black band edged in white. Blue represents water and rain (pula, also the name of the currency); the black and white band stands for racial harmony.
Eswatini
Southern AfricaAdopted: 1968
Blue, yellow and crimson stripes with a Nguni shield, two spears and a staff. Crimson recalls past battles, blue peace and yellow the country's resources.
Lesotho
Southern AfricaAdopted: 2006
Blue, white and green stripes with a black Basotho hat (mokorotlo). Adopted for the 40th anniversary of independence to reflect a peaceful country; blue is rain, white peace, green prosperity.
Namibia
Southern AfricaAdopted: 1990
A red diagonal band edged in white between a blue triangle with a gold sun and a green triangle. Blue is the sky and ocean, red the people, green vegetation, and the sun life and energy.
South Africa
Southern AfricaAdopted: 1994
A horizontal Y shape in green with black, gold, red, white and blue. Adopted for the first democratic election in April 1994; it has no official symbolism but is widely read as diverse elements coming together.
Flags are shown as emoji, which some systems (notably Windows) display as two-letter country codes. Adoption years refer to the current design; dates in brackets show when an earlier flag was restored.
African Flags Changed Since 2000
| Year | Country | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Rwanda | New blue, yellow and green flag with a sun replaced the red-yellow-green flag with a letter “R”, associated with the 1994 genocide. |
| 2002 | Comoros | Four-stripe flag adopted under the new constitution of the Union of the Comoros. |
| 2006 | DR Congo | Sky-blue flag with a diagonal red stripe adopted under the new constitution. |
| 2006 | Lesotho | Basotho hat design replaced the 1987 flag with a shield and weapons. |
| 2010 / 2012 | Malawi | A redesign with a full white sun was introduced in 2010 and reversed in 2012, restoring the 1964 rising-sun flag. |
| 2011 | Libya | The 1951 independence flag returned, replacing Gaddafi's plain green flag. |
| 2011 | South Sudan | Became the flag of Africa's newest country at independence on 9 July 2011. |
| 2017 | Mauritania | Red stripes added at top and bottom after a constitutional referendum. |
Understanding African Flag Symbolism
Pan-African Colours
Two colour schemes appear again and again. Green, gold (yellow) and red come from the flag of Ethiopia, which kept its independence through the colonial era apart from the Italian occupation of 1936–41 and became a symbol of African freedom. Ghana was the first newly independent country to adopt them in 1957, and many others followed, including Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Cameroon, Togo and Benin. Red, black and green come from the Pan-African flag adopted by Marcus Garvey's UNIA in 1920 and appear in the flags of Kenya, Malawi and South Sudan. The meanings countries give these colours are broadly similar:
- Red: the blood shed in the struggle for independence
- Green: the land, forests and agriculture
- Yellow/Gold: mineral wealth and the sun
- Black: the African people
Common Symbols
- Stars: unity, freedom or hope; sometimes one star per island or region (Cabo Verde's ten stars, the Comoros' four)
- Crescents: Islam, as on the flags of Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania and the Comoros
- Weapons and shields: defence of freedom, as on the flags of Kenya, Eswatini, Angola and Mozambique
- Animals and objects: Uganda's crowned crane, Zambia's eagle, Zimbabwe's soapstone bird and Lesotho's Basotho hat
Similar Flags That Are Easy to Confuse
- Chad and Romania have almost identical blue-yellow-red flags; Chad's blue is slightly darker.
- Mali, Guinea and Senegal all use vertical green-yellow-red or red-yellow-green stripes; Guinea's order is reversed, and Senegal adds a green star.
- Côte d'Ivoire and Ireland use the same colours in reverse order (orange at the hoist for Côte d'Ivoire).
- Niger and India both have orange, white and green stripes with a central disc, but Niger's disc is plain orange and its flag is nearly square.
Historical Influence
Most African flags date from the wave of independence after 1957. In 1960 alone, often called the “Year of Africa”, 17 countries became independent and raised new flags. Later changes usually followed political turning points: the end of a one-party or Marxist government (Benin 1990, Republic of the Congo 1991), the end of apartheid (South Africa 1994), or a new constitution (DR Congo 2006). See the African independence timeline for the dates behind each flag.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many flags are there in Africa?
There are 54 national flags in Africa, one for each UN-recognised sovereign country. Western Sahara, a disputed territory, has a flag used by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which is not counted among the 54.
What are the pan-African colours?
The pan-African colours are green, gold and red, taken from the flag of Ethiopia, and red, black and green, from the Pan-African flag adopted in 1920. Many African flags, including those of Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya and South Sudan, use one of these sets.
Which African country has the oldest flag?
Liberia has Africa's oldest unchanged national flag, adopted in 1847. Tunisia's flag design dates from 1831, although it was only formally confirmed as the national flag in 1959, and Morocco's current flag dates from 1915.
Which African country changed its flag most recently?
Mauritania was the most recent, adding red stripes to the top and bottom of its flag in 2017. Before that, Libya and South Sudan adopted new flags in 2011, and Malawi restored its original flag in 2012.
Which African flag has a gun on it?
Mozambique's flag shows an AK-47 rifle crossed with a hoe on top of an open book. It is the only national flag in the world that features a modern assault rifle.
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