Flag of Cameroon
The flag of Cameroon has three vertical stripes of green, red and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star in the middle of the red stripe.
At a glance
- Adopted
- May 20, 1975the green, red and yellow stripes date from 1957; two stars were added in 1961 and replaced by one star in the centre in 1975
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Yaoundé
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- red
- yellow
What it means
- Green: the forests of the south, and hope
- Red: unity and independence
- Yellow: the sun and the savannas of the north
- Star: the "star of unity", the unity of the country
Where it came from
The striped design was adopted in 1957, when French Cameroon became self-governing, and kept at independence in 1960. Cameroon was the second African country, after Ghana, to use the pan-African colours green, red and yellow.
History
The plain tricolour was confirmed by the 1960 constitution. In 1961 the southern part of British Cameroons joined the country to form a federation of East and West Cameroon. Two yellow stars, one for each part, were added to the top of the green stripe.
In 1972 the federation became a single united state. On 20 May 1975 the two stars were replaced by a single star in the centre of the red stripe. 20 May is Cameroon's National Day.
Fun facts
- Cameroon's flag has had no star, then two stars, then one star.
- Cameroonian flags are often made with stars of quite different sizes.
- The flag's colours run from forest green to sunny yellow, like the land from south to north.
- 20 May, the day the one-star flag was adopted, is Cameroon's National Day.
Easy to mix up with
Senegal
Guinea
MaliQuestions
What does the flag of Cameroon look like?
The flag of Cameroon has three vertical stripes of green, red and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star in the middle of the red stripe.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Cameroon mean?
Green: the forests of the south, and hope; Red: unity and independence; Yellow: the sun and the savannas of the north; Star: the "star of unity", the unity of the country.
When was the flag of Cameroon adopted?
The current flag of Cameroon was adopted on May 20, 1975. (the green, red and yellow stripes date from 1957; two stars were added in 1961 and replaced by one star in the centre in 1975)
What colours are on the flag of Cameroon?
The flag of Cameroon uses green, red and yellow.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Cameroon?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Senegal. Senegal has the same three colours and a star, but the star is green
Famous landmarks in Cameroon
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)