Flag of Central African Republic
The flag of the Central African Republic has four horizontal stripes of blue, white, green and yellow, crossed in the middle by a red vertical band, with a yellow star in the top corner.
At a glance
- Adopted
- December 1, 1958
- Capital
- Bangui
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- blue
- white
- green
- yellow
- red
What it means
- Blue and white: France, the former colonial power; blue also stands for freedom and the sky, and white for peace and dignity
- Green and yellow: Africa; green stands for hope and faith, and yellow for tolerance and hospitality
- Red band: the blood shared by all people, joining Europe and Africa in unity
- Yellow star: independence, a bright future and African unity
Where it came from
The flag was chosen on 1 December 1958 by the assembly of Ubangi-Shari, the French colony that became the Central African Republic. Its colours were chosen by Barthelemy Boganda, the country's founding leader and first prime minister, who said they "came out of my heart".
Boganda first hoped the flag would be used by a larger union of central African countries, which never came about.
History
The flag has stayed the same since 1958, including after independence from France in 1960.
In 1976 the ruler Jean-Bedel Bokassa declared himself emperor and proposed a new flag with a crescent and star, but it was never adopted. The Central African Empire kept the old flag, and it is still used today.
Fun facts
- The flag has five colours, which is a lot for a national flag.
- It mixes the colours of France with the colours of Africa on purpose.
- The country's first postage stamp, from 1959, shows Boganda next to the flag.
- Drawings of the flag can be found in both a 2:3 and a 3:5 shape.
Easy to mix up with
Togo: Togo has green and yellow stripes too, with a red square holding a white star
Questions
What does the flag of Central African Republic look like?
The flag of the Central African Republic has four horizontal stripes of blue, white, green and yellow, crossed in the middle by a red vertical band, with a yellow star in the top corner.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Central African Republic mean?
Blue and white: France, the former colonial power; blue also stands for freedom and the sky, and white for peace and dignity; Green and yellow: Africa; green stands for hope and faith, and yellow for tolerance and hospitality; Red band: the blood shared by all people, joining Europe and Africa in unity; Yellow star: independence, a bright future and African unity.
When was the flag of Central African Republic adopted?
The current flag of Central African Republic was adopted on December 1, 1958.
What colours are on the flag of Central African Republic?
The flag of Central African Republic uses blue, white, green, yellow and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Central African Republic?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Togo. Togo has green and yellow stripes too, with a red square holding a white star
Famous landmarks in Central African Republic
All about Central African Republic →
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)