Flag of Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea's flag has green, white and red horizontal stripes, a blue triangle at the flagpole side and the national coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe.
At a glance
- Adopted
- August 21, 1979first adopted at independence on 12 October 1968; the coat of arms was changed under President Macias Nguema in 1978 and the original arms were restored in August 1979
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Ciudad de la Paz (since January 2026; before that Malabo)
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- white
- red
- blue
What it means
- Green: the country's forests, plants and natural resources
- White: peace
- Red: the struggle and blood shed for independence
- Blue triangle: the sea that links the mainland with the islands
- Silk-cotton tree: according to local tradition, an early treaty with Spain was signed under such a tree
- Six stars: the mainland, Rio Muni, and the five main islands
Where it came from
The flag was agreed by parliament just before independence from Spain on 12 October 1968. At the first celebrations many flags were flown without the coat of arms, which came a little later.
The coat of arms shows a silk-cotton (kapok) tree under six yellow stars, with the motto "Unidad, Paz, Justicia" (Unity, Peace, Justice).
History
Before 1968 the territory was a Spanish colony and flew Spain's flag.
Under the dictator Francisco Macias Nguema, the coat of arms was replaced in 1978 with one showing tools and weapons, such as a sword, an axe and a hoe, with a rooster on top. After he was overthrown in August 1979, the original coat of arms was brought back, and the flag has stayed that way since.
Fun facts
- The silk-cotton tree on the coat of arms is nicknamed the "Tree of the Gods".
- The six stars stand for the six parts of the country: one mainland and five islands.
- Under the dictator Macias Nguema, the coat of arms even had a rooster on top.
Easy to mix up with
Czechia
SudanQuestions
What does the flag of Equatorial Guinea look like?
Equatorial Guinea's flag has green, white and red horizontal stripes, a blue triangle at the flagpole side and the national coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Equatorial Guinea mean?
Green: the country's forests, plants and natural resources; White: peace; Red: the struggle and blood shed for independence; Blue triangle: the sea that links the mainland with the islands; Silk-cotton tree: according to local tradition, an early treaty with Spain was signed under such a tree; Six stars: the mainland, Rio Muni, and the five main islands.
When was the flag of Equatorial Guinea adopted?
The current flag of Equatorial Guinea was adopted on August 21, 1979. (first adopted at independence on 12 October 1968; the coat of arms was changed under President Macias Nguema in 1978 and the original arms were restored in August 1979)
What colours are on the flag of Equatorial Guinea?
The flag of Equatorial Guinea uses green, white, red and blue.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Equatorial Guinea?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Czechia. the Czech flag also has a blue triangle at the flagpole, but only white and red stripes
Famous landmarks in Equatorial Guinea
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)