Flag of Gabon
Gabon's flag has three equal horizontal stripes: green on top, yellow in the middle and blue at the bottom.
At a glance
- Adopted
- August 9, 1960adopted just before independence on 17 August 1960; a 1959 version had a narrower yellow stripe and the French flag in the corner
- Shape (height : width)
- 3:4
- Capital
- Libreville
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- yellow
- blue
What it means
- Green: the country's huge forests and natural riches
- Yellow: the equator, which crosses Gabon, and the sun
- Blue: the sea along Gabon's Atlantic coast
Where it came from
Gabon, on the Atlantic coast of central Africa, was a French colony. In 1958 it gained self-government within the French Community and drew up its own flag. The sources do not name a designer.
The colours were chosen to describe the country's land: forest, the equator and the sea.
History
The first version, adopted in 1959, had green and blue stripes with a narrower yellow stripe between them and the French tricolour in the top corner. Gabon was the only French self-governing republic that kept the French flag in its own flag this way.
On 9 August 1960, just before full independence on 17 August, the French flag was removed and the yellow stripe was made as wide as the others. The flag has not changed since.
Fun facts
- The equator really runs through Gabon, and the yellow stripe stands for it.
- Gabon's law gives the flag an unusual 3:4 shape, which is almost square; only a few other national flags, such as those of Papua New Guinea and San Marino, use it.
- Unlike many of its neighbours, Gabon does not use the Pan-African colours red, yellow and green together.
- Unlike many former French colonies, Gabon chose horizontal stripes instead of vertical ones.
Easy to mix up with
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone also has green, white and blue horizontal stripes, but its middle stripe is white
Questions
What does the flag of Gabon look like?
Gabon's flag has three equal horizontal stripes: green on top, yellow in the middle and blue at the bottom.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Gabon mean?
Green: the country's huge forests and natural riches; Yellow: the equator, which crosses Gabon, and the sun; Blue: the sea along Gabon's Atlantic coast.
When was the flag of Gabon adopted?
The current flag of Gabon was adopted on August 9, 1960. (adopted just before independence on 17 August 1960; a 1959 version had a narrower yellow stripe and the French flag in the corner)
What colours are on the flag of Gabon?
The flag of Gabon uses green, yellow and blue.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Gabon?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone also has green, white and blue horizontal stripes, but its middle stripe is white
Famous landmarks in Gabon
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)