Flag of Madagascar
A white vertical stripe at the flagpole, next to a red stripe on top and a green stripe below.
At a glance
- Adopted
- October 21, 1958
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Antananarivo
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- white
- red
- green
What it means
- Red: national unity, in the presidency's description; in 1958 it was described as sovereignty
- Green: hope
- White: freedom, security and cleanliness, in the presidency's description; in 1958 it was described as purity
Where it came from
The flag was designed by Andrianome Ranaivosoa, who worked at the Malagasy National Geographic Institute. A commission chose it on 15 October 1958, the day after the Malagasy Republic was proclaimed, and it was adopted on 21 October 1958.
Red and white had long been the main colours of Madagascar's kingdoms. King Radama I took up a white and red flag after he came to the throne in 1810.
History
Before 1958 Madagascar was a French colony. Older flags on the island included the Merina kingdom's white and red flags and a white flag with a red star and crescent used by the Antankarana kingdom.
The 1958 flag has never changed, even though Madagascar has had several governments and constitutions since. The 2010 constitution describes it in Article 4.
Fun facts
- When the flag was adopted in 1958, a speaker summed it up: white is purity, red is sovereignty, and green is hope.
- The flag has stayed exactly the same since 1958.
- The red and the green stripes each fill half of the flag beside the white stripe.
- Some people once complained that red and white were the royal colours of only one old kingdom, the Merina.
Easy to mix up with
Benin
BelarusQuestions
What does the flag of Madagascar look like?
A white vertical stripe at the flagpole, next to a red stripe on top and a green stripe below.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Madagascar mean?
Red: national unity, in the presidency's description; in 1958 it was described as sovereignty; Green: hope; White: freedom, security and cleanliness, in the presidency's description; in 1958 it was described as purity.
When was the flag of Madagascar adopted?
The current flag of Madagascar was adopted on October 21, 1958.
What colours are on the flag of Madagascar?
The flag of Madagascar uses white, red and green.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Madagascar?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Benin. Benin has a green vertical stripe at the pole with yellow on top and red below
Famous landmarks in Madagascar
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)