Flag of Malawi
Malawi's flag has three sideways stripes, black, red and green, with a red rising sun on the top black stripe.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 6, 1964first used at independence in 1964; replaced in 2010 and brought back by parliament on 28 May 2012
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- black
- red
- green
What it means
- Black: the people of Africa
- Red: the blood of those who died for African freedom
- Green: Malawi's ever-green nature
- Rising sun: the dawn of hope and freedom for the whole continent of Africa
Where it came from
The flag was raised on 6 July 1964, when the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent country of Malawi. Its meaning was written into a 1964 law about protected flags and emblems. The rising sun has 31 rays and also appears on Malawi's coat of arms.
History
In 2010 the government of President Bingu wa Mutharika changed the flag. The stripes became red, black and green, and the red rising sun was swapped for a full white sun with 45 rays, meant to show that Malawi had made economic progress. Many people disliked it and called it "Bingu's flag".
In 2012, under President Joyce Banda, parliament voted to go back to the independence flag, and the law was signed on 28 May 2012.
Fun facts
- Malawi's flag was replaced for only about two years before the old one came back.
- The sun is a rising sun: only its top half shows, peeking over the edge of the black stripe.
- The black, red and green colours use the same shades as Kenya's flag.
- The 2010 flag's white sun had 45 rays, 14 more than the red sun's 31.
Easy to mix up with
Kenya: Kenya uses the same three colours but has white lines and a Maasai shield in the middle
South Sudan: South Sudan has black, red and green stripes too, plus a blue triangle with a yellow star
Questions
What does the flag of Malawi look like?
Malawi's flag has three sideways stripes, black, red and green, with a red rising sun on the top black stripe.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Malawi mean?
Black: the people of Africa; Red: the blood of those who died for African freedom; Green: Malawi's ever-green nature; Rising sun: the dawn of hope and freedom for the whole continent of Africa.
When was the flag of Malawi adopted?
The current flag of Malawi was adopted on July 6, 1964. (first used at independence in 1964; replaced in 2010 and brought back by parliament on 28 May 2012)
What colours are on the flag of Malawi?
The flag of Malawi uses black, red and green.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Malawi?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Kenya. Kenya uses the same three colours but has white lines and a Maasai shield in the middle
Famous landmarks in Malawi
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)