Flags of Africa

Africa is home to 54 nations, each with a flag that reflects its journey from colonialism to independence. Many African flags feature Pan-African colors (red, gold, green) symbolizing unity, wealth, and the continent's lush landscapes. Others incorporate unique symbols representing cultural heritage, natural resources, and national aspirations.

54 Flags 60-90 min

Study the Flags

South Africa

Capital: Pretoria

Horizontal bands of red and blue separated by a green Y-shape bordered in white and gold, with a black triangle at the hoist.

Adopted: 1994

Fun Facts

The flag uses 6 colors - more than almost any other national flag
The Y-shape represents different groups converging and moving forward together
Adopted in 1994 when Nelson Mandela became president, ending apartheid

Nigeria

Capital: Abuja

Three vertical stripes: green, white, green.

Adopted: 1960

Fun Facts

The green stripes represent Nigeria's abundant natural wealth and agriculture
The white stripe represents peace and unity between the diverse ethnic groups
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country with over 220 million people

Kenya

Capital: Nairobi

Three horizontal stripes: black, red, green, separated by thin white bands. A Maasai shield and two spears centered.

Adopted: 1963

Fun Facts

The Maasai shield and spears represent the defense of freedom
Black represents the people, red the blood shed for independence, green the landscape
Kenya's flag is based on the flag of KANU, the independence movement party

Egypt

Capital: Cairo

Three horizontal stripes: red, white, black. The golden Eagle of Saladin centered on the white stripe.

Adopted: 1984

Fun Facts

The Eagle of Saladin on the flag represents power and strength
Red represents the 1952 revolution, white the future, black the end of oppression
Egypt's colors are shared with Iraq, Syria, and Yemen - all pan-Arab colors

Ethiopia

Capital: Addis Ababa

Three horizontal stripes: green, yellow, red. A blue circle with a gold pentagram centered on the flag.

Adopted: 1996

Fun Facts

Ethiopia's green, yellow, and red inspired the Pan-African color scheme used by many nations
Ethiopia was never colonized, making its flag one of Africa's oldest
The blue circle and star were added in 1996 to represent diversity and prosperity

Ghana

Capital: Accra

Three horizontal stripes: red, gold, green. A black five-pointed star centered on the gold stripe.

Adopted: 1957

Fun Facts

Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence (1957)
The black star represents African freedom and is on Ghana's coat of arms
Red represents the blood of independence fighters, gold mineral wealth, green forests

Morocco

Capital: Rabat

Red field with a green five-pointed star (pentagram) outlined in the center.

Adopted: 1915

Fun Facts

The green pentagram (pentacle) is called the Seal of Solomon
Red has been the color of Moroccan rulers (the Alaouite dynasty) since the 17th century
Morocco's flag is one of the few African flags without Pan-African colors

Tanzania

Capital: Dodoma

A black diagonal stripe bordered by yellow running from bottom-left to top-right, with green (upper-left) and blue (lower-right) sections.

Adopted: 1964

Fun Facts

The flag combines elements from the former flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Green represents vegetation, blue the Indian Ocean, black the people, yellow mineral wealth
Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak

Senegal

Capital: Dakar

Three vertical stripes: green, yellow (with a green star), red.

Adopted: 1960

Fun Facts

The green star represents hope and Africa's green landscapes
Senegal's layout resembles Mali's plain vertical stripes plus a green star on the yellow band
Green represents Islam, yellow the wealth of Africa, red the sacrifices for independence

Rwanda

Capital: Kigali

Three horizontal stripes: blue (large), yellow, green. A golden sun with 24 rays in the upper-right corner of the blue stripe.

Adopted: 2001

Fun Facts

Rwanda changed its flag in 2001 to move away from the painful symbolism of the old flag after the 1994 genocide
The sun represents enlightenment and the fight against ignorance
Blue represents happiness, yellow economic development, green hope and prosperity

Algeria

Capital: Algiers

Vertical halves: green at the hoist, white at the fly. A red crescent and star centered on the division.

Adopted: 1962

Fun Facts

Green and white are traditional colors of Islam; the crescent and star are widely used Islamic symbols
The flag was adopted in 1962 when Algeria won independence from France after a long war
Algeria is Africa's largest country by land area

Namibia

Capital: Windhoek

A diagonal red stripe bordered in white separates an upper hoist triangle of blue with a gold sun from a lower fly triangle of green.

Adopted: 1990

Fun Facts

The flag was adopted at independence in 1990, replacing South African-era symbols
The golden sun represents life and energy; red recalls the struggle for freedom
Namibia is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries

Uganda

Capital: Kampala

Six horizontal stripes: black, yellow, red, repeated. A white disc centered with the grey crowned crane standing on one leg.

Adopted: 1962

Fun Facts

The grey crowned crane has been a Ugandan symbol for decades and appears facing the hoist
The black-yellow-red stripes echo traditional colors of African kingdoms in the region
Uganda means “land of the Baganda”—the largest ethnic group in the country

Angola

Capital: Luanda

Horizontal halves: red over black. A yellow emblem centered showing a gear, machete, and star.

Adopted: 1975

Fun Facts

The emblem combines a gear (industry), machete (peasants), and star (progress)
Red remembers colonial oppression; black and yellow recall Africa's richness
Angola became independent from Portugal in 1975

Cameroon

Capital: Yaoundé

Three vertical stripes: green, red, yellow. A yellow five-pointed star centered on the red stripe.

Adopted: 1975

Fun Facts

Green stands for forests, red unity, yellow sun and savannahs
The central star is sometimes called the star of unity
Cameroon's flag dates from unification of French and British Cameroons

Ivory Coast

Capital: Yamoussoukro

Three vertical stripes: orange, white, green.

Adopted: 1959

Fun Facts

Orange represents the northern savannah, green the southern forests, white peace
It resembles Ireland's tricolor but with orange on the hoist instead of green
The country's official French name is Côte d'Ivoire

Mali

Capital: Bamako

Three vertical stripes: green, yellow, red.

Adopted: 1961

Fun Facts

Pan-African vertical stripes echo Guinea's flag but Mali uses green-yellow-red
Senegal's flag adds a green star on the yellow band; Mali's is plain
Mali was home to powerful medieval empires including Mali and Songhai

Tunisia

Capital: Tunis

Red field with a white disk bearing a red crescent and five-pointed star.

Adopted: 1959

Fun Facts

The red and crescent-star recall historical Ottoman-era symbolism
It is one of several flags influenced by Turkey's design tradition
The white disk represents peace as well as contrast with the red field

Libya

Capital: Tripoli

Three horizontal stripes: black, red, green. A white crescent and star centered on the red stripe.

Adopted: 2011

Fun Facts

Black, red, and green reflect the flag of the Kingdom of Libya and pan-Arab themes
This design returned after 2011; it replaced the plain green flag used from 1977 to 2011
The crescent and star are widely used symbols across North Africa

Mozambique

Capital: Maputo

Horizontal stripes green, black, yellow (fimbriated white); red triangle at the hoist with yellow star above crossed hoe and rifle over an open book.

Adopted: 1983

Fun Facts

The open book, hoe, and rifle recall education, farming, and the independence struggle
Green is agriculture, black the continent, yellow minerals, white peace, red revolution
It is one of the few national flags to depict a modern firearm

Botswana

Capital: Gaborone

Light blue field with a black horizontal stripe bordered in white through the center.

Adopted: 1966

Fun Facts

Light blue represents rain and water—precious in this largely arid country
The black and white bands symbolize racial harmony
Botswana has been one of Africa's most stable democracies since independence

Zambia

Capital: Lusaka

Green field with an orange African fish eagle in flight above a vertical block of red, black, and orange stripes at the fly.

Adopted: 1964

Fun Facts

The eagle recalls the fish eagle and the nation's ability to rise above challenges
Green is flora, red the struggle for freedom, black the people, orange mineral wealth
Zambia takes its name from the Zambezi River

Zimbabwe

Capital: Harare

Seven horizontal stripes (green, gold, red, black, red, gold, green); a white triangle at the hoist charged with a red star and the Zimbabwe bird.

Adopted: 1980

Fun Facts

The Zimbabwe bird comes from stone ruins at Great Zimbabwe
Red stars symbolize aspirations of the nation; stripes echo Pan-African colors
The flag was adopted when Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980

Benin

Capital: Porto-Novo

A vertical green band at the hoist beside horizontal yellow over red.

Adopted: 1959

Fun Facts

Green recalls hope for democracy; yellow wealth; red courage of ancestors
The flag echoes pan-African colors used across former French West Africa
Benin sits on the Gulf of Guinea near Nigeria

Burkina Faso

Capital: Ouagadougou

Horizontal halves: red over green. A yellow five-pointed star centered.

Adopted: 1984

Fun Facts

The name means land of upright people in Moore and Dioula
Red and green echo pan-African themes; the star is the guiding light of revolution
Gold mining and agriculture shape much of the economy

Burundi

Capital: Gitega

White saltire dividing green (above and below) and red (sides); white disk at center with three green stars edged red.

Adopted: 1967

Fun Facts

Three stars stand for the three main ethnic groups united in national motto
White diagonal lines suggest peace crossing divisions between fields
Burundi is compact but densely populated around the African Great Lakes

Cabo Verde

Capital: Praia

Blue field with three horizontal stripes (white, red, white) toward the fly and a ring of ten yellow five-pointed stars.

Adopted: 1992

Fun Facts

The ten stars represent the main islands of the volcanic archipelago
Blue is the Atlantic Ocean and sky
Once a Portuguese colony, it became independent in 1975

Central African Republic

Capital: Bangui

Four horizontal stripes (blue, white, green, yellow) split by a vertical red stripe bearing a yellow star.

Adopted: 1958

Fun Facts

Red, white, and blue acknowledge France; green, yellow, and red pan-African ideals
The vertical stripe and star resemble a beacon through the horizontal bands
The country lies near the geographic heart of the continent

Chad

Capital: N'Djamena

Three vertical stripes: blue, yellow, red.

Adopted: 1959

Fun Facts

Its vertical blue-yellow-red layout matches Romania except Chad's blue is darker
Blue is sky and hope; yellow desert; red progress
Lake Chad, though shrinking, historically anchored regional trade

Comoros

Capital: Moroni

Green field with white crescent and four white stars beside four horizontal stripes (yellow, white, red, blue).

Adopted: 2002

Fun Facts

The four stripes recall the nation's islands in the Indian Ocean archipelago
Green is Islam; crescent and stars are prominent Islamic symbols
Comoros lies at the northern entrance to the Mozambique Channel

Republic of the Congo

Capital: Brazzaville

A diagonal yellow band divides green (upper hoist) from red (lower fly).

Adopted: 1991

Fun Facts

Often called Congo-Brazzaville to distinguish it from DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Green is agriculture and forests; yellow friendship and nobility; red independence struggles
The Congo River separates it from Kinshasa across the water

DR Congo

Capital: Kinshasa

Sky-blue field with a yellow star in the upper hoist and a diagonal red stripe with yellow edges.

Adopted: 2006

Fun Facts

Sky blue stands for peace; the yellow star promises a radiant future
The diagonal stripe recalls blood shed for independence, bordered in yellow
DR Congo is among the world's largest countries by area

Djibouti

Capital: Djibouti

Horizontal light blue over green with a white triangle at the hoist bearing a red five-pointed star.

Adopted: 1977

Fun Facts

Light blue is Issas (Somali lineage); green Afars; white peace
The red star stands for unity and independence
Djibouti commands the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb strait

Equatorial Guinea

Capital: Ciudad de la Paz

Horizontal green, white, red with a blue triangle at the hoist charged with the national coat of arms.

Adopted: 1979

Fun Facts

Green is natural resources; white peace; red independence
The silk-cotton tree on the coat of arms recalls the historic treaty tree
Spanish is an official language alongside French and Portuguese

Eritrea

Capital: Asmara

Green (upper hoist triangle), blue (lower triangle), and red (large triangle from hoist); yellow olive branch emblem in red triangle.

Adopted: 1995

Fun Facts

The olive branch with wreath stands for peace earned after the long independence war
Green, red, and blue fields echo liberation-movement colors
Eritrea has an extensive Red Sea coastline

Eswatini

Capital: Mbabane

Horizontal blue-yellow-blue stripes with a central black-and-white Nguni shield and spears.

Adopted: 1968

Fun Facts

Formerly known internationally as Swaziland; renamed Eswatini in 2018
The shield and spears reflect defense of tradition
One of Africa's smallest countries and landlocked inside southern Africa

Gabon

Capital: Libreville

Three horizontal stripes: green, yellow, blue.

Adopted: 1960

Fun Facts

Yellow is the Equator crossing Gabon; green forests; blue Atlantic
Gabon is heavily forested with relatively low population density
Oil and manganese exports dominate foreign earnings

Gambia

Capital: Banjul

Wide red stripe edged in white between narrower blue stripes on a green field.

Adopted: 1965

Fun Facts

The flag mirrors the Gambia River flowing between wooded plains
One of continental Africa's smallest mainland states
Surrounded by Senegal except for a short Atlantic coast

Guinea

Capital: Conakry

Three vertical stripes: red, yellow, green.

Adopted: 1958

Fun Facts

Uses vertical pan-African colors red-yellow-green like Mali but starting with red
Guinea was among the first French colonies in Africa to vote for independence
Rich in bauxite for aluminum production

Guinea-Bissau

Capital: Bissau

Horizontal yellow over green with a vertical red stripe at the hoist bearing a black five-pointed star.

Adopted: 1973

Fun Facts

Black star recalls PAIGC leadership in the independence struggle
Vertical red band recalls sacrifice linked with pan-African red
Portuguese is an official language

Lesotho

Capital: Maseru

White field with horizontal blue and green bands and a black mokorotlo hat centered.

Adopted: 2006

Fun Facts

The mokorotlo hat is a national symbol of Basotho culture
Entirely surrounded by South Africa as a mountain kingdom
White stands for peace; blue rain and sky; green land

Liberia

Capital: Monrovia

Eleven horizontal red and white stripes with a blue canton bearing a single white star.

Adopted: 1847

Fun Facts

Founded by freed African Americans; flag echoes U.S. symbolism with one star
Eleven stripes recall signatories of the Liberian declaration of independence
English is the official language

Madagascar

Capital: Antananarivo

White vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal red over green.

Adopted: 1958

Fun Facts

White and red recall the Merina kingdom; green coastal peoples united in independence
Madagascar's wildlife evolved in isolation with famous lemurs
Fourth-largest island in the world

Malawi

Capital: Lilongwe

Horizontal black, red, green with a red rising sun centered on the black stripe.

Adopted: 2012

Fun Facts

The rising sun represents dawn of freedom for Africa
Black is the people; red blood of martyrs; green nature
Lake Malawi runs much of the country's eastern border

Mauritania

Capital: Nouakchott

Green field with gold crescent and star between narrow red stripes top and bottom.

Adopted: 2017

Fun Facts

Red stripes added in 2017 to honor defenders of territory and sacrifice
Green and gold crescent-star emphasize Islamic heritage
Much of Mauritania lies in the Sahara

Mauritius

Capital: Port Louis

Four horizontal stripes: red, blue, yellow, green.

Adopted: 1968

Fun Facts

Red independence; blue Indian Ocean; yellow sunlight; green agriculture
The only habitat of the extinct dodo before European arrival
A volcanic island nation east of Madagascar

Niger

Capital: Niamey

Horizontal orange over white over green with an orange disk slightly toward the hoist.

Adopted: 1959

Fun Facts

Orange recalls savannah; white purity; green hope and fertile south
The orange circle stands for unity or sun depending on tradition
Named after the Niger River arch through West Africa

São Tomé and Príncipe

Capital: São Tomé

Horizontal green, yellow, green with a black-red triangle at the hoist bearing two black stars.

Adopted: 1975

Fun Facts

Two stars represent São Tomé and Príncipe islands
Green is vegetation; yellow cocoa and other crops; red independence struggle
Portuguese-speaking island nation on the Equator

Seychelles

Capital: Victoria

Five oblique bands radiating from the lower hoist: blue, yellow, red, white, green.

Adopted: 1996

Fun Facts

Expanding colored bands symbolize a dynamic nation growing toward future
The Indian Ocean archipelago is famed for beaches and biodiversity
Creole, English, and French are widely used

Sierra Leone

Capital: Freetown

Three horizontal stripes: green, white, blue.

Adopted: 1961

Fun Facts

Green natural resources; white unity and justice; blue harbor and Atlantic
Freetown was founded for freed slaves from Britain and North America
Known historically for diamonds and minerals

Somalia

Capital: Mogadishu

Light blue field with a large white five-pointed star centered.

Adopted: 1954

Fun Facts

Light blue recalls the UN flag under which independence was approached
The star symbolizes unity of the Somali nation in the Horn
Longest coastline on mainland Africa

South Sudan

Capital: Juba

Horizontal black, red, green with blue triangle at hoist bearing yellow star and white stripes edging the triangle.

Adopted: 2011

Fun Facts

Africa's newest widely recognized sovereign state (2011)
Black people; red blood; green land; blue Nile; star guiding unity
Gained independence from Sudan after decades of conflict

Sudan

Capital: Khartoum

Horizontal red, white, black with a green triangle at the hoist.

Adopted: 1970

Fun Facts

Red white black echo pan-Arab colors; green triangle recalls Islam and prosperity
The Nile rivers meet at Khartoum
Prior to South Sudan's secession, Sudan was Africa's largest country

Togo

Capital: Lomé

Five horizontal stripes alternating green and yellow with red canton bearing white star.

Adopted: 1960

Fun Facts

Five stripes represent Togo's regions (traditionally)
Green and yellow recall agriculture; red canton sacrifice for independence
Narrow Gulf of Guinea country east of Ghana

Test Your Knowledge

African flags are vibrant and diverse. How many can you identify?

About African Flags

African flags tell the story of a continent's journey from colonialism to self-determination. Most African nations gained independence in the 1960s, and their flags often incorporate Pan-African colors: green (representing the land), gold/yellow (mineral wealth and sunshine), and red (the blood of independence struggles). These colors were inspired by Ethiopia's ancient flag - as one of only two African nations never colonized, Ethiopia became a symbol of African independence. Some countries like South Africa and Rwanda adopted new flags after national tragedies to symbolize fresh starts and unity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Pan-African colors and why are they so common?

The Pan-African colors are red, gold/yellow, and green. They were inspired by Ethiopia's flag (one of Africa's oldest independent nations) and represent unity, wealth, and the land. The colors were adopted by Marcus Garvey's movement and then by many newly independent African nations in the 1950s-60s.

How many countries are in Africa?

There are 54 recognized sovereign countries in Africa, making it the continent with the most countries. The newest is South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011.

Which African country has the most colorful flag?

South Africa's flag uses 6 colors (black, yellow, green, white, red, blue) - one of the most colorful national flags in the world. It was designed in 1994 to represent the new unified nation after the end of apartheid.