Flag of Namibia
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| Use | National flag and ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 21 March 1990 |
| Design | A white-edged red diagonal band divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green. |
The flag of Namibia was adopted on March 21, 1990 upon independence from South Africa.
The main colours were taken from the flag of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), the most important liberation movement in Namibia. That flag was adopted in 1971 and comprises diagonal stripes of blue-red-green, the most important colours of the Ovambos, the largest ethnic group in the country. The flag also represents the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, another Namibian political party. The gold 12 pointed sun, which is similar to the national emblem of the Republic of China, represents life and energy.
The chairman of the subcommittee that chose the flag—after a competition for which 850 designs were submitted—has also explained the symbolism of the flag's colours:
- Red - represents Namibia's most important resource, its people. It refers to their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all.
- White - refers to peace and unity.
- Green - symbolises vegetation and agricultural resources.
- Blue - represents the clear Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain.[1]
Red, white, and blue were the colours of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, and blue, red, and green, the colours of SWAPO.
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Description
A Flag is a white-edged red diagonal band divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green. In Blazon: Tierced per bend sinister Azure, and Vert, a bend sinister Gules fimbriated Argent and in dexter chief a Sun with twelve straight rays Or charged with an annulet Azure.
Historical flags
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Flag of German South-West Africa from April 24, 1884 to July 9, 1915.
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Merchant flag of South-West Africa from 1915 to 1928.
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Flag of South West Africa from 1960 to March 21, 1990 under Trusteeships with South Africa.
References
- ↑ (reported by) FG Brownell (December 1990), Coats of Arms and Flags in Namibia (A series of 8 articles.)
External links
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