Congo

3×5' nylon national flag of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

The Republic of the Congo's flag was set aside for two decades of Marxist rule and brought back with democracy. Its bold diagonal makes it one of the most dynamic of the Pan-African designs.

Design

A yellow band runs diagonally from the lower hoist to the upper fly, dividing a green triangle at the upper hoist from a red triangle at the lower fly.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 18 August 1958, before independence from France in 1960. From 1970 the People's Republic of the Congo flew a red flag with a hammer-and-hoe emblem; the original was restored on 10 June 1991. Green stands for the forests and agriculture, yellow for friendship and the nation's natural wealth, and red for the struggle for independence.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 18 August 1958; restored 10 June 1991
• Official proportions: 2:3
• Colors: green, yellow, red

Vexillographer's Note

Do not confuse this flag with that of its larger neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has a sky-blue field with a red diagonal and a yellow star.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864