Guinea-Bissau

3×5' nylon national flag of Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau declared its independence from Portugal in 1973, a year before Portugal recognized it, and raised the flag of the liberation movement led by Amílcar Cabral.

Design

A vertical red band at the hoist bearing a black five-pointed star, with two equal horizontal bands of yellow over green filling the fly.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 24 September 1973, based on the banner of the PAIGC, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde. Red stands for the blood shed in the struggle for independence, yellow for the sun and the country's wealth, and green for hope and its forests. The black star stands for Africa and for the unity of its peoples.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 24 September 1973
• Official proportions: 1:2
• Colors: red, yellow, green, black
• Emblem: black five-pointed star

Vexillographer's Note

Cabo Verde flew a close variant of this flag until 1992, a reminder that the two countries once planned to unite under the PAIGC.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864