Rwanda

3×5' nylon national flag of Rwanda.

Rwanda changed its flag in 2001 to mark a new beginning after the genocide of 1994. The new design was meant to belong to all Rwandans and to look toward peace, development and unity.

Design

Three horizontal bands of sky blue, yellow and green, the blue band twice the height of the others. A golden sun with 24 rays sits in the upper fly.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 25 October 2001 and designed by Alphonse Kirimobenecyo. It replaced a red, yellow and green tricolor that many associated with the violence of the 1990s. Blue stands for happiness and peace, yellow for economic development, green for prosperity, and the sun for enlightenment.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 25 October 2001
• Official proportions: 2:3
• Colors: sky blue, yellow, green, gold
• Emblem: sun with 24 rays

Vexillographer's Note

Rwanda's flag is a deliberate example of a nation using design to reset its identity. The sun sits in the upper fly, not the hoist.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864