The official adoption as the state symbol of the flag of the Republic of Cameroon took place in May 1975.
Description and proportions of the flag of Cameroon
The rectangular flag of Cameroon has a length to width ratio of 3: 2. The flag field itself is vertically divided into three equal parts. The stripe closest to the shaft is tinted dark green. The middle of the flag is bright red and the free edge is gold. In the center of the flag of Cameroon, at an equal distance from its edges and from the borders of the red field, there is a five-rayed yellow star.
As a former metropolis of France, Cameroon used a vertical stripe pattern on the flag. The colors of the Cameroon flag are traditional for this African region.
The green field of the Cameroon flag symbolizes the rich flora of the country and its forests. The yellow part of the flag is the savannah located in the north of the country, and the hot sun, warming the inhabitants of Cameroon. The red stripe on the flag symbolizes the unity of the southern and northern regions and emphasizes the independence of the state in the international arena.
History of the flag of Cameroon
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Cameroon was under the protectorate of Germany, and the design of its flag was a panel with three horizontal stripes of equal width. The top margin of the alleged Cameroon flag was black, the middle margin was white, and the bottom margin was red. In the center of the draft flag of Cameroon was placed a coat of arms in the form of a red shield with an elephant head depicted on it. The outbreak of war did not allow Germany to fully implement its colonial claims, and two years later Cameroon was occupied by the French.
In 1948, the heroic Union of the Peoples of Cameroon began a bloody liberation struggle for independence. From that moment until 1955, a bright red cloth served as the flag of the rebels. It was decorated with an image of a black crab. Then the country was named the Republic of Cameroon and, under the rule of France, adopted a rectangular flag as a flag, divided vertically into green, red and yellow fields of equal width.
In 1960, the country gained state independence, and Eastern and Western Cameroon became part of the Federal Republic of Cameroon. On the flag, on a green field, two five-pointed golden stars appeared, symbolizing the union of two equal members of the federation.
The new constitution of 1972 abolished the federal structure, and a single gold star remained on the flag of Cameroon, symbolizing the unity of the republic.
