The national flag of the Rwandan Republic was designed by the artist Alphonse Kirimobenechio and officially approved by the country's authorities in October 2001.
Description and proportions of the flag of Rwanda
The modern state flag of Rwanda has a classic rectangular shape, and its length and width are related to each other in a 3: 2 ratio. The flag can be used for any purpose on land. State bodies, officials and citizens of the country have the right to raise it. This flag is also used by the Rwandan Armed Forces.
The Rwandan flag is divided horizontally into three unequal parts. The top stripe takes up half of the Rwandan flag and is bright blue. The lower half is composed of two horizontal stripes of equal width: the lower half is dark green and the middle one on the flag is yellow. On the blue field at the top of the free edge, there is an image of the sun.
The blue stripe on the Rwandan flag symbolizes the peaceful hopes of Rwandans for a happy life. Its green field is a dream of the country's prosperity, and its yellow field is economic development based, among other things, on the development of the richest natural resources. The sun on the flag of Rwanda is a symbol of light and warmth, a guiding star to a better future.
The colors of the flag are also present on the coat of arms of Rwanda. His project was proposed in 2001. The emblem is a blue and blue wheel with teeth, symbolizing free labor for the good of the state. It is surrounded by branches of the coffee tree and sorghum, Rwanda's main agricultural exports.
The text of the motto, inscribed on a yellow ribbon at the bottom of the Rwandan coat of arms, demonstrates the intentions of the people of the country - unity, work and patriotism. The coat of arms and flag were redesigned to avoid reminders of the brutal genocide of the Rwandan people, which claimed the lives of nearly a million people.
History of the flag of Rwanda
The former flag of the country had different colors and stripes. From 1959 to 1961, the flag was divided vertically into three equal parts. A bright red field ran along the shaft, then yellow, and the free edge was light green. Then the order of the stripes of the Rwandan flag was changed, and the color of the field at the pole turned green, and the free edge was painted red.
In 1962, the appearance of the cloth became the same, and the letter R appeared in the center of the yellow field, which made it possible to distinguish the flag of Rwanda from the similar symbol of Guinea.
