The national flag of the Republic of Mauritius first took its place on official flagpoles in March 1968, when the country became part of the British Commonwealth as an independent state.
Description and proportions of the flag of Mauritius
The flag of Mauritius has a classic rectangular shape. Its length and width are related to each other in a 3: 2 ratio. It is allowed to be used for all purposes both on land and by citizens, and ground forces, and public organizations.
The flag of Mauritius is divided horizontally into four fields of equal width. The top-most stripe of the flag is bright pink, followed by dark blue and yellow. The bottom margin of the Mauritius flag is light green. The red color on the flag of Mauritius symbolizes the independence of the country, and yellow is the bright future, towards which the people inhabiting the island in the Indian Ocean aspire. The blue stripe on the cloth reminds of its important role. The green part of the flag is the rich vegetation of Mauritius, its forests and fields.
For use on ships, the state has developed its own flags. The merchant fleet has red panels. In the canopy in the left corner, at the pole, they bear the image of the national flag of Mauritius, and on the right side - the coat of arms of the country inscribed in a white circle. Government ships use an identical flag, differing only in the blue color of the general background.
History of the flag of Mauritius
During the period of British colonial rule on the island of Mauritius, the country raised the flag, which was typical of all overseas possessions of the English throne. Since 1906, it had a dark blue color, in the upper left quarter of it was the flag of Great Britain, and on the right was the coat of arms: first - Her Majesty, and later, since 1923 - colonial possession.
In 1967, the draft of the Mauritius flag was presented for the first time. It was developed by members of the Heraldic Guild of Britain. The colors of the coat of arms of Mauritius, which existed since 1906 and were adopted by King Edward VII of England, were taken as a basis.
The heraldic shield of the coat of arms of Mauritius is supported on both sides by a deer and a dodo bird. The shield is divided into four blue and yellow fields, each of which contains symbols important to Mauritius. The sailboat symbolizes the arrival of Europeans on the island, palm trees remind of the country's position on the geographical map. The Star and Key is a graphic representation of the motto of the islanders, who regard their state as the star and key of the Indian Ocean. On the sides of the shield are sugar cane shoots, one of the main export products of Mauritius.
