The national symbol of the country, the flag of Guinea-Bissau, was officially adopted in September 1973, when the colonial rule of Portugal ended and sovereignty was proclaimed.
Description and proportions of the flag of Guinea-Bissau
The Guinea-Bissau flag is a rectangular panel twice the length of its width. According to the law of the country, the flag of Guinea-Bissau can be used for all purposes on land and on water, and can be hoisted by citizens, officials and government agencies. The Guinea-Bissau Army and Navy also uses the national flag as their symbol. It can also be raised on the masts of the country's civilian commercial, military and private vessels.
The rectangular flag panel is divided into three unequal parts. A vertical stripe runs along the pole, separating the red flag field. Its width is equal to a third of the length of the flag, and in the center of the red stripe there is an image of a five-pointed black star. The rest of the Guinea-Bissau flag is divided horizontally into two equal stripes: the top one is yellow and the bottom one is light green.
The red field of the Guinea-Bissau flag reminds of the blood shed by patriots in the struggle for the independence and sovereignty of the country. The yellow stripe symbolizes a rich harvest that the country's farmers strive for and a decent life for every working person. The green part of the Guinea-Bissau flag is its natural resources and hope for a bright future in a prosperous state. The black star is a symbol of the unity of the black population and the African continent as a whole.
The colors of the Guinea-Bissau flag are repeated on its coat of arms, adopted almost simultaneously with the flag.
History of the flag of Guinea-Bissau
At the beginning of the colonial rule of Portugal, the flags of the territory of present-day Guinea-Bissau were the banners of the Guinean Company, brought to Africa in the 15th-16th centuries. They were a green cross made of wide stripes with triangular extended ends on a white background. Having received the status of an overseas province in 1951, Guinea-Bissau raised the Portuguese flag as a state flag.
The basis for the development of the project of Guinea-Bissau's own flag was the banner of the Independence Party, which fought for the country's sovereignty. The traditional Pan-African colors of the flag of this party became the main ones on the flag of Guinea-Bissau, solemnly hoisted on the flagpoles of the free state in 1973.
