The flag of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...

was adopted on August 21, 1979.

Features and symbolism

The flag is a horizontal tricolor, with green

Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...

, white

White

White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...

 and red

Red

Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...

 stripes and a blue

Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...

 triangle at the hoist

Flag terminology

Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...

.

• Green symbolizes the natural resources and jungles of the country.
• Blue symbolizes the sea, which connects the main country with the islands.
• White symbolizes peace.
• Red symbolizes the fight for independence
  Independence
  Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
  
  .

History

The flag was first flown on the day of independence, October 12, 1968, and it showed the national emblem in the center. However, in 1972, during the regime of Francisco Nguema, a different national emblem appeared on the flag. The original coat of arms

Coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea

The national coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea was adopted on the 21st of August in 1979.This coat of arms shows a grey shield, which contains a tree. This tree is a silk cotton tree, or so-called "God tree". This is where the first treaty was signed between Spain and the local ruler. Over the...

 was restored after Nguema was deposed in August 1979. The arms consists of a silver shield with a silk-cotton tree

Bombax

Bombax is a genus of mainly tropical trees in the mallow family. They are native to western Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, as well as sub-tropical regions of East Asia and northern Australia. Common names for the genus include Silk Cotton Tree, Simal, Red Cotton Tree, Kapok and...

, which was derived from the arms of Rio Muni. Above the shield is an arc of 6 six-pointed yellow stars, that represent Rio Muni and the offshore islands. Beneath the shield is a silver scroll with the national motto, Unidad, Paz, Justicia ("Unity, Peace, Justice").

External links