Flag of Cameroon

Meaning and history of the flag of Cameroon

Cameroon's flag was adopted on May 20, 1975, and consists of three equal vertical bands of green, red, and yellow from left to right, with a five-pointed yellow star at the center of the red band. The colors are the traditional pan-African ones shared by many flags across the continent, reflecting a common heritage of independence struggles.

Green represents the lush vegetation of the country's south and hope for the future. Red symbolizes unity between north and south as well as national sovereignty. Yellow evokes the sun, the northern savanna, and prosperity. The central star, known as the star of unity, was added in 1975 to replace two stars that had previously appeared on the green stripe representing the country's federated states. The vertical tricolor layout recalls the flag of France, the former colonial power, and it closely resembles the flags of Mali, Guinea, and Senegal, differing mainly through its central star.

You can view the flag of Cameroon in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Cameroon profile, its map, or the current local time in Yaounde.