Flag of the Central African Republic

Meaning and history of the flag of the Central African Republic

The flag of the Central African Republic is a distinctive design combining four horizontal stripes with a vertical red band running through the center and a yellow star in the upper left corner. From top to bottom the horizontal stripes are blue, white, green, and yellow, all crossed at the center by the vertical red stripe. The five-pointed yellow star sits on the blue stripe near the hoist.

It was designed by Barthélemy Boganda, the country's first president, and adopted on December 1, 1958. Boganda conceived the flag as a symbol of union between Africa and France: the blue and white come from the French flag, while the green and yellow are pan-African colors. The vertical red stripe binding all the horizontal bands together represents the blood shared by all peoples, regardless of origin. The yellow star symbolizes independence and guidance toward progress. It is one of Africa's most intricate flags and one of the few to explicitly blend both European and African elements in a single design.

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