Flag of Equatorial Guinea

Meaning and history of the flag of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea's flag was adopted on October 12, 1968, the day the country gained independence from Spain. It features three horizontal stripes of green, white, and red, with a blue triangle at the hoist. The national coat of arms sits at the center of the white stripe. The design combines pan-African colors with the blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

Green represents the country's rich tropical vegetation and natural resources, white symbolizes peace, red commemorates the blood shed in the fight for independence, and the blue triangle represents the sea linking the mainland region of Río Muni with the islands of Bioko and Annobón. The coat of arms depicts a silk-cotton tree, the sacred tree under which the first treaty with Spain was signed, along with six stars representing the country's territorial divisions.

Equatorial Guinea is the only country in Africa where Spanish is the majority official language, a fact echoed in the coat of arms' motto, Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Unity, Peace, Justice). The flag was altered during the dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema (1972-1979), when the coat of arms was changed, but it was restored to its original design after his overthrow. It ranks among Africa's most colorful flags, with five distinct colors in its composition.

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