Flag of the Republic of the Congo

Meaning and history of the flag of the Republic of the Congo

The flag of the Republic of the Congo has a distinctive diagonal design: a green diagonal band in the upper hoist area, a yellow diagonal band running through the center, and a red diagonal band in the lower fly. The bands run from the bottom corner at the hoist to the top corner at the opposite side, making it one of the few national flags built around diagonal stripes.

It was adopted on August 15, 1959, a year before independence from France, and restored in 1991 after a period from 1970 to 1991 when it had been replaced by a socialist-inspired flag. The colors are the pan-African ones: green stands for the country's agriculture and forests, yellow represents the friendship and nobility of the people, and red embodies the struggle for independence. The diagonal layout gives the flag a distinct character that sets it apart from other African flags that use the same pan-African colors but arrange them in horizontal or vertical stripes.

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