Flag of Sao Tome and Principe

Meaning and history of the flag of Sao Tome and Principe

The flag of Sao Tome and Principe has three horizontal stripes: green on top, a wider yellow band in the middle, and green on the bottom. A red triangle sits at the hoist, and two black five-pointed stars appear on the yellow stripe, representing the archipelago's two main islands, Sao Tome and Principe.

Adopted on July 12, 1975, the day of independence from Portugal, the flag uses the pan-African colors as a symbol of solidarity with the African continent. Green represents the islands' lush tropical vegetation, yellow symbolizes cacao, the country's chief export and a historic source of wealth, and the red of the triangle embodies the blood shed in the struggle for independence. The two black stars can also be read as a symbol of the African peoples. The design draws on the flag of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe, the party that led the country to independence.

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