Flag of Tanzania

Meaning and history of the flag of Tanzania

Tanzania's flag was adopted on June 30, 1964, following the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. It features a distinctive diagonal design: a black stripe edged in yellow runs from the lower hoist corner to the upper fly corner, dividing the flag into two triangles—green in the upper hoist and blue in the lower fly.

Green represents the country's natural wealth and vegetation, including the slopes of Kilimanjaro and its vast national parks. Blue symbolizes the Indian Ocean along its coast and its many lakes, among them Lake Victoria, the largest in Africa. The central black stripe represents the Tanzanian people, while the thin yellow bands bordering it symbolize the country's mineral wealth, including its deposits of tanzanite, a gemstone found nowhere else on Earth.

The flag's design cleverly combines the flags of the two territories that merged to form the country: Tanganyika's green and black with Zanzibar's blue and black, joined by golden yellow. Its diagonal layout sets it apart from most African flags, which typically use horizontal or vertical stripes, giving it a dynamic, instantly recognizable character.

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