Flag of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Africa
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Flag adopted
- 2006
- Population
- 112,832,000
- Area
- 2,344,858 km²
- Languages
- French, Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba, Swahili
- Currency
- Congolese franc (FC) — CDF
- Demonym
- Congolese
- Government
- semi-presidential republic
- Subregion
- Middle Africa
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+01:00, UTC+02:00
- Independence
- 1960
Religions
- Christian 93.1%
- Kimbanguist 2.8%
- Muslim 1.3%
- None 1.3%
- Other 1.2%
- Unspecified 0.2%
About This Flag
A sky blue field with a diagonal red stripe bordered by thin yellow stripes running from the lower-left corner to the upper-right corner. A yellow five-pointed star sits in the upper-left corner.
The sky blue represents peace and the hope for a stable future. The red diagonal stripe honors the blood of the country's martyrs who died fighting for independence.
The yellow borders symbolize the country's vast mineral wealth, including gold, diamonds, and cobalt. The star represents the unified radiant future of the nation.
Adopted on February 20, 2006, this flag restored a design similar to the one used from 1963 to 1971, before the Mobutu era renamed the country Zaire and introduced a different flag.
What the colors & design mean
Sky blue stands for peace and the hope for national unity. The red diagonal stripe represents the blood of the nation's martyrs. Yellow borders symbolize the immense mineral wealth of the country. The single star in the upper left signifies the radiant, unified future.
Pattern: Diagonal Design
Bordering countries (9)
Fun Facts
- The DRC has had six different flags since independence in 1960, more than almost any other African nation, each reflecting dramatic shifts in political power and national identity.
- Under Mobutu Sese Seko, the country was called Zaire (1971-1997) and flew a green flag with a yellow circle and an arm holding a flaming torch.
- The DRC contains roughly 70% of the world's known coltan reserves, a mineral essential for smartphones and electronics.
- At 2.34 million square kilometers, the DRC is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa and the 11th largest in the world.
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These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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