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Flag of Madagascar

Africa

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Quick Facts

Capital
Antananarivo
Flag adopted
1958
Population
31,727,042
Area
587,041 km²
Languages
French, Malagasy
Currency
Malagasy ariary (Ar) — MGA
Demonym
Malagasy
Government
semi-presidential republic
Subregion
Eastern Africa
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+03:00
Independence
1960

Religions

  • Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%
  • Roman Catholic 32.3%
  • None 21.9%
  • Protestant 8.1%
  • traditional/Animist 1.7%
  • Muslim 1.4%
  • Other 0.6%

About This Flag

Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom) with a vertical white band on the hoist side occupying one-third of the flag's width. The flag was adopted on October 14, 1958, two years before full independence from France in 1960, when Madagascar became the Malagasy Republic as an autonomous state within the French Community.

The colors reflect both the island's history and its Southeast Asian heritage. The design was created to represent the diverse origins of the Malagasy people.

What the colors & design mean

Red and white were the colors of the Merina Kingdom, the dominant kingdom of Madagascar before French colonization, representing sovereignty and purity. Green was added to represent the coastal peoples who are integral to the nation. Together the colors symbolize the unity of all Malagasy ethnic groups.

red green white

Pattern: Vertical Stripes

Fun Facts

  • Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island and about 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth, making it one of the planet's top biodiversity hotspots.
  • The red and white colors of the flag predate French colonialism, originating from the Merina monarchy that ruled much of Madagascar in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • The Malagasy people are of mixed Austronesian and African descent, with the Malagasy language most closely related to languages spoken in Borneo, over 6,000 kilometers away.
  • Madagascar is the world's leading producer of vanilla, supplying roughly 80% of the global crop.

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