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Flag of Mauritania

Africa

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Quick Facts

Capital
Nouakchott
Flag adopted
2017
Population
4,927,532
Area
1,030,700 km²
Languages
Arabic
Currency
Mauritanian ouguiya (UM) — MRU
Demonym
Mauritanian
Government
presidential republic
Subregion
Western Africa
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC
Independence
1960

Religions

  • Muslim 100%

About This Flag

A green field featuring a gold crescent and star in the center, with red horizontal stripes at the top and bottom edges. The crescent opens upward, and the five-pointed star sits between its horns.

The original flag, adopted on April 1, 1959, consisted of only the green field with the gold crescent and star. The red stripes were added by a 2017 constitutional referendum, approved by voters, to honor the blood shed by defenders of the nation.

Green represents Islam and prosperity, while gold symbolizes the sands of the Sahara Desert.

What the colors & design mean

Green symbolizes Islam and a prosperous future, while the gold crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam. The gold also evokes the Sahara Desert's sands. The red stripes, added in 2017, honor the blood shed by those who defended the nation against colonialism.

green yellow red

Pattern: Solid Field

Bordering countries (3)

🇩🇿 Algeria 🇲🇱 Mali 🇸🇳 Senegal

Fun Facts

  • The Richat Structure, or 'Eye of the Sahara,' is a massive 40-kilometer-wide geological formation in Mauritania visible from space.
  • The 2017 flag redesign was part of a constitutional referendum that also dissolved the Senate; it passed with roughly 85% of the vote.
  • Nouakchott, the capital, is one of the largest cities in the Sahara and was a tiny fishing village of a few hundred people before being chosen as the capital in 1958.
  • Mauritania bridges the Arab and sub-Saharan African worlds, with both Arabic and several African languages widely spoken.

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