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Flag of Republic of the Congo

Africa

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Quick Facts

Capital
Brazzaville
Flag adopted
1959
Population
6,142,180
Area
342,000 km²
Languages
French, Kikongo, Lingala
Currency
Central African CFA franc (Fr) — XAF
Demonym
Congolese
Government
presidential republic
Subregion
Middle Africa
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+01:00
Independence
1960

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 33.1%
  • Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%
  • Protestant 19.9%
  • None 11.3%
  • Other 8.1%
  • Salutiste 2.2%
  • Muslim 1.6%
  • Kimbanguist 1.5%

About This Flag

A diagonal tricolor divided from the lower-left hoist corner to the upper-right fly corner, with green in the upper-left triangle, yellow along the diagonal band, and red in the lower-right triangle. The green represents agriculture, forests, and the hope of the Congolese people.

The yellow diagonal band symbolizes the friendship and nobility of the people as well as the country's natural wealth. The red stands for the struggle for independence and the determination of the people.

Originally adopted on September 15, 1959, the flag was replaced by a solid red flag with socialist emblems during the Marxist period (1970-1991) and was restored on June 10, 1991, when the country returned to multiparty democracy.

What the colors & design mean

Green represents agriculture, the vast forests of the Congo Basin, and hope. Yellow symbolizes friendship, the nobility of the people, and the nation's wealth. Red commemorates the struggle and sacrifices made in the fight for independence from France.

green yellow red

Pattern: Diagonal Design

Bordering countries (5)

🇦🇴 Angola 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 🇬🇦 Gabon

Fun Facts

  • The Republic of the Congo is one of a small number of nations to have abandoned its flag during a Marxist period and later restored the original design when the political system changed.
  • The diagonal stripe design is uncommon among world flags and makes the Republic of the Congo's flag instantly distinguishable from its much larger neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Brazzaville and Kinshasa, capitals of the two Congos, face each other across the Congo River and together form the closest pair of national capitals anywhere in the world.
  • The Republic of the Congo's pan-African colors are arranged diagonally rather than in stripes, giving it a unique identity among African flags.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇨🇬 Namibia 🇨🇬 Seychelles 🇨🇬 Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇨🇬 Guyana 🇨🇬 Burundi

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