Flag of Namibia
The flag of Namibia was adopted on 21 March 1990 upon independence from South Africa.
Use | National flag and ensign |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 21 March 1990 |
Design | A white-edged red diagonal band radiating from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue, charged with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green. |
Designed by | Theo Jankowski Don Stevenson Ortrud Clay |
Variant flag of Republic of Namibia | |
Use | Naval ensign |
Design | A white field with the national flag in the canton. |
Design
The National Symbols Sub-Committee received 870 entries for the national flag. Six designs were short-listed; this was reduced to three, those of three Namibians – Theo Jankowski of Rehoboth, Don Stevenson of Windhoek and Ortrud Clay of Lüderitz. These three designs were combined to form the Namibia national flag, adopted unanimously on 2 February 1990 by the Constituent Assembly. The three designers were publicly acknowledged by judge Hans Berker, the chairman of the subcommittee, at the unveiling ceremony on 9 March 1990.[1]
However, two other claims were made – South African Frederick Brownell claimed that he had designed the flag in his role as South African State Herald.[2] The other claimant was Briton Roy Allen, who claimed that the flag design was the result of a competition run by Hannes Smith of the Windhoek Observer, and that he had won.[3]
The colours of the Namibian flag are described in the Government Gazette.[4] This document also details construction of the Presidential flag. The tone or specific shade for white has not been specified.
Color model | Blue | Yellow (gold) | Green | Red |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pantone | 294 C | 116 C | 347 C | 186 C |
Coates SP | 5 809 | 1 802 | 65 | 35 |
RGB[5] | 0, 47, 108 (#002F6C) | 255, 205, 0 (#FFCD00) | 0, 154, 68 (#009A44) | 200, 16, 46 (#C8102E) |
Symbolism
The chairman explained the symbolism of the flag's colours as follows:[2]
- Red – represents Namibia's most important resource, its people. It refers to their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all.
- White – represents peace and unity.
- Green – symbolises vegetation and agricultural resources.
- Blue – represents the clear Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain.
- Golden-yellow sun – life and energy
Description
The flag has a white-edged red diagonal band radiating diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green.
In Blazon: Tierced per bend sinister Azure, and Vert, a bend sinister Gules fimbriated Argent and in dexter chief a Sun with twelve straight rays Or charged with an annulet Azure.
Other flags
- Presidential Standard
- Police Flag
Historical flags
- Flag of German South-West Africa from 24 April 1884 to 9 July 1915.
- Proposed flag of German South-West Africa in 1914, but it was never implemented.
- Flag of South West Africa between 1915 and 28 June 1919.
- Merchant flag of South-West Africa from 1915 to 1928.
- Flag of South West Africa from 1960 to 21 March 1990 under Trusteeships with South Africa.
References
- Kangootui, Herman; Amagola, Elizabeth (14 June 2018). "The Namibian flag: Its origins and spirit that inspire the nation". New Era.
- (reported by) FG Brownell (December 1990), Coats of Arms and Flags in Namibia (A series of 8 articles.)
- Schütz, Helge (23 October 2015). "Allen from Plymouth ... The man who designed the Namibian flag". The Namibian.
- "Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia, No. 6807" (PDF). Government of the Republic of Namibia.
- Find a PANTONE color. Pantone LLC. Pantone Color Picker [Retrieved 10 January 2020].