Flag of Guinea-Bissau
Encyclopedia
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
of Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
was adopted in 1973 when independence from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
was proclaimed.
History
Like the former flag of Cape Verde, the flag is based on that of the Partido Africano para a Independencia da Guine e Cabo Verde (PAIGC), still the dominant party in Guinea-Bissau. The party flag was derived from that of Ghana, which first used the Pan-African combination of red, yellow, green, and black in 1957. In the Ghanaian view, the black star stands for the unity of Africa. Red stands for the blood shed during the struggle for independence, yellow stands for the sun, and green represents hope. The flag features the traditional Pan-African colors of gold, green, red, and also the Black Star of Africa. The flag's design is heavily influenced by the flag of GhanaFlag of Ghana
The flag of Ghana was designed to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957. It was flown until 1959, and then reinstated in 1966. It consists of the Pan-African colours of red, yellow, and green, in horizontal stripes, with a black five-pointed star in the...
. The colors have the same meanings: specifically, the red is for the blood of martyrs, green for forests, and gold for mineral wealth.