Introduction
The national flag of Cameroon is a distinctive vertical tricolor featuring three equal vertical bands of green, red, and yellow. At the center of the flag, superimposed on the red band, is a five-pointed yellow star. This design is a direct and symbolic representation of the nation's political philosophy and geographical identity.
The flag's pan-African colors are a common feature among many African nations, symbolizing a shared heritage and post-colonial solidarity. The specific arrangement of green-red-yellow is unique to Cameroon and serves as its primary visual identifier on the world stage.
Its clean, bold design ensures high visibility and easy recognition, making it a straightforward emblem for national representation. The central star is the flag's focal point, adding a layer of symbolic meaning to the otherwise simple tricolor pattern.
Meaning & Symbolism
The colors of the Cameroonian flag carry deep symbolic significance tied to the nation's landscape and aspirations. The green band represents the lush southern forests and the hope for a prosperous future. The central red band symbolizes unity between the northern and southern regions of the country and serves as a reminder of the blood shed for independence.
The yellow band signifies the sun as a source of happiness, as well as the savannas in the northern part of Cameroon. The yellow star placed on the red band is known as the 'star of unity', representing the unity of the state and its people.
History of the Cameroon Flag
The current flag was officially adopted on May 20, 1975, following the transformation of the country from a federal republic to a unitary state. This change replaced a previous flag used from 1961 to 1975, which featured two stars representing the federal states of East Cameroon (formerly French Cameroon) and West Cameroon (formerly British Southern Cameroons).
The original tricolor design, without a star, was first adopted upon independence from France on January 1, 1960. The single star was introduced in 1961 after the union with the southern part of British Cameroons, and its final, centered position was established in the 1975 redesign to emphasize national unity.
Curiosities
- The Cameroonian flag is one of only two national flags (along with Senegal) to feature the specific color sequence of green, yellow, and red with a central star.
- The flag's design inspired the creation of the flag for the African Union, which also uses the pan-African colors and a circle of stars.
- The shade of red used in the flag is officially described as 'red', and the green is a vivid, deep green, though specific Pantone or RGB codes can vary slightly in different official publications.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Cameroon in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Construction Sheet
The flag has a standard proportion of 2:3 (width to length). The three vertical stripes—green, red, and yellow—are of equal width, each occupying one-third of the flag's width. The five-pointed yellow star is centered precisely on the middle red band, with its size typically defined so that a circle circumscribing the star has a diameter equal to one-third of the flag's height.
Flags Similar to Cameroon Flag
Senegal
green/yellow/red with star), Ethiopia (green/yellow/red), Ghana (red/yellow/green with star
Mali
Equatorial Guinea
Common Misidentifications
Often confused with the flag of Senegal, which has the same vertical green, yellow, and red stripes but features a green star in the center yellow band.