Introduction
The national flag of Mauritius is a distinctive four-color horizontal triband, officially known as the Four Bands. It features four equal-width stripes of red, blue, yellow, and green from top to bottom. This design is notable for its vibrant and balanced use of multiple colors, making it one of the few national flags in the world to employ four distinct horizontal bands without any additional emblems or symbols.
The flag's clean, linear design ensures high visibility and easy recognition. Its adoption marked a significant moment in the nation's history, symbolizing a new chapter following independence. The specific shades of the colors are precisely defined in the national constitution, ensuring consistency in its representation.
Meaning & Symbolism
Each color on the Mauritian flag carries a specific symbolic meaning as defined in the national constitution. The red band represents the struggle for freedom and independence. The blue band symbolizes the Indian Ocean, which surrounds the island nation.
The yellow band stands for the new light of independence and the bright future of the country. Finally, the green band represents the lush vegetation of Mauritius and its agriculture, which are central to the nation's landscape and economy. Together, these colors form a cohesive narrative of the nation's past, present, and future aspirations.
History of the Mauritius Flag
The flag was officially adopted on March 12, 1968, the day Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom. It replaced the British Blue Ensign, which featured the colonial coat of arms. The design was the winning entry in a national competition held prior to independence.
The creation of the flag is credited to Gurudutt Moher, a primary school teacher, whose design was selected for its powerful symbolism and simple, elegant composition. This event marked a definitive break from colonial symbolism and the establishment of a unique national identity.
Curiosities
- Mauritius is one of only two sovereign nations with a flag featuring four simple horizontal stripes of equal width, the other being Central African Republic (though its stripes are not all equal and it features a central emblem).
- The flag's colors are precisely defined in the national constitution, with the red specified as Pantone 185C, blue as Process Cyan C, yellow as 116C, and green as 356C.
- A common mnemonic used locally to remember the color order is 'Red-Black-Yellow-Green', where 'Black' is used colloquially to refer to the dark blue stripe.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Mauritius 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 proportion of 2:3 (width to length). It is divided into four equal horizontal bands, each taking up one-quarter of the flag's height. The order of the colors is strictly defined as red (top), blue, yellow, and green (bottom). No other symbols, fimbriations, or emblems are present on the standard national flag.
Flags Similar to Mauritius Flag
Central African Republic
also four horizontal stripes, but with a vertical red stripe and a yellow star
Chad
vertical blue-yellow-red tricolor
Andorra
vertical blue-yellow-red tricolor with coat of arms
Romania
vertical blue-yellow-red tricolor
Common Misidentifications
Often confused from a distance with the flags of Chad, Romania, or Andorra due to the shared use of blue, yellow, and red, though the Mauritian flag is horizontal and has four stripes including green.