The

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

( mg, sainan'i Madagasikara; french: drapeau de Madagascar) was adopted on 14 October 1958, two years before the independence as they prepared for a referendum on its status in the

French Community The French Community (1958–1960; french: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which ...

. The colors of the flag represent Madagascar's history and traditional peasant classes.

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

and

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

were the colors of the

Merina kingdom The Merina Kingdom, or Kingdom of Madagascar, officially the Kingdom of Imerina (–1897), was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 19th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from ...

, which was conquered by

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in 1896. They were used in the flag of the last Merina monarch, Queen

Ranavalona III Ranavalona III (; 22 November 1861 – 23 May 1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the go ...

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

was the color of the Hova, the largest class of peasant commoners, who played a significant role in anti-French agitation and the independence movement.

Current flags

Ethnic

File:Flag of the Merina people.svg, 2:3 Flag of the

Merina people The Merina people (also known as the Imerina, Antimerina, or Hova) are the largest ethnic group in Madagascar.Merina ...

(since 1997)Merina local flag (Madagascar)
Flags of the World (2015-05-20). Retrieved on 2017-10-17.

Military

File:Flag of the Chief of Army Staff of Madagascar (Brigade General).svg, 2:3 Flag of the Chief of Army Staff in the rank of Brigade General File:Flag of the Chief of Army Staff of Madagascar (Divisional General).svg, 2:3 Flag of the Chief of Army Staff in the rank of Divisional General File:Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff of Madagascar (non-flag officer).svg, 1:2 Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff in the rank of Commodore or below File:Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff of Madagascar (Rear Admiral).svg, 1:2 Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff in the rank of Rear Admiral File:Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff of Madagascar (Vice Admiral).svg, 1:2 Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff in the rank of Vice Admiral File:Pennant of the Commander of a Naval Group (Madagascar).svg, 1:2 Pennant of the Commander of a Naval Group File:Pennant of the Commander of a Naval Base (Madagascar).svg, 1:2 Pennant of the Commander of a Naval Base File:Masthead pennant of Madagascar.svg, 1:20

Masthead pennant The commissioning pennant (or masthead pennant) is a pennant (also spelled "pendant") flown from the masthead of a warship. The history of flying a commissioning pennant dates back to the days of chivalry with their trail pendants being flown fr ...

Historical flags

File:Flag of the Antankarana Kingdom.svg, 2:3 Flag of the Antankarana Kingdom File:Flag of the Antongila Kingdom (1773-1786).svg, 2:3 Flag of the Antongil Kingdom File:Flag of the Boina Kingdom.svg, 2:3 Flag of the

Boina Kingdom The Kingdom of Boina (sometimes known as Iboina) was a traditional state situated in what is now Madagascar. History The kingdom was founded c. 1690 by King Andriamandisoarivo. Andrimandisoarivo was a son of Lahifotsy, the founder of the Sakalav ...

, similar to the

Peruvian flag The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1824, and modified in 1950. According to the article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, ...

File:Flag of the Menabe Kingdom.svg, 2:3 Flag of the Menabe Kingdom, similar to the Austrian flag File:Flag of the Sakalava of Antalaotra.gif, alt=, Flag of the Sakalava of Antalaotra, it uses the Pan-Arabic colours File:Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom (1750-1819).svg, 2:3 First flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1750–1819 File:Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom (1819-1822).svg, 2:3 Second flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1819-1822 File:Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom (1822-1826).svg, 2:3 Third flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1822-1826 File:Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom (1826-1828).svg, 2:3 Fourth and final flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1826-1828 File:Flag of the Tanibe Kingdom (1822-1828).svg, 2:3 Flag of the Tanibe Kingdom, 1822-1828 File:Flag of the Merina Kingdom.svg, 2:3 Standard of the

Merina Kingdom The Merina Kingdom, or Kingdom of Madagascar, officially the Kingdom of Imerina (–1897), was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 19th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from ...

, –1885 File:Merina Kingdom flag.svg, 2:3 Flag of the

, –1885, almost identical to the 1928–1980

Polish flag The national flag of Poland ( pl, flaga Polski) consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two colours are defined in the Polish constitution as the national colours. A variant of the flag ...

File:Flag of the Madagascar Protectorate (1885-1896).svg, 2:3 Flag of the

Malagasy Protectorate The Malagasy Protectorate was a French protectorate in what is now Madagascar. Through the protectorate, France attempted to control the foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Imerina through its representative at Antananarivo. France declared the is ...

, 1885–1896 File:Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg, 2:3 The

French tricolour The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland ...

of the colonial period, 1896–1958

Presidential Standards

Malagasy Republic The Malagasy Republic ( mg, Repoblika Malagasy, french: République malgache) was a state situated in Southeast Africa. It was established in 1958 as an autonomous republic within the newly created French Community, became fully independent in ...

File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1959).svg, 2:3

Philibert Tsiranana Philibert Tsiranana (18 October 1912 – 16 April 1978) was a Malagasy politician and leader, who served as the first President of Madagascar from 1959 to 1972. During the twelve years of his administration, the Republic of Madagascar expe ...

, 1959 File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1959-1972).svg, 2:3 Philibert Tsiranana, 1959–1972, obverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1959-1972, reverse).svg, 2:3 Philibert Tsiranana, 1959–1972, reverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1972-1975).svg, 2:3

Gabriel Ramanantsoa Gabriel Ramanantsoa (13 April 1906 Antananarivo – 9 May 1979 Paris) was the President and Prime Minister of Madagascar from 1972 to 1975. Ramanantsoa was a member of the Merina ethnic group, and came from a wealthy family. He graduated from Sai ...

, 1972–1975, obverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1972-1975, reverse).svg, 2:3 Gabriel Ramanantsoa, 1972–1975, reverse side

Democratic Republic of Madagascar The Democratic Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblika Demokratika Malagasy, french: République démocratique de Madagascar) was a socialist state that existed on the island of Madagascar from 1975 to 1992. History Establishment (1975) Di ...

File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1976-1993).svg, 2:3

Didier Ratsiraka Didier Ignace Ratsiraka (; 4 November 1936 – 28 March 2021) was a Malagasy people, Malagasy politician and Madagascar Navy, naval officer who was President of Madagascar from 1975 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002. At the time of his death, he was ...

, 1976–1993, obverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1976-1993, reverse).svg, 2:3 Didier Ratsiraka, 1976–1993, reverse side

Third Republic of Madagascar The Third Republic of Madagascar (officially called the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, french: République de Madagascar) refers to the 18-year-long period in Malagasy history after the dissolution of the socialist regime ...

File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1993-1996).svg, 2:3

Albert Zafy Albert Zafy (1 May 1927 – 13 October 2017) was a Malagasy politician and educator who served as President of Madagascar from 27 March 1993 to 5 September 1996. In 1988, he founded the National Union for Democracy and Development (UNDD). In ...

, 1993–1996, obverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1993-1996, reverse).svg, 2:3 Albert Zafy, 1993–1996, reverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1998-2002).svg, 2:3

, 1998–2002, obverse side File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1998-2002, reverse).svg, 2:3 Didier Ratsiraka, 1998–2002, reverse side

References

External links

*
Madagascar flag at Flagscorner
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Madagascar

National symbols of Madagascar