The Gold Coast, now the Republic of Ghana, whose capital is Accra, is located in West Africa and washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. The flag of the country reflects the historical and geographical characteristics and its adoption was influenced by many factors. Let’s look at the history of the cloth in detail.
This is what the modern flag of Ghana looks like:
History of the Ghanaian flag
One of the first states with independence status after World War II is Ghana.
The official date of approval of the flag is March 6, 1957. In 1964, the flag underwent changes, the yellow stripe was replaced by a white stripe. However, later, in 1966, the flag returned to its former colors, which are relevant today. Theodosia Salome Oko, a local Ganesian, designed the flag.
The very first republican flag appeared in 1870, when Ghana became part of British West Africa. And it was a British colonial symbol with a colonial badge. In 1877 the inscription on the badge changed.
Ghana uses other flags as well:
Description
The flag of the Republic of Ghana is a rectangular cloth of three equal horizontal stripes in red, yellow and green of equal width. In the center, on the yellow stripe, is a black five-pointed star.
The aspect ratio is 2 to 3.
The colors of the Ghanaian flag
The composition of the national sign of Ghana repeats the national symbols of Ethiopia. It consists of stripes arranged from top to bottom in red, yellow, green and a black star on a yellow background.
It is these shades that are present in many heraldic symbols of Africa. And in the 19th century similar shades were used in Ethiopia, but they were not yet considered symbols of independence.
Meaning of colors and symbols of the flag
Red symbolizes the blood of the martyrs, which they shed in the struggle for freedom and the revolutionary spirit of the citizens. Yellow or gold is a sign of wealth. Ghana has quite a lot of minerals (industrial diamonds, gold, oil). And the color green symbolizes the boundless impenetrable forests, lush vegetation and fields of the republic, as well as fertility. The black-colored star is the embodiment of African freedom, a guiding star that leads to a better life. It necessarily touches the lower and upper bands with its rays.
Ghana is the first country to use Pan-African colors in its flag. Later, other African countries, when gaining independence, used identical shades in the state signs of their republic.
General information about Ghana
Official language | English |
Capital | Accra |
Territory | 238,537 km2 |
Population | 25,199,609 people |
Currency | Sedi |
Phone Code | +233 |