Sierra Leone (Republic of Sierra Leone) is a state located in West Africa. The area of the territory is 71.7 thousand sq. km and the population is 6.6 million people. The name of the country is translated from Portuguese as “Lion Mountains”.
This is what the modern flag of Sierra Leone looks like:
History of the flag
The first reliable information about Sierra Leone dates back to the 16th century. At that time its territory was inhabited by various African tribes.
The first Europeans to visit the region were the Portuguese. They were followed by the British and in the first years of the 19th century Sierra Leone became a British colony. During the following decades, the entire territory was taken under the control of the British crown.
As for other overseas territories, by the end of the 19th century, a symbol had been developed for the country.
The governor also had his own symbols.
After 1916 the symbol of the country and the ruler-governor took a different form.
Colonial status lasted until 1961, in which the national sovereignty was proclaimed. On April 27, 1961 a new national flag was hoisted.
For ten years after the declaration of independence, the Elizabeth II symbol for Sierra Leone and the standard of the Governor General.
Description
The cloth is divided into three horizontal stripes of equal width. The colors of the stripes are distributed in the following sequence: green, white, blue. The ratio of width to length of the ensign is 2:3.
Flag colors
Three colors are used on the flag of the Republic of Sierra Leone:
- green,
- White,
- blue.
Meaning of colors and flag symbol
The colors of the flag of the Republic symbolize:
- Green – natural resources, mountains, agriculture;
- Blue – clear skies and hope for peaceful times;
- White – unity and legality.
Other Flags
The standard of the President of the country has been developed and approved in the Republic.
The identifying mark (Raundel) for the Republican Armed Forces is an emblem, which has a circular shape.
Navy flag:
Interesting facts about the flag
The Sierra Leonean official flag is used for foreign merchant ships because it is convenient to use.
General information about Sierra Leone
Official language | English |
Capital | Freetown |
Territory | 71 740 km² |
Population | 5,363,669 people |
Currency | leone |
Phone Code | +232 |