Madagascar Flag

The flag of Madagascar was officially adopted on the 14th of October in the year 1958 that was two years before its independence and during a time when Madagascar was preparing for a referendum on its status in the French Community. The colors in the flag of Madagascar are very few and very simple to explain. There are 3 colors in the flag: vertical white strip and two horizontal strips of red over green. That is there are simply three colors in total. Tricolor flag of Madagascar was adopted shortly after Madagascar became the Malagasy Republic. Green color was added for the sake of the coastal people who were in Madagascar.

While talking about the description of Madagascar’s flag it would be said that it is based on a tricolor scheme in which there is white, red and green color.

The Madagascar flag has 2 horizontal and 1 vertical stripe which are of equivalent length. According to one of the studies, the Madagascar flag colors symbolize its traditional classes, history and struggling for independence. The red color and the white color symbolize the Merina kingdom and they also represent the tribal origins of the people of Malagasy in Southeast Asia. The white and red colors in the flag of Madagascar also represent Madagascar’s historical yearning for independence. This was a very bad and long struggle in which many people lost their lives and lost their families but fought this battle with all their strength and won the country independence. Green symbolized people of Hova who were the commoners and peasants (sort of the slave), played an important role in anti-French agitation and the independence movement. With respect to the current interpretation, white symbolizes purity, red symbolizes sovereignty and green symbolizes hope.

The flag colors represent Madagascar's history, struggling for independence, and traditional classes. Merina kingdom used red and white colors, which surrendered to France in the year 1896. The red and white colors were used a long time in the flags of the last Merina Monarch who was known as Queen Ranavolana III. They might specify the tribal origins of the Malagasy people in Southeast Asia, and are also shared by the flag of Indonesia. The Hova people who are actually the working class or the peasant people, as they are also known as the Black slaves, for them or in order to represent them and their effects in getting independence for Madagascar green color was added in the flag. The working class or the commoners and slaves played a very vital role as it is seen in the history of Madagascar that they helped a lot in the independence movement of Madagascar and the anti-French agitation times and for them the green color was added to the flag along with the existing white and red color.

However it is also seen in history of Madagascar some time after the 24th Dec 1959, when the "coat of arms" was accepted and adopted in the country, a new flag was made and designed this happened sometime in the year 1959. It was after 24th Dec 1959 when the new design was made containing in the middle of the white stripes the golden emblem, above it initials R.M. which stood for Repoblika Malgasy/Repoublique Malagashe in Malagashe and French.

While searching on net one can find lots of information about the Madagascar flag, its history, design and color etc. One can also find animated pictures that are free for download.