Cameroon

Cameroon
Adopted	May 20, 1975
Proportions	2:3

The flag of Cameroon is an equal vertical tricolor of green, red, and yellow, with a small yellow five-pointed star in the center of the flag.

Symbolism

Red, yellow, and green are the Pan-African colors (the traditional colors of Africa). The five-pointed star represents Cameroonian unity. The tricolor design of the flag resembles the flag of France, which had control over the nation until 1960.

Official symbolism is as follows:

• The green stands for the vegetation of the south.
• The yellow stands for the savannas of the north.
• The red symbolizes a link between the north and south.
• The star is referred to as "the star of unity"

History

In 1884 to 1916 the country was a colony of the German Empire (Deutsch-Kamerun). Before WWI, the German government proposed flags for each of their colonies, but they were scrapped.

After WWI, the colony was split between the British and the French. The flag of the French side was a normal French tricolor, while the flag of the British side was a blue ensign with the colony's coat of arms in the fly.

After it was promised independence, the local government of the French Cameroon began discussing a possible national flag in 1957. One popular symbol suggested for the flag was the prawn that had given the country its name. (The Portuguese place-name Rio dos Camarões ["River of the Prawns" or "River of Shrimps"] was corrupted into Cameroons or Cameroon.)

In the end, however, the members of the legislature favored a simple flag of three equal vertical stripes. The first flag was officially hoisted on October 29, 1957.

After independence on January 1, 1960, the flag was retained, but slight modifications were subsequently made. The amalgamation of part of the British Cameroons into the country led to the addition of two yellow stars to the green stripe of the flag on October 1, 1961. The present design dates from May 20, 1975, when a central yellow star was substituted for the two stars, as a symbol of national unity.