Cape Verde

Cape Verde
Adopted	September 22, 1992
Designed by	(unknown)
Proportions	2:3

The flag of Cape Verde, also known as Cabo Verde consists of five unequal horizontal bands; the top-most band of blue — equal to one half the width of the flag — is followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of the width, and a bottom stripe of blue equal to one quarter of the flag width; a circle of 10, yellow, five-pointed stars is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the length of the flag from the hoist side.

Symbolism

• The rectangle of the flag is seen as a large blue field symbolizing the infinite space of the sea and sky.
• The ten yellow stars represent the ten islands.
• The circle of the stars symbolizes the Cape Verdean Nation and its unity.
• The circle in a certain sense, is the world to which the Cape Verdeans are opened and that is opened to them; is the line of horizon which limits the Cape Verdeans' freedom, that is the world map, but is also the mariner's compass and the helm of the navigators.
• The strips are the road to the construction of the country.
• The blue is the sea and the sky.
• The white is the peace the Cape Verdeans want.
• The red is the Cape Verdeans' effort.

History

Discovered in 1456, and from 1462 to 1974, Cape Verde (along with Angola, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea-Bissau) were Portuguese African colonies, so the flags of the colonies were the flag of Portugal. There had been planned flags for each one of the colonies, each containing the Portuguese flag, and a different shield in the lower corner, but they were all scrapped.

On 25 April 1974, Portugal's regime collapsed, and widespread unrest forced the government to negotiate with the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde), and on July 5, 1975, Cape Verde finally gained independence from Portugal. It adopted a flag based on the one of Guinea-Bissau with a change in the hoist-side stripe (Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974).

Immediately following a November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde abandoned its hope for unity with Guinea-Bissau and relations between the two countries became strained. In 1992 Cape Verde adopted its current flag.