Mozambique

The flag of Mozambique includes the image of an AK-47 and is the only national flag in the world to feature such a modern rifle.

The flag is based on the flag of the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO). The FRELIMO flag, used for a brief period after the country gained its independence from Portugal, looks like the current flag but lacking the emblem.

Symbolism[]

Colors[]

Green: The land
Black: The African continent
Yellow: The country's mineral wealth
White: The peace
Red: The country’s struggle for independence

Emblem[]

Yellow star: Marxism
Open book: Importance of education
Hoe: Peasants and agriculture
AK-47: Defense and vigilance

History[]

Portuguese Mozambique — Proposal for the colony

Up until 1975, Mozambique (along with Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde) 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 a different shield in the lower corner, but they were all scrapped.

Instead, for a brief period of years (1974 to 1975), a FRELIMO-based flag was adopted, and was flown beside the Portuguese flag the day a ceasefire was agreed upon between FRELIMO and Portugal, ending the Mozambican Civil War.

After independence, Mozambique adopted a new flag, which consisted of four stripes of green, red, black and yellow radiating from the upper-left corner, separated by white fimbriations. At the canton, is a white cogwheel with a black AK-47 and hoe crossed on a book, with a red star inside. The flag lasted from 1975 to 1983.

For a brief time from April to May 1, 1983, the FRELIMO flag was reinstated, with the same cogwheel emblem from before, with a yellow star at the back of it. On May 1, the white cogwheel and red star inside, were removed.

New flag?[]

In 2005, a competition was held to design a new flag for Mozambique. 119 entries were received and a winning flag was selected, but to this day the flag remains the same. This came in the context of a drive to create a new crest and anthem for the country. Mozambique's parliamentary opposition would specifically like to see removed from the flag the image of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which symbolizes the nation's struggle for independence, according to press reports. This drive to change these national symbols has met great resistance from public opinion.

The proposition of a new flag was rejected by the FRELIMO-dominated parliament in December 2005. 169 proposed flags were turned down, including the current flag without the rifle.