Rwanda

Republic of Rwanda
Adopted	October 25, 2001
Designed by	Alphonse Kirimobenecyo
Proportions	2:3
Emoji	🇷🇼

The flag of Rwanda is a horizontal tricolour of light blue, yellow, and green. The upper stripe of light blue takes up half of the background of the flag, and the other two lower stripes of yellow and green are equal in thickness. In the upper fly canton of the flag is a stylized golden yellow sun with 24 equally spaced rays of equal length.

Symbolism

The flag has four colours: blue, green, and two forms of yellow (standard yellow for the middle band and what the Pantone system calls "sun yellow" for the sun); the difference between the two yellows is barely noticeable.

The blue band represents happiness and peace, the yellow band symbolizes economic development, and the green band symbolizes the hope of prosperity. The sun represents enlightenment.

History

Colonial era

Up until 1961, Rwanda was a colony, first under the rule of the German Empire, then under Belgium. However, Rwanda didn't yet have a flag. That was, until the year it got independence.

Flag of the German Empire, used in German East Africa (1885-1918)

Flag of Belgium, used in Rwanda-Urundi (1916-1962)

1961-2001

Main article: Rwanda (1961-2001)

January - September 1961

1961-2001

After the coup of Gitarama, the new republican Hutu-dominated government adopted a new flag which consisted of stripes of red, green, and yellow. Shortly in September 1961, the flag was given a black "R" to avoid mix-ups with the flags of Guinea and Mali. In 2001, they changed the flag to what it was today.

This flag was relinquished in 2001 due to associations with the Rwanda genocide and Hutu supremacy.