National Flag of South Africa

Proportions: 2:3 South African Flag Description:
The flag of South Africa consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width - red on the top and blue on the bottom. The red and blue stripes are separated by a green middle stripe which is bordered in white and splits into a horizontal Y. On the left side of the flag there is a black isosceles triangle which is outlined in yellow.

South African Flag Meaning:
Although the colors have no official meaning attached to them the South African flag incorporates the colors black, green and yellow of Nelson Mandela's political party, the African National Congress and the former Boer republics flags (red, white, and blue). The Y shape represents the convergence of South Africa's diverse society and the desire for unity. The South African flag is basically made up of former South African flags and the past meanings of the colors were Red for bloodshed, blue of open blue skies, green for the land, black for the black people, white for the European people and yellow for the natural resources such as gold.

South African Flag History:
The South African flag was adopted on April 27, 1994 after Nelson Mandela was elected President. A new national flag was adopted to signify the dawn of a new democratic South Africa and to reflect the country's political transformation. It is one of the world's newest flags. South Africa gained independence from Britain on May 31, 1910.

Interesting South African Flag Facts:
The flag was designed by Mr. F. Brownell, South Africa's state herald. Earlier attempts to find a new South African flag with the help of the public turned out to be unsuccessful.