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Flag of Gambia

The national flag of Gambia has not changed since the nation gained its independence from the British Empire, despite the fact that it spent seven years in a confederation with Senegal. The Gambia flag does show some influence from the flag that represented the nation while it was part of the British Empire, but it shows less of an influence than the flags of many other nations that gained the independence from Britain after the second world war.

• Capital of Gambia: Banjul
• Area of Gambia: 10,000 sq. km
• Languages used in Gambia: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
• Religions in Gambia: Muslim, Christian, indigenous beliefs

Colors and Symbolism of the Flag of Gambia

The national flag of Gambia consists of three horizontal stripes of red, blue, and green that are separated by thin bands of white. The blue stripe represents the Gambia river, which not only provided the nation with its name but also played a major role in its economic and political history. The red represents the sun and the savanna, while the green stripe stands for the nation's forests and farms. The white bands represent peace and unity.

History of the National Flag of Gambia

The first flag of Gambia was the nation's colonial flag. Britain's expansion into Gambia began in 1661, but it did not get its flag until it became a crown colony in its own right in 1888. The flag followed the same pattern as the vast majority of other colonial flags in the British Empire. It consisted of the British blue ensign with the Union Jack in the flag's canton and the seal of Gambia in the fly. The seal displayed an elephant in front of a palm tree and a set of hills.

The current Gambia flag came into use when the nation gained full independence from the British Empire in 1965. The flag was designed by a man named Louis Thomasi. He made sure that the flag did not show any political influences so that it could represent the nation as a whole, which makes it one of the few national flags in Africa that is not derived from the flag of an existing political party or movement. The flag became a potent symbol of the nation and its people, and that symbol has never been changed in any way.