A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Cameroon.
Flag of Cameroon
The national flag of Cameroon is a vertical tricolor of green, red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star in the center of the red stripe. The green stripe represents the forests of southern Cameroon and hope for the future. The red stripe symbolizes unity and national sovereignty, while the yellow stripe represents the sun and the savannas of northern Cameroon. The central star is known as the “Star of Unity,” representing the unity of the country.
Printable Cameroon Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Cameroon’s flag
1. The current design with a single central star was introduced in 1975, after Cameroon became a unitary state.
2. Between 1961 and 1975, the flag featured two yellow stars in the upper green stripe, representing East Cameroon and West Cameroon in the federal state.
3. Cameroon was one of the first African countries to adopt the pan-African colors of green, red, and yellow, following Ghana.
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Evolution of Cameroon’s flag
Flag of the State of Cameroon (1957–1961)
The first modern Cameroonian flag consisted of a vertical tricolor of green, red, and yellow.
Flag of the Federal Republic of Cameroon (1961–1975)
After British Southern Cameroons joined the Republic of Cameroon in 1961, two yellow stars were added to the green stripe to represent the two federated states: East Cameroon and West Cameroon.
History of Cameroon’s flag
Colonial period
The territory of modern Cameroon became a German colony in 1884, known as Kamerun.
After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the territory was divided between France and the United Kingdom under League of Nations mandates. In 1946, these mandates were converted into United Nations trust territories.
Early national flag
The first Cameroonian national flag was introduced in 1957 when French Cameroon became an autonomous state as the country moved toward independence.
The design featured the Pan-African colors of green, red, and yellow.
Federal period
In 1961, British Southern Cameroons voted to join the Republic of Cameroon, forming the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
At this time, two yellow stars were added to the flag to represent the two states of the federation.
Adoption of the current flag
Following a national referendum in 1972, Cameroon became a unitary state and was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon.
On 20 May 1975, the flag was modified by replacing the two stars with a single central star, symbolizing national unity.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.