A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Madagascar.
Flag of Madagascar
The national flag of Madagascar consists of three fields: a vertical white stripe at the hoist and two horizontal stripes of red above green on the fly side. The red and white colors are traditionally associated with the Merina Kingdom, whose royal flags used similar colors before the French colonial period. The green stripe was added to represent the Hova class, a large group of free commoners who played an important role in Malagasy society and in movements opposing colonial rule.
Printable Madagascar Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Madagascar’s flag
1. The national flag of Madagascar was officially adopted on 21 October 1958, a week after the Malagasy Republic was proclaimed.
2. The design was created by Andrianome Ranaivosoa, an agent of the Malagasy National Geographic Institute.
3. Although the colors are now associated with various national meanings, the original design did not assign specific symbolism to the colors when the flag was first adopted.
4. When the flag was introduced in 1958, it received criticism from some groups. Some critics argued that the red and white colors reflected the royal colors of the Merina Kingdom, while others objected that red and green were also the colors of the ruling Social Democratic Party.
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Flag of the Merina Kingdom (c. 1810–1885)
One of the earliest known flags associated with Madagascar was used by the Merina Kingdom. It consisted of red and white colors, which later influenced the design of the modern Malagasy flag.
History of Madagascar’s flag
Historical roots
Red and white have long been prominent colors in Madagascar’s history. These colors were used by several Malagasy kingdoms, including the powerful Merina Kingdom, which dominated much of the island before the French colonial period.
Merina rulers used red-and-white standards, and these colors later influenced the design of the modern national flag.
Colonial period
Madagascar became part of the French colonial empire in the late nineteenth century. During the colonial period, the French tricolor served as the official flag of the territory.
In 1958 Madagascar became an autonomous republic within the French Community as the country moved toward independence.
Adoption of the national flag
In preparation for independence, a call was issued for designs for a new national flag. A technical commission of Malagasy representatives reviewed several proposals.
The design created by Andrianome Ranaivosoa was selected on 15 October 1958, and the flag was officially adopted on 21 October 1958.
The flag was first raised at a public ceremony in the capital the day of its adoption. Madagascar later gained full independence from France on 26 June 1960.
Later interpretations of the colors
Although the colors initially had no formal meaning, later interpretations assigned symbolic significance to them.
Today the colors are often understood to represent national unity, hope, and elements of Malagasy culture and society.
Explore more: Flags of Africa.
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.