Flag of Mauritaniaالجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية

What the flag looks like

The Mauritanian flag consists of a green field with a golden crescent moon and a golden five-pointed star above it, centered on the flag, with red horizontal stripes along the top and bottom edges. The proportion is 2:3. The current design was adopted on 15 August 2017, following a referendum that added the red stripes to the earlier flag.

Colors and meaning

Green represents Islam, the country's dominant religion, and hope for the future, gold represents the sands of the Sahara Desert that cover much of Mauritania, and red represents the blood shed by Mauritanian patriots in the struggle for independence and the country's determination to defend its sovereignty.

Green

Represents Islam, the dominant religion of Mauritania — the country is officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania — and hope for the future. Green is the traditional color of Islam and appears on many Muslim national flags.

Gold

Represents the sands of the Sahara Desert, which covers about three-quarters of Mauritania. Gold is used for the crescent and star, and is also a symbol of the country's mineral wealth, including iron ore and gold reserves.

Red stripes (2017 addition)

Represent the blood shed by Mauritanian patriots during the struggle for independence from France, achieved in 1960, and the country's determination to defend its sovereignty. The red stripes were added in 2017 by referendum, fulfilling a campaign promise of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

Crescent and star

Traditional symbols of Islam, representing the faith of the Mauritanian people and the country's identity as an Islamic republic.

History and adoption

Mauritania was a French colony from 1904 until 1960, when it gained independence on 28 November 1960. The first flag, adopted on 1 April 1959, was a green field with a golden crescent and star — a design that had been used by the colonial administration and was retained at independence. The flag remained unchanged for nearly 60 years. On 5 August 2017, a referendum was held to abolish the Senate and change the flag by adding red stripes at the top and bottom. The change was approved by 85 percent of voters, and the new flag was officially adopted on 15 August 2017.

Key facts

Adopted

15 August 2017

Proportion

2:3

Designer

Based on the 1959 design, with red stripes added by 2017 referendum

Capital

Nouakchott

Country code

MR

Similar flags

None

Historical and related flags

Mauritania has used two flags since independence, with the 2017 change adding red stripes.

• French Mauritania (1904–1960): French flag used during colonial rule.
• First national flag (1959–2017): Green field with golden crescent and star.
• Current flag (2017–present): Same design with red stripes added at top and bottom.
• Presidential standard: Uses the Mauritanian coat of arms with a crescent, star and palm tree.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Mauritania look like?

The flag of Mauritania is a green field with a golden crescent moon and a golden five-pointed star above it, with a red stripe along the top and bottom edges. The proportion is 2:3.

When was the flag of Mauritania adopted?

The current flag of Mauritania was officially adopted on 15 August 2017.

What do the colors mean?

Green represents Islam, the country's dominant religion, and hope for the future, gold represents the sands of the Sahara Desert that cover much of Mauritania, and red represents the blood shed by Mauritanian patriots in the struggle for independence and the country's determination to defend its sovereignty.

Which flags look similar to the Mauritania flag?

No other national flag closely resembles Mauritania's. The combination of a green field with a golden crescent and star, bordered by red stripes, is unique.