Flag of MozambiqueRepública de Moçambique

What the flag looks like

The Mozambican flag consists of three horizontal bands of green (top), black (middle) and yellow (bottom), separated by thin white stripes. A red isosceles triangle at the hoist contains a white symbol composed of an open book, a hoe and an AK-47 assault rifle crossed. The proportion is 2:3. It was adopted on 1 May 1983 and has remained unchanged since, despite proposals to remove the rifle.

Colors and meaning

Green represents the country's rich vegetation and agricultural wealth, black represents the African continent and the Mozambican people, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, red represents the blood shed in the struggle for independence, and white represents peace. The symbols in the triangle represent defense and vigilance (the rifle), agricultural production (the hoe) and education (the book).

Green

Represents the country's rich vegetation, forests and agricultural wealth. Mozambique has extensive forests and is a major producer of cashews, cotton and sugarcane.

Black

Represents the African continent and the African people of Mozambique. Black is a Pan-African color used by many African flags.

Yellow

Represents Mozambique's mineral wealth, including natural gas, coal, gold and gemstones. Mozambique has significant reserves of natural gas off its coast.

Red

Represents the blood shed by Mozambican patriots during the long struggle for independence from Portugal, achieved in 1975, and the country's socialist revolutionary heritage.

White

Represents peace and the desire for peaceful development. It appears as thin stripes separating the three main bands.

AK-47 rifle

Represents defense, vigilance and the armed struggle for independence and continued defense of the nation. Mozambique is one of only two countries with a modern firearm on its national flag — the other is Guatemala (which uses crossed rifles).

Hoe

Represents agricultural production and the rural workers of Mozambique, who form the backbone of the economy.

Book

Represents education, knowledge and the importance of intellectual development in building the nation.

History and adoption

Mozambique was a Portuguese colony from the 16th century until 1975, when it gained independence on 25 June 1975 after a decade-long liberation war led by FRELIMO (Mozambique Liberation Front). The first flag, adopted in 1975, had green, black and yellow bands with white stripes, a red triangle, and the same symbol of book, hoe and rifle, along with a star. In 1983, the flag was modified — the star was removed and the symbol was simplified. Mozambique has resisted international pressure to remove the AK-47 from its flag, with the government stating that the rifle represents the country's hard-won independence and continued vigilance. The flag has remained unchanged since 1983.

Key facts

Adopted

1 May 1983

Proportion

2:3

Designer

Based on the FRELIMO liberation movement flag

Capital

Maputo

Country code

MZ

Similar flags

None

Historical and related flags

Mozambique has used several flags across its colonial and post-independence periods.

• Portuguese Mozambique (1498–1975): Portuguese flag used during colonial rule.
• FRELIMO flag (1962–1975): Green, black and yellow bands with a red triangle and symbols, used during liberation struggle.
• First national flag (1975–1983): Similar design with a star in the center of the triangle.
• Current flag (1983–present): Star removed, symbol simplified.
• Proposed redesign (2005): A competition was held to design a new flag without the rifle, but no new design was adopted.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Mozambique look like?

The flag of Mozambique has three horizontal bands of green (top), black (middle) and yellow (bottom), separated by thin white stripes, with a red triangle at the hoist containing a white book, a hoe and an AK-47 rifle. The proportion is 2:3.

When was the flag of Mozambique adopted?

The current flag of Mozambique was officially adopted on 1 May 1983.

What do the colors mean?

Green represents the country's rich vegetation and agricultural wealth, black represents the African continent and the Mozambican people, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, red represents the blood shed in the struggle for independence, and white represents peace. The symbols in the triangle represent defense and vigilance (the rifle), agricultural production (the hoe) and education (the book).

Which flags look similar to the Mozambique flag?

No other national flag closely resembles Mozambique's. The combination of green, black and yellow bands with a red triangle containing a book, hoe and rifle is unique.