National Flag of Gabon (1960)

Gabon became a French colonial territory in the mid-19th century. 

In 1910, it was incorporated with three other French governed African territories (Chad, Ubangi-Shari - now the Central African Republic and Congo - also known as the Republic of the Congo), into French Equatorial Africa.

The basic design of the current national flag was first used in 1959 (at that time it had the French national flag in the upper hoist), a year later the French governed territory of French Equatorial Africa dissolved and all four nations attained independence.

On the 9th of August 1960, the current national flag was officially adopted and on the 17th of August the same year, the country proclaimed its independence.

The Symbolic Meaning

The flag is a representation of Gabon's geographical position in the world.

The yellow stripe running through the middle of the flag symbolises the equator (which runs through Gabon), as well as the sun. It intersects the blue, representing the Atlantic Ocean, which laps Gabon's shores and the green, which symbolises the country's lush vegetation and forests.