Malawi - First post-independence flag (1964 - 2010)

Last modified: 2011-06-10 by bruce berry
Keywords: malawi | sun |
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2:3~ image by Željko Heimer, 27 May 2002

• First post-independence flag

• Malawi
• British South Africa Company
• Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
• Southern African Development Community (SADC)
• Southern African Vexillological Association (SAVA)
• African Union (AU)

Malaŵi - First post independence flag (1964-2010)
 

The flag adopted at independence on 06 July 1964 was replaced on 29 July 2010 with a modified design. 

Bruce Berry, 01 Aug 2010

According to an article (from Africa News Network) quoted by Jan Oskar Engene, 27 Jan 1999, the red and green colours of the first Malawi flag represents the martyrs of Africa and Africa's green vegetation, respectively, while black means Africa is black. Panafrican News Agency (PANA) mentions (30 December 1998), that the red in the current flag stands for blood Malawians shed during their struggle for independence, the black for black race and the green represents the country's landscape.
Mark Sensen, 04 Jan 1999

The Malawi national flag adopted at independence on 06 July 1964 is described and illustrated in the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names Act (1964) - First Schedule Part I:

Description: From the top of the Flag to the bottom thereof, three equal horizontal stripes of black, red and green with a red rising sun superimposed in the centre of the black stripe.

Ratio Length to breadth: Three to two

Significance: Black represents the people of the Continent of Africa.

The Rising Sun represents the dawn of hope and freedom for the whole Continent of Africa.

Red represents the blood of the martyrs of African freedom.

Green represents the ever green nature of Malawi.

Specifications: Red - British Standard Shade Number 0 - 005

Green - British Standard Shade Number 0 - 010

Bruce Berry, 05 Jan 1999

I've been perusing some of the flags for African countries, and it looked to me that the original flag of Malawi really doesn't capture the essence of the sun's rays. According to all of my flag texts, the rays on the flag aren't lines, but more "feathered" - with rounded ends narrowing to a point.
Peter Krembs, 04 Feb 2001

National Flag. CSW/C-- 2:3
Black-red-green tricolor with red rising sun in the middle of the black stripe. The rays that I drew previously were not quite the same as in Album 2000 so I have improved them. I am not sure if there is an official specification for the sun emblem. [vdv00] uses specifications from the Flag Research Center which is slightly different.
Željko Heimer, 27 May 2002