The nationalflag of The Gambia consists of three horizontal red, blue and green bands separated by two thin white stripes.[1] Adopted in 1965 to replace the BritishBlue Ensigndefaced with the arms of theGambia Colony and Protectorate, it has been theflag of the Republic ofthe Gambia since the country gained independence that year. It remained unchanged throughout the Gambia's seven-yearconfederation with Senegal.
The British first arrived in what is now modern-day Gambia in 1661, when they conqueredJames Island. They proceeded to construct forts around theconfluence of theGambia River with theAtlantic Ocean, and gradually expanded their control upstream. This area became aprotectorate in the 1820s under the jurisdiction ofSierra Leone, and eventually emerged as a separatecrown colony of theUnited Kingdom withinits colonial empire in 1888.[2] This newfound status gave the Gambia its own "distinctive" colonial flag.[3] This is because colonies were permitted to utilize the BritishBlue Ensign anddeface it with the arms of the territory under theColonial Naval Defence Act 1865. The arms of the Gambia at the time consisted of a circle depicting anelephant, apalm tree andhills, along with the letter "G" standing for the first letter of the territory's name.[3]
The Gambia was grantedself-governance in 1963.[2] The defaced blue ensign continued to be used until full independence was granted in 1965.[4] The winning design for the new flag was created by Louis Thomasi, who worked as an accountant.[3][5] It is one of the fewAfrican flags that does not utilize the colours of the country's leadingpolitical party, since its design "has no political basis".[4][6] It was first hoisted at midnight on February 18, 1965, the day the Gambia became an independent country.[7][8] In 1982, the Gambia formed aconfederation with Senegal, which lasted for seven years before its dissolution in 1989.[2] However, this closer union did not result in change of national symbols, and the Gambian flag continued to be flown during this time.[4]
The colours of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The blue alludes to theGambia River, which is the nation's key geographical feature and from which the country derives its name.[3] The red evokes the sun – given the Gambia's close proximity to theEquator[3] – as well as thesavanna,[4][9] while the thin white stripes represent "unity and peace".[3][9] The green epitomizes the forest[4] and the agricultural goods that the Gambian people are heavily dependent on, both for exports and their personal use.[3]
^abcdefghSmith, Whitney."Gambia, flag of The".Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. RetrievedMay 21, 2014.(subscription required)
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