BRAZIL
WORLD FLAGS
SITE ON THE ORIGIN, DESIGN AND SYMBOLOGY OF THE FLAGS OF THE WORLD
#B / BENIN / Africa
BENIN
.BJ
Official name:
Republic of Benin
*French / Republic of Benin
Capital: Porto Novo
Idiom: French
Form of Government: Presidential republic
Currency: West African CFA Franc
Demonym: Beninese/-sa
Administrative divition: 12 Departments
FLAG
The flag of Belize was adopted in 1959 to replace the French tricolor, it was the flag of the Republic of Dahomey until 1975, when the People's Republic of Benin was established. The new regime changed the name of the country and changed the flag to a green field with a red star in the canton. This version was used until the regime collapsed in 1990, coinciding with the 1989 revolutions. The new government quickly restored the original pre-1975 flag.
Under French colonial rule over Dahomey, French authorities prohibited the colony from having its own regional flag. This was because they were concerned that this might increase nationalist sentiment and lead to calls for independence. However, with the rise of the decolonization movement in Africa, the French were forced to grant limited autonomy to Dahomey as an autonomous republic within the French Community. This was granted on December 4, 1958 and soon after the search for a national flag began.
National flag
Ratio: 2 x 3
The national flag of Benin is a flag consisting of two horizontal yellow and red bands and a vertical green band on the flagpole.
The colors of the flag have cultural, political and regional meanings. As the national anthem says, the green of the flag represents the hope of a new democracy. The red represents the courage of the ancestors and the yellow is for the treasures of the nation. On a continental level, yellow, green and red represent the Pan-Africanist movement; the three colors were used by the African Democratic Rally, a political party representing the interests of French West Africa in the French National Assembly at the time of decolonization. Also, the colors are the same as those used in the flag of Ethiopia. This honors the oldest independent country in Africa and the only nation other than Liberia to remain independent during the Scramble for Africa.
CONSTRUCTION
To : fifteen | B : 5 | C : 10 | D : 6 | E : 9
COLORS
40 %
Green
HEX CODE
# 008751
SYMBOLIZES:
REPRESENTS HOPE FOR A NEW DEMOCRACY
30 %
Yellow
HEX CODE
# fcd116
SYMBOLIZES:
REPRESENTS THE COURAGE OF THE ANCESTORS
30 %
Red
HEX CODE
# e8112d
SYMBOLIZES:
REPRESENTS THE TREASURES OF THE NATION
HISTORY
flag of the
People's Republic of Benin
1975 - 1990
flag of the
People's Republic of Benin
1975 - 1990
flag of the
People's Republic of Benin
1975 - 1990
SHIELD
The coat of arms or national seal of Benin, originally introduced in 1964, was adopted again in 1990 after being replaced in 1975.
At the top of the emblem is the national coat of arms consisting of two horns with ears of corn and filled with sand. These represent prosperity. Below the crest is a shield containing the royal coat of arms of Benin.
The shield is divided into four quadrants. The upper left quadrant contains a Somba-style castle, representative of Benin's history. In the upper right quadrant is the Star of Benin, the nation's highest award. Below is a ship that represents the arrival of Europeans in Benin. In the lower left quadrant is a palm tree.
The shield is supported by a pair of leopards, the national animal of Benin. Below the shield is Benin's motto "Fellowship, Justice, Work" in French ("Fraternite, Justice, Travail").
