A flag born from blood and the colors of a continent

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Mauritania's national flag is more than a simple design; it is a visual history of independence and faith. While the green field and golden symbols honor the country's Islamic identity, the red bands serve as a permanent memorial to the sacrifices made during the struggle against French colonial rule.

The current national flag of Mauritania was officially adopted in 2017 following a constitutional referendum where 86% of voters approved the change. This new design is a derivative of the nation's first flag, which featured a green field with a central crescent and star but lacked the horizontal red bands. The red stripes were specifically added to represent the blood shed by Mauritanians during their fight for independence from France, a period of administration that lasted until the country gained sovereignty on November 28, 1960. The nation achieved its independence from French administration on November 28, 1960. The new design replaced the original version which omitted these specific red bands. This transition occurred after a formal decree was issued on October 25, 2017.

The flag's aesthetic is deeply rooted in religious and regional symbolism. The green color, along with the golden crescent and star, are traditional symbols of Islam, which is the official state religion of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Additionally, the flag's palette represents pan-African hues, highlighting how the country links the sub-Saharan area with the Maghrib of North Africa. The country serves as a cultural bridge between the Arab-Amazigh populations of the Maghrib and the African peoples to the south of the Tropic of Cancer. This geographic position is reflected in its diverse linguistic landscape, where Arabic is the official language alongside national languages like Fula, Soninke, and Wolof.

Precision in the flag's design was not fully established until May 2020, when the government published official graphic guidelines. These rules specify a 2:3 width-to-length ratio and dictate that each red stripe must be exactly one-fifth of the flag's width. To maintain uniform branding, the rules specify greyscale levels for monochrome use: 10% for the crescent and star, 50% for the field, and 85% for the bands. The guidelines mandate that the crescent's diameter must equal half of the flag's total length. Furthermore, the distance between the bands and the central symbols must be exactly one-tenth of the flag's width. These strict parameters ensure the design remains consistent across all official representations.

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