Gambian Flag

Red represents the sun and the savannah, as well as the resilience of the people during hard times. Blue symbolizes the Gambia River, which is central to the country’s livelihood, agriculture, and history of settlement. Green stands for forests, natural resources, and agricultural productivity. The white lines indicate peace, unity, and the narrow river that binds the nation together.

Created ahead of independence from British colonial rule, the design was chosen by colonial civil servants and Gambian leaders during constitutional reforms in the early 1960s. It replaced the British Blue Ensign and became the national flag upon full independence on 18 February 1965. Since then, it has been a powerful symbol of sovereignty and national identity, flown at international events and domestic ceremonies as a representation of post-colonial pride.

Featuring a bold color scheme, the flag has a red stripe at the top, a thinner white stripe, a central blue band twice the size of the stripes, another white fimbriation and a green stripe at the bottom—all in 2:3 proportion. The use of thin white separators enhances contrast and draws focus to the symbolic river across the landscape.

The Gambian flag is raised at national celebrations such as Independence Day (18 February) and during state ceremonies. Schools, public offices, and foreign missions display it alongside the flags of other nations. Official protocol requires clean, undamaged flags, flown from sunrise to sunset; during mourning, the flag is lowered to half-mast until official directives end the period of mourning.