Flag of Angola as of 1975. Flag Ratio: 2:3

This flag was proposed in 2003 but has not yet been ratified.

The national flag of Angola came into use at independence on November 11, 1975. It is split horizontally into an upper red half and a lower black half. The red is for the blood spilt by Angolans during their independence struggles, while the black is for the continent of Africa. The symbol in the middle is of a crossed cog wheel (representing workers and industry) and machete (representing the peasantry) with a yellow star. It was adopted during a time when Angola had a Marxist government, and it thus supposed to evoke the image of the hammer and sickle found on the flag of the former Soviet Union, a common symbol of Communism. The flag is most recently described and explained in article 162 of the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Angola (Constitution) of August 25, 1992. The Angola flag has remained controversial. Some see it as an excessively political symbol, pointing out the similarity with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola's party flag. It has also been criticized for representing memories of Angola's bloody and violent past, instead of hope for the future. Image File history File links Flag_of_Angola. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Angola. ... Image File history File links FIAV_111111. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Angola_(proposal). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Angola_(proposal). ... // Colonial era The Portuguese established themselves on the west coast of Africa towards the close of the 15th century. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Spur gears found on a piece of farm equipment. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Red star on the Soviet flag The five-pointed red star (a pentagram without the inner pentagon) is a symbol of Communism and Socialism and represents the five fingers of the workers hand, as well as five of six inhabited continents. ... Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marxs work on one hand, and to the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marxs time, communist parties and later states). ... The symbol as it appeared on the Soviet flag The hammer and sickle as it appears on Communist Party of China flag since 1917. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The MPLA flag The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Portuguese: Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho) is an Angolan political party that has ruled the country since independence in 1975. ...

2003 Proposal

In 2003, a new, more "optimistic" flag was proposed, which so far has not been formally adopted. The sun design in the middle is meant to be reminiscent of cave paintings found in Tchitundo-Hulu cave. The flag, while radically different in design and symbolism, maintains the same flag proportions of 2:3. Many Angolans dislike the flag proposal because they feel it has no real meaning, as opposed to the current flag which clearly has historical associations. Others are of the opinion that the proposed flag cannot be seen as uniquely Angolan because it resembles other national flags including the flag of Costa Rica[1]. Cave or rock paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. ... State and war flag and ensign, ratio: 3:5 Civil ensign, ratio: 2:3 The Flag of Costa Rica was adopted on November 27, 1906. ...

References

• Angola at Flags of the World
• http://www.angola.org/referenc/proposed_flag.html

Screenshot of the Flags of the World website Official flag Flags of the World (or FOTW) is the Internets largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags. ...