Flag of Madagascar

The national flag of Madagascar (Malagasy: sainan'i Madagasikara; French: drapeau de Madagascar) was adopted on 14 October 1958, two years before the independence as they prepared for a referendum on its status in the French Community.

Republic of Madagascar

Use	National flag and ensign
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	14 October 1958 (1958-10-14)
Design	Two horizontal bands of red and green with a white vertical band on the hoist side
Use	Presidential standard
Proportion	2:3
Design	The National flag with the Seal of Madagascar in the center of the tri-point with the initials "R. M." in the canton.

Malagasy flag

The colors of the flag represent Madagascar's history and traditional peasant classes. Red and white were the colors of the Merina kingdom, which was conquered by France in 1896. They were used in the flag of the last Merina monarch, Queen Ranavalona III. Green was the color of the Hova, the largest class of peasant commoners, who played a significant role in anti-French agitation and the independence movement.

Current flags

Ethnic

• 
  2:3 Flag of the Merina people (since 1997)

Military

• 
  2:3 Flag of the Chief of Army Staff in the rank of Brigade General
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Chief of Army Staff in the rank of Divisional General
• 
  1:2 Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff in the rank of Commodore or below
• 
  1:2 Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff in the rank of Rear Admiral
• 
  1:2 Pennant of the Chief of the Naval Air Force Staff in the rank of Vice Admiral
• 
  1:2 Pennant of the Commander of a Naval Group
• 
  1:2 Pennant of the Commander of a Naval Base
• 
  1:20 Masthead pennant

Historical flags

• 
  2:3 Flag of the Antankarana Kingdom
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Antongil Kingdom
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Boina Kingdom
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Menabe Kingdom
• 
  Flag of the Sakalava of Antalaotra
• 
  1:1 First flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1750–1819
• 
  2:3 Second flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1819–1822
• 
  2:3 Third flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1822–1826
• 
  2:3 Fourth and final flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, 1826–1828
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Tanibe Kingdom, 1822–1828
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Merina Kingdom, c. 1810–1885
• 
  2:3 Flag of the Malagasy Protectorate, 1885–1896
• 
  2:3 The French tricolour of the colonial period, 1896–1958

Presidential Standards

Malagasy Republic

• 
  2:3 Philibert Tsiranana, 1959
• 
  2:3 Philibert Tsiranana, 1959–1972, obverse side
• 
  2:3 Philibert Tsiranana, 1959–1972, reverse side
• 
  2:3 Gabriel Ramanantsoa, 1972–1975, obverse side
• 
  2:3 Gabriel Ramanantsoa, 1972–1975, reverse side

Democratic Republic of Madagascar

• 
  2:3 Didier Ratsiraka, 1976–1993, obverse side
• 
  2:3 Didier Ratsiraka, 1976–1993, reverse side

Third Republic of Madagascar

• 
  2:3 Albert Zafy, 1993–1996, obverse side
• 
  2:3 Albert Zafy, 1993–1996, reverse side

See also

• Seal of Madagascar

External links

• Madagascar at Flags of the World
• Madagascar flag at Flagscorner Archived 2019-09-07 at the Wayback Machine