Pan-African colours Facts for Kids

The traditional flag of Ethiopia, the colours of which have been adopted by numerous Pan-African groups.

Unofficial pan-African or UNIA flag

Pan-African colours is a term that may refer to two different sets of colours:

Green, yellow and Red, the colours of the flag of Ethiopia, have come to represent the Pan-Africanist ideology. Numerous African countries have adopted the colours into their national flags, and they are similarly used as a symbol by many Pan-African organisations and the Rastafari movement.

Red, black, and green, first introduced by Marcus Garvey in 1920, have also come to represent Pan-Africanism, and are shown on the Pan-African flag. These colours have also been incorporated on national flags, and they have sometimes been used to represent black nationalism rather than Pan-Africanism.

Green-yellow-red
Red-black-green
Current country flags with the Pan-African symbolism
Non-national flags
Former flags with pan-African colours
Non Pan-African flags with Pan-African colours
See also

Green-yellow-red

Green, yellow, and red are now found on the national flags of many African nations. The colour combination was borrowed from the flag of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian flag has influenced the flags of many Pan-African organizations and polities. Except for relative brief periods of influence and occupation by the Kingdom of Italy, Ethiopia remained outside European control during the colonial era by defeating the Italian army at the battle of Adwa, Ethiopia, in 1896, ending the Italian protectorate. As a result, the country drew the admiration of many newly independent states in Africa. The adoption of the Ethiopian national colours by many Pan-African entities is a consequence of this. The first African state to adopt a gold, red and green flag upon independence was Ghana in 1957, designed by Theodosia Okoh.

Red-black-green

The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) founded by Marcus Garvey has a constitution that defines red, black, and green as the Pan-African colours: "red representing the noble blood that unites all people of African ancestry, the colour black for the people, green for the rich land of Africa." The UNIA flag was designated the official colours of Black Africans by the UNIA at its convention in Madison Square Garden on August 13, 1920, in New York City, United States.

Current country flags with the Pan-African symbolism

The following are countries and territories that use one or both sets of Pan-African colours in their official flags:

Non-national flags

African National Congress
African American flag by David Hammons
Azawad
Sudan Liberation Movement/Army
East African Community
Union of African States (1958–1961)
Union of African States (1961–1962)
Interahamwe

Former flags with pan-African colours

Cape Verde (1975–1992)
Malawi (2010–2012)
Rwanda (1961–2001)
South Kasai (1960–1961)
Zaire (Congo-Kinshasa) (1971–1997)
Flag of Tanganyika (1961–1964)
Flag of Senegal (1958–1959)

Non Pan-African flags with Pan-African colours

Although the following flags contain a Pan-African colour scheme, they were not officially designed to symbolise Pan-Africanism. The designs may or may not be influenced by Pan-African colours.

Rastafari colours also originate from the Ethiopian flag, but though Rastafari thought harbours Pan-African sympathies, its use of the Ethiopian flag is historically rooted in the veneration of former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie.