Country flag
Malawi Flag
Malawi’s national flag is defined in the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names Act as a national emblem. Its three horizontal bands—black, red and green—are...
Where is Malawi?
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Zoomed location
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About Malawi and its flag
Malawi’s national flag is defined in the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names Act as a national emblem. Its three horizontal bands—black, red and green—are made distinctive by a red rising sun in the upper band. The statutory schedule also gives the flag a 3:2 proportion and sets out official meanings for every principal element.
Flag design and meaning
The flag has a 3:2 length-to-breadth ratio. Three equal horizontal stripes run black at the top, red in the middle and green at the bottom. A red rising sun is superimposed in the centre of the black stripe, making the upper band the decisive identifying feature.
- Black stripe: The statutory schedule states that black represents the people of the African continent.
- Red rising sun: The statutory schedule associates the rising sun with the dawn of hope and freedom for the whole African continent.
- Red stripe: The statutory schedule says red represents the blood of the martyrs of African freedom.
- Green stripe: The statutory schedule says green represents Malawi’s evergreen nature.
History and adoption
Malawi became independent on 6 July 1964. Its flag history is not a single uninterrupted adoption story: the consolidated flag statute carries amendment notes from 2010 and 2012, while reporting on the 2012 parliamentary vote records the return of the 1964 rising-sun design after a 2010 alteration. The statutory schedule now specifies the black, red and green design with its red rising sun.
How to recognise this flag
- Read the bands from top to bottom: black, red, then green.
- Look for the red rising sun centred in the black band; it is not a full sun placed in the middle of the flag.
Malawi flag quiz context
On Name The Flag, the Malawi flag is currently grouped as hard difficulty for quiz progression.
Its region is listed as Africa, which helps place the country among nearby geography questions in the game.
Explore more country flags
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