Flag of Mauritania

Country

Flag of Mauritania uses green field with a gold crescent, star and two red bands. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption August 15, 2017.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Mauritania
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Identifier	MR / MRT
Region	Western Africa

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	August 15, 2017
First Documented Use	1959
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Green, Gold, Red
Construction	Green field with a gold crescent, star and two red bands

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Green	#006233	0, 98, 51	100, 0, 48, 62
Gold	#FFC400	255, 196, 0	0, 23, 100, 0
Red	#CD2A3E	205, 42, 62	0, 80, 70, 20

Design and Symbolism

Green	Islam and a bright future.
Gold	the sands of the Sahara.
Red	the blood shed by those who resisted colonisation.
Crescent and star	Islam.
Red bands	Added in 2017 to honour the sacrifice of those who defended the country.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Mauritania

Green field with a gold crescent, star and two red bands The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with plain field with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Mauritania is Green (#006233), Gold (#FFC400) and Red (#CD2A3E). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Crescent and star: Islam; Red bands: Added in 2017 to honour the sacrifice of those who defended the country.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1959. The adoption field for the present record is August 15, 2017.

Additional flag context

Two red bands were added to the flag by referendum in 2017, in honour of those who died resisting colonial rule — one of very few flag changes anywhere decided by direct national vote.

The crescent and star point upward rather than sideways, which is unusual, and the crescent is drawn as a shallow bowl.

Green and gold on Mauritania's flag carry both Islamic and Pan-African associations, sitting at the meeting point of the two traditions.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Green field with a gold crescent, star and two red bands, a 2:3 proportion and the visible crescent and star. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Mauritania — Specialist vexillological reference

Other plain field with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Mauritania

Mauritania is recorded as green field with a gold crescent, star and two red bands.
The reference proportion for the flag of Mauritania is 2:3.
The stored palette for Mauritania contains Green, Gold and Red.
The adoption field for this country flag record is August 15, 2017.
The design record traces first use to 1959.
Its construction is grouped with the plain field with a central emblem design family in this library.
Crescent and star: Islam.
Red bands: Added in 2017 to honour the sacrifice of those who defended the country.
Two red bands were added to the flag by referendum in 2017, in honour of those who died resisting colonial rule — one of very few flag changes anywhere decided by direct national vote.
The crescent and star point upward rather than sideways, which is unusual, and the crescent is drawn as a shallow bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Mauritania

What does the flag of Mauritania look like?

Green field with a gold crescent, star and two red bands, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Mauritania?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Mauritania?

The reference palette lists Green #006233, Gold #FFC400 and Red #CD2A3E.

What do the symbols on the flag of Mauritania represent?

Crescent and star — Islam. Red bands — Added in 2017 to honour the sacrifice of those who defended the country.

When was the present flag record for Mauritania adopted?

The adoption field in this record is August 15, 2017.

Which design family does the flag of Mauritania belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with plain field with a central emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Mauritania?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.