Flag of Malawi

Country

Flag of Malawi uses horizontal tricolour with a rising sun. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption July 6, 1964.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Malawi
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Republic of Malawi
Identifier	MW / MWI
Region	Eastern Africa

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	July 6, 1964
First Documented Use	1964
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Black, Red, Green
Construction	Horizontal tricolour with a rising sun

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Black	#000000	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0, 100
Red	#CE1126	206, 17, 38	0, 92, 82, 19
Green	#339E35	51, 158, 53	68, 0, 66, 38

Design and Symbolism

Black	the people of Africa.
Red	the blood shed for African freedom.
Green	the evergreen nature of the country.
Rising sun	The dawn of hope and freedom for the African continent.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Malawi

Horizontal tricolour with a rising sun The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with horizontal tricolour with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Malawi is Black (#000000), Red (#CE1126) and Green (#339E35). 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

Rising sun: The dawn of hope and freedom for the African continent.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1964. The adoption field for the present record is July 6, 1964.

Additional flag context

The flag was redesigned in 2010, replacing the rising sun with a full white sun, and then changed back in 2012 after sustained public objection.

It is one of very few national flag changes anywhere to have been reversed within two years.

The rising sun on the black band represents the dawn of independence across Africa, not just in Malawi.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Horizontal tricolour with a rising sun, a 2:3 proportion and the visible rising sun. 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 — Malawi — Specialist vexillological reference

Other horizontal tricolour with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Malawi

Malawi is recorded as horizontal tricolour with a rising sun.
The reference proportion for the flag of Malawi is 2:3.
The stored palette for Malawi contains Black, Red and Green.
The adoption field for this country flag record is July 6, 1964.
The design record traces first use to 1964.
Its construction is grouped with the horizontal tricolour with a central emblem design family in this library.
Rising sun: The dawn of hope and freedom for the African continent.
The flag was redesigned in 2010, replacing the rising sun with a full white sun, and then changed back in 2012 after sustained public objection.
It is one of very few national flag changes anywhere to have been reversed within two years.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Malawi

What does the flag of Malawi look like?

Horizontal tricolour with a rising sun, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Malawi?

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

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Malawi?

The reference palette lists Black #000000, Red #CE1126 and Green #339E35.

What do the symbols on the flag of Malawi represent?

Rising sun — The dawn of hope and freedom for the African continent.

When was the present flag record for Malawi adopted?

The adoption field in this record is July 6, 1964.

Which design family does the flag of Malawi belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with horizontal tricolour 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 Malawi?

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.