The flag of Namibia was adopted on 21 March 1990 upon independence from South Africa.

Design

The National Symbols Sub-Committee received 870 entries for the national flag. Six designs were short-listed; this was reduced to three, those of three Namibians – Theo Jankowski of Rehoboth, Don Stevenson of Windhoek and Ortrud Clay of Lüderitz. These three designs were combined to form the Namibia national flag, adopted unanimously on 2 February 1990 by the Constituent Assembly. The three designers were publicly acknowledged by judge Hans Berker, the chairman of the subcommittee, at the unveiling ceremony on 9 March 1990.dubious – discuss

However, two other claims were made – South African Frederick Brownell claimed that he had designed the flag in his role as South African State Herald. The other claimant was Briton Roy Allen, who claimed that the flag design was the result of a competition run by Hannes Smith of the Windhoek Observer, and that he had won.

It is one of the few national flags incorporating a diagonal line, with other examples including the DR Congo, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brunei.

Colours

The colours of the Namibian flag are described in the Government Gazette. This document also details construction of the Presidential flag. The tone or specific shade for white has not been specified.

Construction Sheet

• flag construction sheet

Symbolism

The chairman explained the symbolism of the flag's colours as follows:

• Red – represents Namibia's most important resource, its people. It refers to their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all.
• White – represents peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony.
• Green – symbolises vegetation and agricultural resources.
• Blue – represents the clear Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain.
• Golden-yellow sun – life and energy

The flag has a white-edged red diagonal band radiating diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green.

In Blazon: Tierced per bend sinister Azure, and Vert, a bend sinister Gules fimbriated Argent and in dexter chief a Sun with twelve straight rays Or charged with an annulet Azure.

Other flags

• Presidential Standard

• Police Flag

Historical flags

• Flag of German South-West Africa from 24 April 1884 to 9 July 1915.

• Proposed flag of German South-West Africa.

• Flag of South West Africa between 1915 and 28 June 1919.

• Merchant flag of South West Africa from 1915 to 1928.

• Flag of South West Africa from 1928 until 1982 under Mandates and Trusteeships by South Africa.

• Flag of South West Africa from 1982 to 21 March 1990 under Mandates and Trusteeships by South Africa.

• Flag of SWAPO used at the United Nations between 1976 and 21 March 1990.

Flags of bantustans in South West Africa

Some of the bantustans established by South Africa during its period of administering South West Africa had adopted their own distinctive flags whilst others used the flag of South Africa.

• Bushmanland

• Damaraland

• East Caprivi

• Hereroland

• Kaokoland

• Kavangoland

• Namaland

• Ovamboland

• Rehoboth (Basterland)

• Tswanaland