Mozambique

Last modified: 1997-10-27 by rob raeside
Keywords: mozambique | africa | star | book | gun | hoe |
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by Mark Sensen, 27-DEC-1995

• History of the Mozambiquan flag
• RENAMO
• Colonial flags

History of the Mozambiquan Flag

Mozambique gained independance on 5-SEP-1974 when the flag of FRELIMO - Front for Liberation of Mozambique - that led the struggle for independence from Portugal, was adopted as the temporary flag. The flag was green over black over yellow fimbrated white, and with a red triangle in the hoist.

The permanent flag was adopted on 25-JUN-1975, consisting of four triangles from the upper hoist corner fimbrated white (it cannot really be described in any other way). The simplified state arms were in the upper hoist corner, and consisted of cog wheel outlined in black, with a black book, a gun and a hoe, and a red star. W.Smith gives the proportion of this flag as aprox. 5:8, and usage as CG*/CGW.

The remaining **W/** (i.e. war flag) was red with a yellow symbol in the canton.

Some time later (in the 1980's) the flag of Frelimo was reintroduced, this time with a yellow star and the symbol over it.

Yet later the symbol was further simplified and the current flag of Mozambique was introduced.

RENAMO Flag

The RENAMO insurgent movement flew (flies?) a flag of its own. It was predominantly red and light blue with a circular device in the centre on which were a number of red arrows.
Stuart Notholt, 29-JUL-1996

On TV I saw some conversations between representatives of the government and of RENAMO. Above the table are two small flags: one of the state of Mozambique, the other having a vertical white in the hoist third, and the rest divided horizontally red over black (similar in arrangement to the flag of Madagascar) . It this not the flag of RENAMO?
Jaume Oll�, 29-JUL-1996

I thought RENAMO used a flag similar to the flag of Madagascar but with the black stripe in the place of the green - i.e., white vertical stripe in hoist and two horizontal stripes in fly, red over black.
Zeljko Heimer, 29-JUL-1996

Colonial Flags

The Portuguese colonies were regarded as integral parts of Portugal and so did not have flags of their own. There were, however, flags for the Portuguese governors and governors general of the overseas provinces.

by Mark Sensen, 30-JUL-1996

There was a project to give the Portugese colonies/overseas provinces distinctive flags, but these were never adopted. The pattern for these flags was: Portugese flag with in the lower fly the shield of the coat of arms of the territory, as shown above. These coats of arms were already in existence, and the shields of all consisted of two sub-shields, dexter representing the motherland, sinister the territory, and the base the oceans between them.
    The sub-shield of Mozambique was silver with seven green arrows pointing downwards, tied together with a red ribbon.
Mark Sensen, 30-JUL-1996