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Rwanda

by Zeljko Heimer, 1996-JAN-27

Description of the flag
The form of the 'R' in the flag
Ruanda-Urundi

Description of the flag

Three vertical bands, from the hoist red - yellow -green, a blig back letter 'R' in the middle of the yellow band. Filip Van Laenen, 1995-SEP-07

Form of the 'R' in the flag

In Whitney Smith's "Flag and Arms Across the World", Croatian translation I have from 1982 there is an R san serifs.Zeljko Heimer, 1995-SEP-19

It is san serif in the English edition. It is also san serif in Flags by Kent Alexander (ISBN 0 7924 5752 8) [maybe not surprising as Whitney Smith is the consulting editor] and in Flags of the World by William Crampton (ISBN 0 88029 561 9). Stuart Notholt, 1995-SEP-19

In a documentary about Rwanda on the ABC in Australia a few days ago they had footage of the former (assassinated) Rwandan President taking the Presidential oath. He was standing next to a silk Rwandan flag - the 'R' was sans-serif.

Later they showed the Rwandan Ambassador to the UN at some UN meeting. The flag in front of him had a serifed 'R'.

I suspect that there is probably no explicit definition of the exact size, style and internal dimensions of the 'R', hence the variation we see. However, it would seem the sans-serif 'R' is used more often, and if used at a Presidential swearing-in, is probably the closest we're going to get to an official standard.

Brendan Jones, 1995-SEP-20

Ruanda-Urundi

Speaking of that area, wasn't there once a combined state of Ruanda-Urundi? Could someone describe the flag of that country? Separately, Rwanda's flag was simply the Pan-African colors with an "R", and Burundi's was installed in 1962 (they changed the symbols in the center following the end of the monarchy in 1967) to show independence from Germany and Belgium, but I can't find any mention of the earlier, combined area anywhere.

Steve 'Scooter' Kramer, 1996-JUL-30

I doubt that it had a distinctive flag. Until 1918 it was part of German East Africa and after WW1 was a League of Nations Mandated territory, with Belgian as the protecting power. Maybe the Belgian Congo flag (blue with a yellow star) was used - although strictly speaking Ruanda-Urundi wasn't part of the Congo.

Stuart Notholt, 1996-JUL-30

It is quite difficult to find any information on the Rwanda-Urundi territory. One book mentions a colonial (de facto) badge for Urundi, an oval shield with the heads of a lion and a crane. Behind the shield are four spears. The arms of the independent state of Burundi is obviously based on this badge.
The same book also says that Burundi's flag is based on the logo (flag) of the Belgian airlines "Sabena". It is rather unusual that a national flag is modelled after a company flag. It must be different from the present one (blue disk with a stylized "S").

Harald Müeller, 1996-AUG-01