Designed byTaken from the Malawi Congress Party flag; no individual designer credited.
Design & Symbolism
Specs plus what each color and emblem means on this flag — tap an element to reveal its meaning.
Proportions
2:3
Shape
Rectangular
Colors
Black#000000
Black depicts the African people.
Red#CE1126 · Pantone 186 C
Red depicts the blood shed for independence; the red rising sun, the dawn of freedom.
Green#21873B · Pantone 349 C
Green depicts the country's vegetation and nature.
Symbols & elements
Rising sun
A red sun with thirty-one rays over a black band, marking the dawn of hope and freedom for Africa — Malawi was the thirty-first African state to gain independence.
Construction details
Proportions 2:3. Three horizontal bands, black, red, green, with a red rising sun of thirty-one rays at the centre of the black band.
Construction sheet
Etiquette & protocol
How the flag should be used and displayed with respect.
Specific rules — Malawi
The flag is honoured on 6 July, Independence Day.
A worn or torn flag must be retired respectfully.
Common conventions
Keep the flag clean and never let it touch the ground.
Never fly a torn or faded flag — repair or replace it.
Illuminate the flag if it stays up at night.
Never use the flag as clothing, packaging or advertising.
Dispose of a worn flag respectfully, not in the trash.
Did you know?
Its red rising sun depicts the dawn of freedom for Africa; its thirty-one rays are often linked to it being roughly the 31st African country to gain independence.
