Flag of Gabon
Once a part of France’s African empire, Gabon gained its independence in 1960. However, the influence of the French tricolor can be seen in the design of its flag, which is horizontal tricolor of green, yellow and blue, a combination of the French and Pan African colors of African Unity. The green color represents the country’s rainforests and the lumber industry, the source of much of the nation’s wealth; the yellow represents the sun; and the blue stands for the sea. A former design, dropped just before independence, had a narrower yellow band and a French tricolor in the canton.
The Gabon flag was adopted on August 9, 1960, just about a week ahead of when Gabon achieved its independence from France on August 17, 1960. The ratio of the flag is 3:4.
