Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo was officially introduced after the ratification of the new Constitution on 18 February 2006. Their appearance is largely back to the two national flags during the period 1963-1971, however, these have a much darker shade of blue.
Description and significance
The state flag shows on a blue background a red, gold-framed strip running from bottom left to top right, and a gold star on the top left. The blue color is a symbol of peace among the peoples of the Congo. The red stripe indicates the blood of the martyrs of the country, during the golden frame stands for prosperity. The star is the unity of the country and the diagonal stripes symbolize his future.
History
The first flag of the country goes back to a resolution adopted on June 21, 1877 by Leopold II of Belgium Flag of Congo Free State, which shows a central yellow star on blue cloth. According to Henry Morton Stanley he should symbolize a thrown into the dark African light. Despite an era of cruelty and exploitation under this flag, it was continued after independence, due to the long tradition and a lack of national liberation movement in a similar form.
On July 1, 1960 a new flag was introduced, it was based on from the year 1877. Liekseitig it six stars were inserted, which symbolized the six provinces. The blue of the flag was inaccurately described as sky blue, which meant that there were different versions in different shades of blue.
By having existed since an administrative reform of 1963 21 provinces, had to be replaced by a new the old flag. This happened on July 1, 1963. The newly introduced flag waived the smaller stars for the individual provinces and took only the big star, who was now no longer central, but placed at the top left of its predecessor. A darker blue for the background of a red diagonal stripes with yellow edges It has now been used also inserted. The flag of 1963 is similar to today's national flag until the blue color of the background and the exact strip size and very regarded as the forerunner flag.
This also applies to the flag 1966. It is a slight modification of the version of 1963, and differs from it only in so far that the star is reduced and the diagonal stripes has been changed slightly in appearance and shape. So today Nationelflagge this version is more like than that of 1963.
2:3? 1960-1963
2:3? 1963-1966
2:3? 1966-1971
In 1971, President Mobutu Sese Seko changed the name of the country in Zaire and led on 21 November 1971, a new national flag. Mobutu Sese Seko made the country a one-party state and himself president of the only legal party, the MPR ( Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution ). The new national flag was based on the almost identical party flag of the MPR. The flag contains the pan-African colors of red, yellow and green. The torch stands for the freedom and the struggle for it.
With the end of the reign of Mobutu Sese Seko, the country was renamed back to Congo and changed the national flag again. On 17 May 1997, on the 1960 flag was introduced based. However, the significance of the six star no longer corresponded to reality, as the country now consisted of eleven provinces. The blue was defined as a dark Pantone 286 C, but which was again designated as sky blue. Nevertheless, there were also versions in light blue. 2003, the new constitution reaffirmed light blue as the color without defining the sound exactly. However, the light version prevailed.
2:3? 1997-2003
2:3? 2003-2006