Flag of Cameroon

Flag origins

Cameroon’s flag has green, red and yellow vertical bands with a yellow five-pointed star on the red band. These are Pan-African colors. The presidency explains the colors as representing geographical and ethnic diversity and the gold star as national unity. Common interpretations associate green with southern forests and vegetation, yellow with the northern sun and savanna, and red with unity linking the people. The central emblem is called the Star of Unity.

Flag story

Cameroon’s flag once had two stars. When former French-administered East Cameroon and former British-administered Southern Cameroons joined in a federation in 1961, two yellow stars were added to the green band to represent its eastern and western constituent regions. A referendum in 1972 replaced the federation with a unitary state. The flag subsequently changed to one central star emphasizing unity. The presidency describes its flag changes as reflecting the country’s political history.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Cameroon — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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