What does the Cape Verde flag symbolize?

The Cape Verde flag was first adopted on September 22, 1992 when it severed ties with Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony in mainland West Africa. This rupture in relations and Cape Verde’s independence from Portugal necessitated the creation of a new national symbol to represent their newfound independence.

It featured five horizontal bands of blue, white and red as well as a circle of ten yellow five-pointed stars. The blue stripes had an uneven 6:1:1:3 ratio while the circle of stars was centred 3/8 along the fly.

This flag celebrated Cape Verde’s African heritage while distancing itself from Portugal’s flag, in order to better symbolize their multi-party political system. Crafted out of heavyweight 200-denier nylon with a UV treatment, it was meant to last and not deteriorate over time.

Cape Verde’s flag was designed by Gregorio Lopes, an official of the country’s first president Francisco do Amaral. It was based on the Portuguese flag with the shield from the provincial arms added to the lower fly.

These colors symbolize the Atlantic Ocean and sky; road to national building (white); peace (white); and effort (red). The ten stars on the flag stand for all ten main islands of Cape Verde; furthermore, their unity within a circle of stars symbolizes Cape Verdean peoples’ unification.

In 1992, Cape Verde adopted their current official emblem which features a torch and triangle within a circle. The torch symbolizes freedom while the triangle represents national unity. Furthermore, ten stars on either side of the circle represent all the islands within Cape Verde.