View source for Flag of Namibia

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{{EngvarB|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name         = [[Namibia|Republic of Namibia]] 
| Article      = 
| Nickname     = 
| Image        = Flag of Namibia.svg
| Use          = 111111
| Symbol       = 
| Proportion   = 2:3
| Adoption     = {{start date and age|1990|3|21|df=y}}
| Design       = A white-edged red diagonal band radiating from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue, charged with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green.
| Designer     = Theo Jankowski<br /> Don Stevenson<br />Ortrud Clay
| Image2       = Naval Jack of Namibia.svg
| Nickname2    =
| Morenicks2   =
| Use2         = [[Naval jack]]
| Symbol2      =
| Proportion2  = 
| Adoption2    = 
| Design2      = A white field with the national flag in the canton.
| Designer2    =
}}
[[File:Flag of Namibia 02.jpg|thumb|Namibian flag]]
The '''flag of [[Namibia]]''' consists of a red [[Bend (heraldry)|bend]] edged in two white bands with a blue upper triangle charged with an 12-ray yellow sun and green lower triangle. 

The flag was adopted on 21 March 1990 upon independence from [[South Africa]]. During [[apartheid]] rule, it used the [[Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)|South African orange-white-blue tricolor]].

== Design ==
The National Symbols Sub-Committee received 870 entries for the national flag. Six designs were short-listed; this was reduced to three, those of three Namibians – Theo Jankowski of [[Rehoboth, Namibia|Rehoboth]], Don Stevenson<ref>{{Citation |title=Donny's Flag: An American Graphic Artist Designs Namibia's Flag (Namibia Documentary Series) | date=15 August 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD4KuhyTmoA |language=en |access-date=2022-11-28}}</ref> of [[Windhoek]] and Ortrud Clay of [[Lüderitz]]. These three designs were combined to form the Namibia national flag, adopted unanimously on 2 February 1990 by the [[Constituent Assembly of Namibia|Constituent Assembly]]. The three designers were publicly acknowledged  by judge [[Hans Berker]], the chairman of the subcommittee, at the unveiling ceremony on 9 March 1990.<ref>{{Cite news | title=The Namibian flag: Its origins and spirit that inspire the nation | last1=Kangootui | first1=Herman | last2=Amagola | first2=Elizabeth | newspaper=[[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]] | date=14 June 2018 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2018/06/14/the-namibian-flag-its-origins-and-spirit-that-inspire-the-nation/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630111133/https://www.newera.com.na/2018/06/14/the-namibian-flag-its-origins-and-spirit-that-inspire-the-nation/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=30 June 2018 }}</ref>{{dubious|The three combined designs claim|date=March 2021}}

However, two other claims were made – South African [[Frederick Brownell]] claimed that he had designed the flag in his role as [[South Africa]]n State [[Herald]].<ref name=Brownell>{{Citation |author= (reported by) FG Brownell |title= Coats of Arms and Flags in Namibia|date=December 1990}} (A series of 8 articles.)</ref> The other claimant was Briton Roy Allen, who claimed that the flag design was the result of a competition run by [[Hannes Smith]] of the ''[[Windhoek Observer]]'', and that he had won.<ref name=Plymouth>{{Cite news | title=Allen from Plymouth ... The man who designed the Namibian flag | last=Schütz | first=Helge | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=23 October 2015 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=archive-read&id=143453}}</ref>

It is one of the few national flags incorporating a diagonal line, with other examples including the [[Flag_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo|DR Congo]], [[Flag_of_Tanzania|Tanzania]], [[Flag_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]], and [[Flag_of_Brunei|Brunei]].

=== Colours ===
The colours of the Namibian flag are described in the Government Gazette.<ref>{{cite web| title =Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia, No. 6807 | publisher = Government of the Republic of Namibia| url = https://www.lac.org.na/laws/2018/6807.pdf|language=en}}</ref> This document also details construction of the Presidential flag. The tone or specific shade for white has not been specified.

{| width="65%" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em auto; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px solid #aaaaaa; border-collapse: collapse; white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"
|- style="text-align: center; background: #EEEEEE"
! Colour model
! style="background-color:#002F6C; color:#FFFFFF"|Blue
! style="background-color:#FFCD00; color:#000000"|Yellow gold
! style="background-color:#009A44; color:#FFFFFF"|Green
! style="background-color:#C8102E; color:#FFFFFF"|Red
! style="background-color:#FFFFFF; color:#000000"|White
|-
| [[Pantone]]
| 294 C
| 116 C
| 347 C
| 186 C
| White
|-
| [[Coates SP]]
| 5 809
| 1 802
| 65
| 35
|
|-
| [[RGB]]<ref name="pantone.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/colorfinder.aspx |title=Pantone Color Picker |accessdate=10 January 2020 |website=Find a PANTONE color |publisher=Pantone LLC }}</ref>
| 0, 47, 108 (#002F6C)
| 255, 205, 0 (#FFCD00)
| 0, 154, 68 (#009A44)
| 200, 16, 46 (#C8102E)
| 255, 255, 255 (#FFFFFF)
|}

=== Construction sheet ===
{{gallery
|height=250
|width=360
|File:Flag of Namibia (construction sheet).svg|flag construction sheet
}}

== Symbolism ==
The chairman explained the symbolism of the flag's colours as follows:<ref name="Brownell" />
* Red – represents Namibia's most important resource, its people. It refers to their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all.
* White – represents peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony.
* Green – symbolises vegetation and agricultural resources.
* Blue – represents the clear Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain.
* Golden-yellow sun – life and energy. The golden-yellow colour represents wealth of the country.
* The twelve rays of the sun – represents the twelve [[Demographics of Namibia|ethnicities]] of Namibia, which make up most of the Namibian population, which are divided into four main groups of three.

== Description ==
The flag has a white-edged red diagonal band radiating diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner. The upper triangle is blue with a gold sun with 12 triangular rays and the lower triangle is green.

[[Blazon]]: ''Per bend sinister Azure and Vert, a bend sinister Gules fimbriated Argent and in dexter chief a Sun with twelve straight rays Or charged with an annulet Azure.''

== Other flags ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Flag of the President of Namibia.svg|Presidential Standard
File:Flag of the Namibian Police Force.svg|Police Flag
File:Flag of the Namibian Defence Force.png|NDF Flag
File:Flag of the Namibian Army.svg|Army Flag
File:Flag of the Namibian Navy.svg|Navy Flag
File:Flag of the Namibian Air Force.svg|Air Force Flag
</gallery>

== Historical flags ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="120">
Flag of Germany (1867–1918).svg|Flag of the [[German Empire]]
File:Reichskolonialflagge.svg|Flag of the [[Reich Colonial Office]], used in [[German South-West Africa]] from 24 April 1884 to 9 July 1915.
File:Flag of Deutsch-Südwest.svg|Proposed flag of German South-West Africa.
File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|Flag of South West Africa between 1915 and 28 June 1919.
File:Red Ensign of South Africa (1912–1951).svg|Merchant flag of South West Africa from 1915 to 1928.
File:Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg|Flag of [[South West Africa]] from 1928 until 1982 under Mandates and [[UN Trust Territory|Trusteeships]] by [[South Africa]].
File:Flag of South Africa (1982–1994).svg|Flag of South West Africa from 1982 until 1990 under Mandates and Trusteeships by South Africa.
File:Flag of South West Africa People's Organisation.svg|Flag of [[SWAPO]] used at the United Nations between 1976 and 21 March 1990.
</gallery>

=== Flags of bantustans in South West Africa ===
Some of the [[bantustan]]s established by South Africa during its period of administering South West Africa had adopted their own distinctive flags whilst others used the flag of South Africa.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="120">
File:Flag of Bushmanland.svg|[[Bushmanland (South West Africa)|Bushmanland]]
File:Flag of Damaraland.svg|[[Damaraland]]
File:Flag of East Caprivi.svg|[[East Caprivi]]
File:Flag of Hereroland.svg|[[Hereroland]]
File:Flag of South Africa (1928–1982).svg|[[Kaokoland]] (until 1982)
File:Flag of South Africa (1982–1994).svg|[[Kaokoland]] (from 1982)
File:Flag of Kavangoland.svg|[[Kavangoland]]
File:Flag of Namaland.svg|[[Namaland]]
File:Flag of Ovamboland.svg|[[Ovamboland]]
File:Flag of Rehoboth-Basterland.svg|[[Rehoboth (homeland)|Rehoboth (Basterland)]]
File:Flag of South Africa (1928–1982).svg|[[Tswanaland]] (until 1982)
File:Flag of South Africa (1982–1994).svg|[[Tswanaland]] (from 1982)
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{FOTW|id=na|title=Namibia}}
*[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Namibia.htm World Statesmen – Namibia]
{{Commons category|Flags of Namibia}}
{{clear}}
{{Africa topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Africa]]}}
{{nationalflags}}<!-- to edit this table, go to [[Template:Nationalflags]] -->

{{DEFAULTSORT:Namibia, Flag of}}
[[Category:Flags of Africa]]
[[Category:National symbols of Namibia|Flag]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:Flags adopted through competition]]
[[Category:National flags|Namibia]]
[[Category:Flags displaying a sun]]
[[Category:Flags of Namibia| ]]