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Republique Centrafricain
Flag adopted 1 December 1958, coat of arms adopted 17 May 1963.
National Flag
The four-striped blue, white, green and yellow flag with fifth red stirpe set vertically and yellow five-pointed star in "canton". In Album 2000 is given ratio 2:3 and a note claiming that there exists variant in ration 3:5. For the comparison Smith 1975 and Smith 1980 gives ratio as 3:5~, Shipmate Chart has it 3:5, Znamierowski 1999 gives "Proportions unspecified" which is probably closest to the thruth.
According to Smith 1982 colours were chosen to represent France and Panafrican colours. What is common - red as blood - is superimposed to symbolize that Europeans and Africans have to respect each other. Yellow star of independence symbolizes a bright future. Officialy hoisted on 1 December 1958.
Zeljko Heimer 11 May 2001
The Album 2000 gives exact construction details (2+2+2+2):(5+2+5), but I am somehow doubtful - I believe that the numbers 5 are here gained as "rest" from the firm overall ratio (2:3, which is not quite certain as discussed above) and requirement that the vertcial stripe be of euqal width as each of the horizontal stripes (the requirement seems to be implicit, but followed quite strictly).
L'Album 1995 issue also give two possibilities for the ratio, but it also specifies the position of the star. According to this the star should have center in point 0.14b from hoist where b is the flag length. This specification is not mentioned latter, I guess it is not quite relevant (if not entirely wrong).
While doing these images, I made image with ratio 4:5. While I have no sources or proves of such flag existance, but I think that this minght have been the original idea - probably never actually used - for the sake of the "conformity" with other "normal" flags (such as 2:3 or 3:5). The idea here is that all the five stripes are of equal size (area) in the flag. Well, just a speculation - but maybe a root of the presidential flag discussed further on.
Zeljko Heimer 11 May 2001
4:5 Reconstruction - not used!
by Zeljko Heimer
The colours of the Central African nation were adopted unanimously by acclamation during the ceremonious session of the Legislative Assembly on 1st December 1958 [1]. Before the vote, President Barthélémy Boganda said to the Deputees:
"Those coulours, which symbolize the four territories constituting the French Equatorial Africa [2] but also our guide territory, the Metropolitan France [3], came out of my heart. The red stripe which crosses the four colours is the symbol of our blood. As we did it when France was in danger [4], we shall shed our blood for Africa and to protect the Central African Republic, member of the French Community [5]."
The blue [colour], placed as the sky, stands for Vastness, Freedom, Greatness, Serenity.
The white [colour] recalls Naivety, Purity, Frankness, Bravery, Confidence, Dignity, Equality.
The green [colour] is the symbol of Hope, Belief and Faith.
The yellow [colour] marks Tolerance, Hospitality, Charity.
Therefore, the Central African flag expresses Barthélémy Boganda's aspiration to the unity of all men in the world, but mostly to the African Unity, powerful in its rich and harmonious diversity.
Original source: "République Centrafricaine - Na-Ndouzou" The book was published c. 1969 on behalf of the Presidency of the Central African Republic by the Editions Delroisse (Boulogne-Billancourt, France). The text was edited by a commission presided by N. Kombot-Naguemon.
Source: Betou.org, http://www.betou.org/Cartes/drapeau.htm translated from French by myself.
Notes (mine):
[1] In 1950, Barthélémy Boganda, the first Deputy (in the French National Assembly) from Oubangui-Chari, funded the MESAN (Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire, Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa). The Central African Republic was proclaimed in 1958, with Boganda as President, and became fully independent in 1959, David Dacko succeding to Boganda, deceased the same year. In 1965, Dacko was overthrown by Jean-Bedel Bokassa, later appointed President for life in 1972 and crowned Emperor in 1976, with the shameful and ridiculous support of France. In 1979, France turned the tables and helped Dacko to overthrow Bokassa (or rather overthrew Bokassa and placed Dacko on the vacant throne). Dacko was himself overthrown by Kolingba two years later. Since then, the Central African Republic has been in permanent troubles, "arbitrated" by France, which keeps troops stationed in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.
[2] French Equatorial Africa (AEF, Afrique-Equatoriale-française) existed from 1910 to 1958, as the federation of the four colonies of Gabon, Moyen-Congo (now the Republic of Congo), Oubangui-Chari (now the Central African Republic), and Chad.
[3] France Metropolitan (code FX in ISO3166) is European France.
[4] This is a clear reference to Félix Eboué (1884-1944). Eboué was born in Cayenne (French Guyana) and was the first Black appointed Colonial Governor, first in Guadeloupe (1936), then in Chad (1938). Following de Gaulle's call on 18 June 1940, Eboué rallied the Free France, and the AEF served as territorial basis for the Free France.
[5] The French Community (Communauté française) was founded in 1958. It grouped France, the Overseas Departments and Territories, and several of the former French colonies in Africa. It progressively vanished and ceased to function in 1960, although the Community was constitutionally abolished only in 1995! The flag of the Communauté was a square tricolor flag with a golden fringe and LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE written in gold in the middle of the flag (one word per line).
Ivan Sache, 24 December 2002
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