Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe

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Democratic Republic of
São Tomé and Príncipe
ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion1:2
Adopted12 July 1975; 49 years ago (1975-07-12)
DesignA horizontal triband of green, yellow, and green, with a red isosceles triangle at the hoist and two five-pointed black stars on the yellow band
Designed byManuel Pinto da Costa

The

Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe
(MLSTP), which led the country to its independence.

Design

The flag was designed by

president of São Tomé and Príncipe. It is almost identical to the MLSTP flag except that the widths of its bands are at a ratio of 2:3:2, while on the MLSTP flag they are equal. The flag's colours are shared by the flags initially adopted by two other former Portuguese colonies, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, and all three feature a black star.[1]

Symbolism

The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural and political significance; however, sources differ on the specific meanings. The office of the São Toméan president gives the following significance to the flag's elements: green, yellow, and red are the

cocoa, a major agricultural export of the country.[3]

Construction

The São Toméan government has specified sizes, colours, and manufacturing parameters in which the flag is to be made. The construction of the flag is outlined in Part I, Article 14 of the Constitution of São Tomé and Príncipe (2002 revision). The flag consists of three horizontal bands: two green bands of equal width at the top and bottom, and a yellow band in the middle that is one-and-a-half times the width of the green bands. The yellow band contains two five-pointed black stars. At the hoist is a red triangle whose height is equal to half of its base (an isosceles triangle).[3][4]

Construction sheet of the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe

History

Brasília, Brazil

The Portuguese began colonising the then uninhabited islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the 16th century.[5] Four centuries later, the Batepá massacre in 1953 stoked nationalistic sentiment and galvanised a struggle for independence.[6] The MLSTP was founded seven years later and remained underground until the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974. The new Portuguese government recognised the MLSTP as the "sole and legitimate representative" of the São Toméan people, and the two parties negotiated a roadmap for São Toméan independence.[7] Numerous designs for a São Toméan national flag were reviewed, all of which utilised the Pan-African colours. A modified version of the MLSTP flag, designed by the first São Toméan president Manuel Pinto da Costa, was ultimately chosen. It was adopted upon the independence of São Tomé and Príncipe on 12 July 1975.[1]

Flag of convenience

The flag of São Tomé and Príncipe is one of many national flags flown as a

merchant vessels.[8] The São Toméan government encourages this practice because it brings in much-needed revenue to the country.[9] Thirty-nine large ships were flying the flag in 2002, despite the fact that São Tomé and Príncipe does not have any deep-water ports for them to dock in.[9] The São Toméan flag was previously on the Paris Blacklist of merchant flags for poor port state control, but it was removed in 2004 due to a lack of investigations being conducted on ships flying the flag.[10] As of 2023, the flag remains off the blacklist.[11]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Smith 2013.
  2. ^ Government of São Tomé and Príncipe 2020.
  3. ^ a b Central Intelligence Agency 2024.
  4. ^ Constitution of São Tomé and Príncipe 2002, Part I, Article 14: "A Bandeira Nacional é constituída por três barras dispostas horizontalmente, sendo verdes e de igual largura as dos extremos, e a mediana, na qual estão apostas duas estrelas negras de cinco pontas, amarela, e uma vez e meia mais larga que cada uma das outras e por um triângulo encarnado, cuja base se situa do lado esquerdo da Bandeira. A altura do triângulo é metade da base."
  5. ^ BBC News 2018.
  6. ^ Seibert 2006, p. 88.
  7. ^ Seibert 2006, pp. 100–101.
  8. ^ Braw 2024.
  9. ^ a b Frynas, Wood & Soares de Oliveira 2003, pp. 57–58.
  10. ^ Mansell 2009, p. 185.
  11. ^ Paris MoU 2023.

Sources

Books

  • Mansell, John N. K. (12 June 2009). Flag State Responsibility: Historical Development and Contemporary Issues.
    ISBN 9783540929338
    .
  • Seibert, Gerhard (1 May 2006). Comrades, Clients and Cousins: Colonialism, Socialism and Democratization in São Tomé and Príncipe.
    ISBN 978-90-474-0843-7
    .

Journal articles

News articles

Government publications

Websites

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