Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe
Horizontal bands of green, yellow and green, the yellow one and a half times as wide as each green, with a red triangle at the hoist and two black five-pointed stars on the yellow.
What the flag means
The constitution sets out the design but not its meaning. According to the Office of the President, green, yellow and red are the Pan-African colours of the independence movement, the triangle stands for equality, and the two black stars are the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe.
History
After the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal, eight designs in Pan-African colours were considered for the new state. The one chosen was the flag of the MLSTP, the independence movement, altered so that the yellow band is wider than the green ones. The design is credited to Manuel Pinto da Costa, who became the first president. It was raised at independence on 12 July 1975.
The flag is widely used as a flag of convenience. In 2002, 39 large ships flew it, although the country has no deep-water port.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe
- Flags of the World: São Tomé and Príncipe
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
