Flag of Namibia

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, Don Stevenson[1] 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. The three designers were publicly acknowledged by judge Hans Berker, the chairman of the subcommittee, at the unveiling ceremony on 9 March 1990.[2]

However, two other claims were made – South African Frederick Brownell claimed that he had designed the flag in his role as South African State Herald.[3] 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.[4]

It is one of the few national flags incorporating a diagonal line, with other examples including the DR Congo, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brunei.

The chairman explained the symbolism of the flag's colours as follows:[3]

• 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 ethnicities of Namibia, which make up most of the Namibian population, which are divided into four main groups of three.

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.

• 
  Presidential Standard
• 
  Police Flag

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  Flag of the German Empire
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  Flag of the Reich Colonial Office, used in German South-West Africa from 24 April 1884 to 9 July 1915.
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  Proposed flag of German South-West Africa.
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  Flag of South West Africa between 1915 and 28 June 1919.
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  Merchant flag of South West Africa from 1915 to 1928.
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  Flag of South West Africa from 1928 until 1990 under Mandates and Trusteeships by South Africa.
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  Flag of SWAPO used at the United Nations between 1976 and 21 March 1990.

• Namibia at Flags of the World
• World Statesmen – Namibia

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