Flag of Tanzania

The flag of Tanzania (Swahili: bendera

ya Tanzania) consists of a yellow-
edged black diagonal band, divided
diagonally from the lower hoist-side
corner, with a green upper triangle and
blue lower triangle. Adopted in 1964 to
replace the individual flags of
Tanganyika and Zanzibar, it has been
the flag of the United Republic of
Tanzania since the two states merged
that year. The design of the present
flag incorporates the elements from
the two former flags.

Tanzania

Use National flag, civil

and state ensign

Proportion 2:3

Adopted 30 June 1964

Design A Yellow-edged
black diagonal band
divided diagonally
 divided diagonally
from the lower hoist-
side corner: the
upper triangle is
green and the lower
triangle is blue.

Variant flag of Tanzania

Name Presidential
Standard of
Tanzania

Proportion 2:3

Design A green field with a

blue border with the
national coat of
arms (without
 arms (without

humans) imposed at
the center.

History
The United Kingdom – together with its
dominion South Africa and fellow Allied
power Belgium – occupied the majority
of German East Africa in 1916 during
the East African Campaign. Three years
later, the British were tasked with
administering the Tanganyika Territory
as a League of Nations mandate. It was
turned into a UN Trust Territory after
World War II, when the LN dissolved in
1946 and the United Nations was
formed.[1][2] In 1954, the Tanganyika
African Association – which spoke out
against British colonial rule[2] – became
the Tanganyika African National Union
(TANU) under the leadership of Julius
Nyerere and Oscar Kambona.[1] The
aim of the political party was to attain
independence for the territory;[2] its flag
was a tricolour consisting of three
horizontal green, black and yellow
bands.[3] Shortly before independence
in 1961, elections were held in
Tanganyika. After the TANU won
comprehensively, the British colonial
leaders advised them to utilise the
design of their party's flag as
inspiration for a new national flag. As a
result, yellow stripes were added, and
Tanganyika became independent on 9
December 1961.[3]

The Sultanate of Zanzibar – which was

a British protectorate until 1963[2] –
used a red flag during its reign over the
island. The last sultan was overthrown
in the Zanzibar Revolution on 12
January 1964, and the Afro-Shirazi
Party – the ruling political party of the
newly formed People's Republic of
Zanzibar and Pemba – adopted a
national flag the next month that was
inspired by its own party flag.[3][4] This
consisted of a tricolour with three
horizontal blue, black and green
bands.[3]

In April 1964, both Tanganyika and

Zanzibar united in order to form a
single country – the United Republic of
Tanzania.[2] Consequently, the flag
designs of the two states were
amalgamated to establish a new
national flag.[3][5] The green and black
colours from the flag of Tanganyika
were retained along with the blue from
Zanzibar's flag,[4] with a diagonal
design used "for distinctiveness".[3]
This combined design was adopted on
30 June 1964.[4] It was featured on the
first set of stamps issued by the newly
unified country.[6]

Design

Symbolism …

The colors and symbols of the flag

carry cultural, political, and regional
meanings. The green alludes to the
natural vegetation and "rich agricultural
resources" of the country,[3][5] while
black represents the Swahili people
who are native to Tanzania.[5] The blue
epitomizes the Indian Ocean,[3] as well
as the nation's numerous lakes and
rivers.[5] The thin stripes stand for
Tanzania's mineral wealth,[3][4][7]
derived from the "rich deposits" in the
land.[5] While Whitney Smith in the
Encyclopædia Britannica and Dorling
Kindersley's Complete Flags of the
World describe the fimbriations as
yellow,[3][4] other sources – such as The
World Factbook and Simon Clarke in
the journal Azania: Archaeological
Research in Africa – contend that it is
actually gold.[5][7]

Historical flags

Flag Duration Use Description

Horizontal
black-
white-red
Flag of fields with
1893-
German East the German
1919
Africa Reichsadler
in a white
 circle in the
middle.
A British
Red Ensign
with the
Emblem of
the British
League of
Nations
Flag of mandate (a
1919–
Tanganyika British UN
1961
Territory Trust
Territory
after 1946)
centred on
 the outer
half of the
flag.

A green
field with a
gold-edged
1961– Flag of
black
1964 Tanganyika
horizontal
band in the
centre.
Flag of the
Sultanate of
1896– Zanzibar A plain red
1963 (British field.
 protectorate)

A red field
with a
green disk
Flag of the in the
1963–
Sultanate of centre
1964
Zanzibar bearing
two yellow
cloves in
the centre.
Flag of the A
January– People's horizontal
April Republic of tricolour of
1964 Zanzibar and blue, black
 Pemba and green.

See also
Flag of Zanzibar

References
1. "Tanzania profile" . BBC News.
BBC. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
2. "History of Tanzania" . Lonely
Planet. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
3. Smith, Whitney (21 November
2013). "Flag of Tanzania" .
Encyclopædia Britannica.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
 Retrieved 6 August 2014.
(subscription required)

4. Kindersley Ltd., Dorling (6 January

2009). Complete Flags of the
World . Penguin. p. 96.
ISBN 9780756654863.
5. "Tanzania" . The World Factbook.
CIA. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
6. "First Set Of Stamps Issued By
Tanzania" . Toledo Blade. 26
December 1965. p. H6. Retrieved
6 August 2014.
7. Clarke, Simon (2003). "An analysis
of a commemorative kanga
design". Azania: Archaeological
 design". Azania: Archaeological
Research in Africa. 38 (1): 166–
167.
doi:10.1080/00672700309480364
. (registration required)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Flags of Tanzania.

Tanzania at Flags of the World

Country Profile , at The Tanzania
National Website (Tanzania
Government). Accessed 16 February
2006.
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Flag_of_Tanzania&oldid=963334512"

Last edited 2 days ago by BeamAlexander25

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