Last modified: 2006-03-18 by antonio martins
Keywords: ghana | star: 5 points (black) | presidential | cross: teutonic | freedom and justice | okoh (theodosia salome) | fimbriation | canton: national flag | civil ensign | civil air ensign | doubt |
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The flag was officially hoisted
1957.03.06,
replaced shortly with version with white middle
stripe 1964.01.01 to
1966.02.28,
when this flag was reintroduced. The
flag is national flag on land and state ensign. Proportions 2:3.
Željko Heimer, 04 Jul 1996
The Album 2000 [pay00] says:
1. National Flag.and shows a 2:3 red over yellow over green tricolour with black star in the yellow stripe touching the edges of the other two stripes. A note to the figure explains that the presidential flag is the same, only with golden fringe.2:3
According to the official
site, the flag designer was a Ghanaian, Mrs. Theodosia Salome Okoh
Dov Gutterman, 13 Mar 2002
It uses Pan-African colours, with black star for being the
first independent African nation of the 20th century.
David Kendall, 01 Oct 1996
It is believed that the black star on the flag of Ghana,
the lonestar of African freedom, is taken from the flag of the
Black Star Line. This shipping line
was founded by Marcus Garvey in June 1919 and would take new
negro colonists back to Africa. It closed in 1922. The flag was
green with a red saltire and a large black star in the centre.
Mark Sensen, 20 Jun 2000, quoting from
[cra93b]
According to Smith [smi75b],
«the green-white-red horizontal of the ruling
Convention Peoples’ Party
and the green-yellow-red of Africa’s
oldest independent nation (Ethiopia)
combined to inspire Ghana’s flags.»
Ivan Sache, 26 Jun 1999
The flag of Ghana consists of red, gold and green horizontal strips
with a five pointed black star in the centre of the gold stripe. The color
red represents the blood of those who died in the country’s struggle for
independence: gold stands for the minerals wealth, while green symbolizes
the rich forest. The star represents the lonestar of African freedom.
Dov Gutterman, 19 Dec 1998, quoting from
http://www.erols.com/johnston/pledge.htm
On 23 November 1958 a Ghana-Guinea Union was
formed with a flag like that of Ghana but with two black stars.
Mark Sensen, 20 Jun 2000, quoting from
[cra93b]
There was also a blue ensign (state ensign) used in 60’s and
abbandoned sometimes letter, maybe around 1985.
Obscura Secundus, 13 Oct 2001,
quoted by Željko Heimer
I don’t find it in [smi75c] nor
[smi82], though, so maybe it was abandoned
even earlier. Anyone has some info on it? How would it look like (ratio, size
of the flag in canton, eventual fimbriation)? I’d guess that there may
well have been in both in yellow and white variant,
if used in 1960’s.
Željko Heimer, 13 Oct 2001
The Album 2000 [pay00] says:
3. Civil Ensign.≅5:8
Red ensign with the national flag in canton finbriated with black line.
The book [smi82] gives ratio as 2:3 (also
for naval ensign), but ≅5:8 would cover
that too. I am somehow ready to bet that there are more 2:3 flags in use then
those that are 5:8.
Željko Heimer, 08 Oct 2001
Smith [smi75b] and
Album des Pavillons
(correction #26, September 1996)
show a thick black fimbriation.
Pederson [ped70] describes (without
image) a civil ensign of the same pattern, but with proportion 5:8.
Ivan Sache, 26 Jun 1999
Politikens Flagbook [udk00a]
depicts this flag with merged red, just like in the
white ensign for Warships.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 08 Oct 2001
The Merchant Flag is like the British Red Ensign,
but has the National Flag of Ghana in the canton, with a
narrow black fimbriation.
Santiago Dotor, 23 Feb 2000, quoting
[bcr81], page 151
Light blue field with national flag in canton
and a large black star at lower fly.
(Source: [smi75b])
Ivan Sache, 26 Jun 1999
Both the Air Ensign and the Civil Air Ensign
are light blue with the national flag in canton and with an emblem in the fly:
Air Force uses its aircraft
marking, while the civil air ensign has a black star.
Željko Heimer, 08 Oct 2001
The Album 2000 [pay00] has a note
at the national flag image explaing that the presidential
flag is the same, only with golden fringe.
Any idea why the presidential flag was changed?
Željko Heimer, 08 Oct 2001
Blue with two eagles holding a disc looking like a shooting target
with teuton cross in the middle and a black star above. Over the emblem
it is written ’PRESIDENT’ and under it in two rows ’OF THE REPUBLIC OF
GHANA’.
Željko Heimer, 04 Jul 1996
Smith [smi75b] says
regarding the Presidential flag:
«The flag is composed of authentic Ghanaian symbols, meaning
sovereignty, good luck and sanctity.»
Therefore this “teuton cross’ has apparently here
nothing to do with German symbolics.
The proportions are «approximately 7:12»,
precisely like in the image above.
Ivan Sache, 26 Jun 1999
The coat of arms of Ghana consists of a shield divided into four quarters
by a green St. George’s cross rimmed with gold. In the top left-hand quarter
is a crossed linguist staff and ceremonial sword on a blue background,
representing local administration. In the top right-hand quarter is an
heraldic castle on an heraldic sea with a light blue background,
representing national government. In the bottom two quarters are a cocoa
tree and a mine shaft representing the wealth of the country. In the centre
of the green St. George cross will be found a gold lion, representing the
continued link between Ghana and the Commonwealth. Surmounting the shield is
a black five pointed star rimmed with gold, representing the lonestar of
African freedom, and this star stands on the wreath to the colors red, gold
and green which again stand on the top of the shield. Under the shield will
be found the motto FREEDOM AND JUSTICE. The supporters of the coat of arms
are two eagles, colored gold. Around each eagle’s neck hangs a black star
suspended from a ribbon of Ghana’s colors.
Dov Gutterman, 19 Dec 1998,
quoting from
http://www.erols.com/johnston/pledge.htm
The national anthem of Ghana mentions the flag and the black star in its third stanza:
Raise high the flag of Ghana,Source: http://www.erols.com/johnston/pledge.htm (the source says «Where the naner of Ghana freely flies», but I assumed "banner" was intended and corrected the text accordingly).
And one with Africa advance;
Black Star of hope and honour,
To all who thirst for liberty;
Where the banner of Ghana freely flies,
May the way to freedom truly lie