The Gambia’s flag (18 February 1965) shows red, blue, and green horizontal bands separated by narrow white fimbriations. Red signifies the sun and savannas; blue the Gambia River; green forests and agriculture; white peace and unity. Proportions 2:3; statutes standardise colours and protocol; the design has remained unchanged since independence.
The Gambia’s flag, designed by Louis Thomasi and adopted on 18 February 1965, eschews pan‑African colours to express a uniquely geographic and civic identity.
Design
Three broad horizontal bands—red (top), blue (centre), green (bottom)—are separated by narrow white stripes. Ratio 2:3; colour and fimbriation widths are defined in guidance.
Symbolism
Red denotes the sun and savannas and recalls the struggle toward independence; blue the Gambia River, the country’s axial feature; green forests, agriculture, and hope; white peace and unity.
Law and protocol
Protocol prescribes respectful handling, precedence, half‑masting, and dignified retirement; misuse and commercial appropriation are restricted. The flag is raised on state buildings, schools, and missions and figures centrally in national holidays and civic instruction.
Continuity
The composition has remained unchanged through political transitions, providing a stable emblem in domestic and international settings.
Thus the Gambian banner ties geography and civics into a crisp, enduring tricolour with white separators, maintained by statute and ceremony.