Mauritania’s flag features a green field charged with a gold upward‑facing crescent and five‑pointed star, bordered at top and bottom by red stripes added in 2017. The original 1959 design lacked the red bands; a referendum introduced them to honour sacrifice and perseverance. Green and gold reflect Islam and the Sahara; red recalls the struggle. Ratio 2:3; law standardizes geometry and colours.
Mauritania adopted its first national flag in 1959: a green field bearing a gold crescent and star, symbols of Islam and the desert’s sun. After decades of use, a 2017 constitutional referendum amended the design by adding narrow red stripes at the top and bottom of the field. The bands memorialise the sacrifices of the people and their endurance in forging and defending the nation.
The present flag thus comprises a green field bordered by red stripes, with a gold upward‑facing crescent and five‑pointed star centred between them. Green represents Islam and hope; gold (yellow) the sands and the sun; red the blood of patriots and the collective will to persevere.
Statutory guidance fixes a 2:3 ratio; the widths of the red stripes relative to the field, the diameter and orientation of the crescent and star, and colour references are defined to support consistent manufacture. Protocol prescribes precedence, half‑masting by proclamation, illumination at night, and dignified retirement of worn flags. Improper use is restricted.
The 2017 change was implemented nationwide across public buildings and missions. Civic education materials explain both the historical 1959 emblem and the reasons for the added red borders, situating the flag within a constitutional evolution.