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Equatorial Guinea

Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Ecuatorial

Last modified: 2014-06-06 by bruce berry
Keywords: equatorial guinea | guinea ecuatorial | silk | unitad | pax | justicia |
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[National flag and ensign] 2:3~  Image by Željko Heimer, 23 Oct 2001
Flag adopted on 21 August 1979 and Coat of Arms adopted on 21 August 1979.   

See also:

Description of the flag

The flag of Equatorial Guinea is a horizontal tricolor of green over white over red, with a blue triangle at the hoist.  The coat of arms are to be found in the centre of the white stripe.  The arms are gray with silk cotton tree. Above are six yellow six pointed stars representing the mainland and islands which make up the country. Under shield is a motto: UNIDAD - PAZ - JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice). The flag was adopted at independence on 12 October 1968. During the dictatorship of Francisco Nguema (1972-79) the emblem on flag was changed, but the original 1968 coat of arms was restored after Nguema was deposed in August 1979.

The symbolism of the colours is as follows:

  • Green symbolises the natural resources and the flora and fauna of the country;

  • Blue symbolises the sea, which connects the mainland with the islands, which together form the country;

  • White symbolises peace; and

  • Red symbolises the struggle for independence.

Željko Heimer 14 Dec 1995

The construction details of the flag are given in Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives (National flags and distinctive markings) 2000 edition [pay00] as (2+2+2):9~ but I think this merely notes that the three stripes are of the same width and that:

  • shade of blue triangle approximates to Pantone 312c which is rather light. [vdv00] and [smi82] indicate a darker shade (navy blue);
  • The size ("height") of the triangle is given as being equal to a stripe height (1/3 of hoist). [vdv00] is quite similar while [smi82] and some other sources make the triangle much bigger (isosceles?); and
  • Position of the coat of arms is shown as being in the middle of flag and sometimes in the middle from the triangle to the fly edge.

[Civil flag and ensign] [Variant] 2:3~  Image by Željko Heimer, 23 Oct 2001

Album  [pay00] gives the flag without the coat of arms as being the "Unofficial Variant" for a civil flag and ensign.
Željko Heimer, 23 Oct 2001

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual, London, 2012 [loc12]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each National Olympic Committee was sent an image of their flag, including the PMS shades, by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for their approval. Once this was obtained, the LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specifications may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the National Olympic Committee believed their flag to be.

For Equatorial Guinea : PMS 355 green, 293 blue, 032 red, 468 brown, 440 brown, 109 yellow and black. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 10 Oct 2012

Coat of Arms

Image by Željko Heimer, 23 Oct 2001

The coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea were adopted on 21 August 1979 and feature a silk cotton tree (the so called "God Tree") on a gray background.  The tree is where the first treaty was signed between Spain and a local ruler signifying the beginning of the colonial period.  Above the shield are six yellow six-pointed stars representing mainland and the five main islands which together comprises the country. Under shield is the national motto: UNIDAD - PAZ - JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice).  The Arms were originally at independence but were changed during the dictatorship of Francisco Nguema (1972-79) and were restored in 1979.

The coat of arms are found in the centre of the white stripe of the national flag.

The coat of arms in the above image is adapted from Corel Clipart collection.
Željko Heimer, 14 Dec1995

According to the website of the Government of Equatorial Guinea, the arms are based on the arms granted by the King of Spain to the town of Bata, now the largest town in the country  The shield portrays a "capoquero" (kapok) tree surmounted by six stars representing the six components of the country, Fernando Poo, Río Muni (the continental component of the country), Elobey Grande, Elobey Chico, Corisco and Annobón.  The kapok was nicknamed the "Tree of the Gods" in the 19th century as the Bonkoro swore loyalty to the King of Spain under such a tree.

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.) Family Malvaceae, is a tree native from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and West Africa as well.  The tree is widely cultivated in southeast Asia (where it is known as Java kapok) for fibre.  Venerated as a sacred tree by the Mayas, Kapok is the national tree of Guatemala and Puerto Rico.
Ivan Sache, 10 Oct 2010

Presidential Flag proposal

There is currently no Presidential standard in Equatorial Guinea.

        Images by Jaume Ollé, 01 July 1997

However, in 1986 the Presidency of the Equatorial Guinea requested the design for a presidential standard.  Tomas Rodriguez and Antonio Manzano make three proposals that were presented to the then President, Teorodo Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The proposals all featured the silk cotton tree (Ceiba in Spanish) from the national Arms with three yellow "colonel" stars to signify the rank of President Obiang in the army (in the Spanish army I suppose, since he obtained his title in Spain).  The six stars are not explained, but they could correspond to the country's districts or the pieces of territory which together make up the country.  
Source: Moharra number 2, September 1986.
Jaume Ollé, 01 July 1997

Provincial flags

 

A list of Equatorial Guinea's seven provinces is given on the Spanish language Wikipedia, with a link to each province which shows an illustration of each provincial flag.

 

I believe these must be fictional flags. This version of Wikipedia is one of the worse to depict the glorification of the former Spanish Empire.  Despite Equatorial Guinea having one of the highest costs of living, I doubt that each province has its own flag.

 

Several of the illustrated provincial flags seem to be inspired by those of Espiritu Santo (Brasil), South Africa (before 1994) and Shanland.

 

Any photographic confirmation of these flags will be welcome.
Jaume Ollé, 11 Oct 2013