Flag of South Africa

The flag of South Africa was intentional in March 1994 together with adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africa's 1994 general election, to replace a flag that had been used since 1928.

The flag has horizontal bands of red on the top as well as blue on the bottom, of equal width, separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal "Y" shape, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side and adopt the flag's diagonals. The "Y" embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow or gold bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes. The stripes at the hover end are in the 5:1:3:1:5 ratio. Three of the flag's colours were taken from the flag of the South African Republic, itself derived from the flag of the Netherlands, as well as the Union Jack, while the remaining three colours were taken from the flag of the African National Congress.

Colours

At the time of its adoption, the South African flag was the only national flag in the world to comprise six colours in its primary lines and without a seal and brocade. The array and colours are a synopsis of principal elements of the country's flag history. The colours themselves throw no fundamental meaning.: 18