Flag of Mauritania
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| Use | National flag and ensign |
|---|---|
| Adopted | April 1, 1959 |
| Design | A green field; charged with a golden upward-pointed crescent and star |
The flag of Mauritania is the common name for the national flag of Mauritania in north-west Africa. The flag was adopted on April 1, 1959. It was introduced under the instructions of Moktar Ould Daddah, and the subsequent constitution of 22 March 1959. It is almost unique among national flags as it does not contain any of the three most common flag colours; red, white, or blue – a distinction only shared with Jamaica.
The colors green and gold are considered Pan-African colors. Green is also used to symbolize Islam, and the gold for the sands of the Sahara desert. The crescent and star are symbols of Islam, which is the major religion in the nation. Some writers have also speculated that green symbolises a bright future, and growth. There is no official specification or construction sheet for the exact relative measurements of the star and crescent, although the flag's measurements are 2:3.
The design acts as the national flag of Mauritania, and is also used in circular form as an aircraft roundel.
The current constitution of 12 July 1991 specifies that:
The national emblem is a flag with a crescent and a gold star on a green ground
Unlike the seal, the exact flag is specified, not merely the right for a law to specify it at some later date. However, the flag has its official basis in the earlier constitution of 22 March 1959; no changes were made after the country's declaration of independence in 1960.
A Referendum scheduled for January 2017 by the President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz contained amidst others constitutional amendments a modification of the national flag. Two red bands would be added, one on the upper side and the other on the lower one, as to symbolize the blood shed for the country.
The referendum was canceled by the government on 30 December 2016, judging it too expensive in "a difficult economic context". The Parliament, (Nationale Assembly and Senate) will be called in Congress to vote on the proposed reforms, among which the flag's modification.
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