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![[flag of Namibia]](../images/n/na.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 03 Jul 2002
On 21 March 1990 South West Africa gained its independence as the Republic of Namibia and adopted a new flag. The design was chosen by a committee which had been established to investigate and provide technical advice on new national symbols for Namibia. The public has been requested to submit designs and 835 designs were received. The official description of the flag is as follows:
The National Flag of Namibia shall be rectangular, in the proportion of three in the length to two in width, tirced per bend reversed, blue, white and green; the white bend reversed, which shall be one third of the width of the flag, is charged with another of red, one quarter of the width of the flag. In the upper hoist there shall be a gold sun with twelve straight rays, the diameter of which shall be one third of the width of the flag, with its vertical axis one fifth of the distance from the hoist, positioned equidistant from the top edge and from the reversed bend. The rays, which shall each be two-fifths of the radius of the sun, issue from the outer edge of a blue ring, which shall be one tenth the radius of the sun.
Although no colour has a specific meaning, the symbolism attributed to the national flag by the Chairman of the National Symbols Sub-committee at a press conference on 02 February 1990 is as follows:
The main colours were taken from the flag of
SWAPO
(South West African People's Organization), the most important liberation movement. This flag was adopted in 1971 and
comprises horizontal stripes of blue-red-green, the most important colours of the
Ovambo's, the county's largest
ethnic population.
Source: Jos Poels, "Prisma Vlaggenboek", 1990.
Mark Sensen, 10 Aug 1999
National Flag. CSW/CSW 2:3
The flag is described in details from official
source. All the dimensions are provided for. The distance of the sun
emblem from the upper edge and the diagonal is only stated to have to be
equal. I designated them the letter d to indicate that. While drawing the
flag this size came (on three digits) as 3.175 (or if you want from the
center of the sun d+5=8.175) but I haven't tried to prove this mathematically.
Željko Heimer, 03 Jul 2002
I have done mathematical research and my answer is 3,170740241 (from
bend to border of sun-circle). <(24-5/cosA)/(1+1/cosA)-5A=arctan(30/45)>
But if we use only two-digital ciphers the answer shall be 3,18
We can say that 3.175 is correct too.
Victor Lomantsov, 03 Jul 2002
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 Namibia : PMS 123 yellow, 485 red, reflex blue, 347 green. The vertical flag
is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner,
10 Oct 2012
![[Flag construction sheet]](../images/n/na'.gif)
image
by Željko Heimer, 03 Jul 2002
The specification we show, particularly the position of the sun, is correct according to the official diagram which accompanied "The National Flag of
Namibia, General Policy for use of the flag by the public" issued by the
Ministry of Information in 1990. This last also contains the full text of Chapter One, Schedule 6 of the Constitution dated 9 February 1990
(effective 12 March 1990) that established the flag, and which reads as
follows:
THE NATIONAL FLAG OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA
The National Flag of the Republic of Namibia shall be rectangular in the proportion of three in the length to two in the width, tierced per bend
reversed, blue, white and green; the white bend reversed, which shall be one-third of the width of the flag, is charged with another of red,
one-quarter the width of the flag. In the upper hoist there shall be a gold sun with twelve straight rays, the diameter of which shall be one-third the
width of the flag, with its vertical axis one-fifth the distance from the hoist, positioned equidistant from the top edge and from the reversed bend.
The rays, which shall each be two-fifths of the radius of the sun, issue from a blue ring, which shall be one-tenth the radius of the sun.
Christopher Southworth, 14 Mar 2004
Probably related to a drawing of a flag with a gazelle in center, arc and
arrow (right to gazelle) and boy and head of a human figure (probably a
black woman). Inscription in upper fly: M.P.S.M; and in upper fly: Windhoe
(k is not visible but probably is in the original flag). Colours not quoted.
Source: Flagge Mitteilungen S 3 $ 11
Jaume Ollé, 09 Oct 1999
A photograph of a Namibia Defence Force Air Squadron aircraft can be seen at:
http://www.afavia-fotos.co.za/mil7/images/M708.jpg and
http://www.afavia-fotos.co.za/mil7/images/M707.jpg
The fin flash is the national flag with a roundel in light blue with white and dark blue
device (reminding one of a UN agency!)
Dov Gutterman, 20 June 2004
