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Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe

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Democratic Republic of
São Tomé and Príncipe
UseNational flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion1:2
Adopted12 July 1975; 49 years ago (1975-07-12)
DesignA horizontal triband of green, yellow, and green, with a red isosceles triangle at the hoist and two five-pointed black stars on the yellow band
Designed byManuel Pinto da Costa

The national flag of São Tomé and Príncipe is a horizontal triband of green, yellow, and green, with a red isosceles triangle at the hoist and two five-pointed black stars on the yellow band. The flag's aspect ratio is 1:2 and the ratio of the bands are 2:3:2. The flag was adopted upon São Tomé and Príncipe's independence from Portugal on 12 July 1975. The design is based on, and nearly identical to, the first flag of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), which led the country to its independence.

Design

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The flag was designed by Manuel Pinto da Costa, the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe. It is almost identical to the MLSTP flag except that the widths of its bands are at a ratio of 2:3:2, while on the MLSTP flag they are equal. The flag's colours and symbols are shared by the flags initially adopted by two other former Portuguese colonies, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau.[1]

Symbolism

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The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural and political significance; however, sources differ on the specific meanings. The office of the São Toméan president gives the following significance to the flag's elements: green, yellow, and red are the Pan-African colours and represent the São Toméan independence movement; the two black stars represent the country's two eponymous islands, São Tomé and Príncipe.[2] American vexillologist Whitney Smith attributes additional meaning to the flag; according to him, green represents the islands' lush vegetation, yellow represents the tropical sun, the red triangle represents equality in addition to the independence movement, and the two black stars specifically represent the African population of the two islands.[1] Meanwhile, the US Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook states that yellow represents cocoa, a major agricultural export of the country.[3]

Construction

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The São Toméan government has specified sizes, colours, and manufacturing parameters in which the flag is to be made. The construction of the flag is outlined in Part I, Article 14 of the Constitution of São Tomé and Príncipe (2002 revision). The flag consists of three horizontal bands: two green bands of equal width at the top and bottom, and a yellow band in the middle that is one-and-a-half times the width of the green bands. The yellow band contains two five-pointed black stars. At the hoist is a red triangle whose height is equal to half of its base (an isosceles triangle).[4][5]

Construction sheet of the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe

History

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The flag flying at half mast in Brasília, Brazil.

The Portuguese began colonising the then uninhabited islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the 16th century, following a successful settlement attempt on São Tomé in 1493.[6][7] Four centuries later, the Batepá massacre in 1953 stoked nationalistic sentiment and galvanized a struggle for independence.[8] The MLSTP was founded seven years later and remained underground until the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974. The new Portuguese government recognised the MLSTP as the "sole and legitimate representative" of the São Toméan people, and the two parties negotiated a roadmap for São Toméan independence.[9] Numerous designs for a São Toméan national flag were reviewed, all of which utilised the Pan-African colours. A modified version of the MLSTP flag, designed by the first São Toméan president Manuel Pinto da Costa, was ultimately chosen. It was adopted upon the independence of São Tomé and Príncipe on 12 July 1975.[1]

Flag of convenience

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The flag of São Tomé and Príncipe is often flown as a flag of convenience by foreign merchant vessels. The São Toméan government encourages this practice because it brings in much-needed revenue to the country.[10] Thirty-nine large ships were flying the flag in 2002, despite the fact that São Tomé and Príncipe does not have any deep-water ports for them to dock in. The sale of São Toméan flags of convenience is unregulated and placed the flag on the Paris Blacklist of merchant flags for poor port state control.[10][11] It was removed from the list in 2004, but only because of a lack of investigations being conducted on ships flying the country's flag.[11]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Smith 2013.
  2. ^ Government of São Tomé and Príncipe 2020.
  3. ^ Central Intelligence Agency 2024: "... green stands for the country's rich vegetation, red recalls the struggle for independence, and yellow represents cocoa, one of the country's main agricultural products; the two stars symbolize the two main islands. ... cocoa beans, palm oil, gas turbines, integrated circuits, coconut oil (2022): top five export commodities based on value in dollars."
  4. ^ Constitution of São Tomé and Príncipe 2002, Part I, Article 14: "A Bandeira Nacional é constituída por três barras dispostas horizontalmente, sendo verdes e de igual largura as dos extremos, e a mediana, na qual estão apostas duas estrelas negras de cinco pontas, amarela, e uma vez e meia mais larga que cada uma das outras e por um triângulo encarnado, cuja base se situa do lado esquerdo da Bandeira. A altura do triângulo é metade da base."
  5. ^ Central Intelligence Agency 2024: "Three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side ..."
  6. ^ Seibert 2006, p. 24.
  7. ^ BBC News 2018.
  8. ^ Seibert 2006, p. 88.
  9. ^ Seibert 2006, pp. 100–101.
  10. ^ a b Frynas, Wood & Soares de Oliveira 2003, pp. 57–58.
  11. ^ a b Mansell 2009, p. 185: "The 'Black List' is composed of 21 flag States, 5 less than last year. A 'hard core' of flag States reappear on the 'Black List'. Most flags that were considered 'very high risk' in 2003 remain so in 2004. The poorest performing flags are still Albania, DPR of Korea, Tonga and Bolivia. The flag of Sao Tome and Principe has disappeared from the Black List. However, this is due to insufficient inspections being carried out on ships flying this flag in the period 2002–2004."

Sources

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Books

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  • Mansell, John N. K. (12 June 2009). Flag State Responsibility: Historical Development and Contemporary Issues. Springer. ISBN 9783540929338.
  • Seibert, Gerhard (1 May 2006). Comrades, Clients and Cousins: Colonialism, Socialism and Democratization in São Tomé and Príncipe. Brill Publishers. ISBN 978-90-474-0843-7.

Journal articles

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  • Frynas, Jędrzej George; Wood, Geoffrey; Soares de Oliveira, Ricardo MS (2003). "Business and politics in São Tomé e Príncipe: From Cocoa Monoculture to Petro-State". African Affairs. 102 (406). Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal African Society: 51–80. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a138811.

News articles

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Government publications

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Websites

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