---
title: "Flag of Mozambique: colours and meaning"
description: "What every colour and symbol on the Mozambique flag stands for, its official 2:3 ratio, and the year the current design was adopted."
url: https://atoneplace.net/flag/mozambique/
site: "At One Place"
---

# The flag of Mozambique

**The flag of Mozambique: Green, black and yellow horizontal bands separated by thin white fimbriations, with a red triangle at the hoist bearing a yellow star, on which sit an open book, a hoe and an AK-47 with a bayonet.**

Ratio 2:3 · current design adopted 1983

Mozambique is the only country with a modern assault rifle on its national flag, and the model is identifiable — a Kalashnikov with a fixed bayonet, on the flag since 1983. Parliament held a competition to replace it in 2005 and received 119 entries; none was adopted, and the rifle stayed. Guatemala's flag shows rifles, and Haiti's and Bolivia's arms include weapons, but none of them is a twentieth-century firearm. The rifle also appears in the coat of arms and on the country's currency.

## What the colours mean

*Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.*

- **Green** (#007168) — The riches of the land
- **Black** (#000000) — The African continent
- **Yellow** (#FCE100) — The country's minerals
- **White** (#FFFFFF) — Peace, in the thin dividing lines
- **Red** (#D21034) — The struggle for independence

## The symbols on it

| What | What it stands for |
| --- | --- |
| AK-47 with bayonet | Defence and vigilance |
| Hoe | Agriculture, and the peasantry |
| Open book | Education |
| Star | Internationalism |

- **Ratio:** 2:3
- **Current design adopted:** 1983
- **Colours:** green, black, yellow, white, red

## Common questions

### What does the flag of Mozambique look like?

Green, black and yellow horizontal bands separated by thin white fimbriations, with a red triangle at the hoist bearing a yellow star, on which sit an open book, a hoe and an AK-47 with a bayonet.

### What do the colours of the Mozambique flag mean?

Green: the riches of the land. Black: the African continent. Yellow: the country's minerals. White: peace, in the thin dividing lines. Red: the struggle for independence.

### When was the Mozambique flag adopted?

The current design dates from 1983, and its official ratio is 2:3.

## Related pages

- [Mozambique](https://atoneplace.net/country/mozambique/)
- [Every flag with green in it](https://atoneplace.net/flag/colour/green/)
- [The flag of India](https://atoneplace.net/flag/india/)
- [The flag of Brazil](https://atoneplace.net/flag/brazil/)
- [The flag of Italy](https://atoneplace.net/flag/italy/)
- [The flag of Mexico](https://atoneplace.net/flag/mexico/)
- [The flag of Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/flag/ireland/)
- [The flag of South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/flag/south-africa/)
- [The flag of Jamaica](https://atoneplace.net/flag/jamaica/)
- [The flag of Pakistan](https://atoneplace.net/flag/pakistan/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]