Cape Verde

Ilhas de Cabo Verde / Idjas di Cabo Verde

Last modified: 2000-01-14 by antonio martins
Keywords: cape verde | cabo verde | stars: ring | star: 5 points (yellow) | stars: 11 | law |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

• History of the flag
• Constitutional law concerning the flag
• Ambiguous official description

• Historical flags
  • 1975-1992 flag
  • 1967 Colonial Flag Proposal
• Political flags

A new flag was adopted on 22 Sep 1992, when Cape Verde finally severed its links with Guinea-Bissau. The new flag has 10 stars representing the islands, set in a blue sea. Prior to 1992, the similarity between the two nations’ flags was explained by the fact that both were derived from the flag of the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (P.A.I.G.C.), the liberation movement which succeeded in gaining independence for both countries (Guinea-Bissau in 1974, Cape Verde in 1975). P.A.I.G.C.'s aim had been that the two nations should unite, but this merger was scotched in 1980 by a military coup in Guinea-Bissau.

The Constitution of the Republic of Cabo Verde (Green Cape Islands), adopted in 1992, defines the new flag, very different from the previous (wich was similar to the Bissau-Guinea flag, for historical reasons), and said by some to be very “unafrican”.

Article 8th

(...)
2. The National Flag is made up of five rectangles stacked along its length.
The upper and lower rectangles are blue, being the upper one half of the flag area and the lower one forth.
Separating the two blue rectangles, three stripes each being one 12th of the flag area.
The stripes adjoining the blue rectangles are white and the one between is red.
Over the five rectangles, ten yellow five pointed stars, with the upper apex in the 90 degree position, define a circle which center lies in the intersection of the middle line of the second horizontal quarter, counted from the left with the middle line of the second horizontal quarter, counted from the lower edge. The star nearer from this edge is set inside an invisible circle which center lies on the middle line of the lower blue stripe.

Confused? Good — the original is also very "unclear", to say the least. I'll try a more clear and concise description:

Over a field of horizontal unequal stripes 6 blue, 1 white, 1 red, 1 white, 3 blue, a circle of ten yellow five pointed stars pointing upwards, with radius of 1/4 and center 3/8 from the hoist and 3/8 from the lower edge.

António Martins, 19 May 1997

Note that the discription only refers to areas and heights and uses independent horizontal and vertical measurements; that means that no fixed proportions are specified — such a description could aply to a 1:2, 2:3, 1:1 or most other flag formats!
António Martins, 19 May 1997

Not unlawfull yet erroneous 1:2 ratio Cape Verde flag

This was also the case of the previous flag: The Constitutions of both Cape Verde and Bissau-Guinea prescribed "three equal area rectangles, one vertical to the hoist and two horizontal to the fly", but Cape Verde had a 2:3 flag (each rectangle being 1x2) and Bissau-Guinea had a 1:2 flag (vertical rectangle 6x4 and horizontal rectangles 3x8).
António Martins, 19 May 1997