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Madagascar

République Démocratique de Madagascar, Repoblika Demokratika Malagasy, Madagasikara

Last modified: 2000-01-28 by ole andersen
Keywords: madagascar | malagasy | indonesia | president |
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by Antonio Martins 24 April 1999

Symbolism of the flag's colours

For way of symbolism, the red and white refer to Madagascar's SE Asian links (I believe the island was first settled by SE Asians).
David Kendall, 20 June 1995

Do you think the colors are related to the Indonesian ones (which in turn are derived from the colors of the liberation movement)?
Harald Müller, 11 October 1996

Very likely as, if I recall correctly, the Malagasy are supposed to have come from Malaysia / Indonesia, and the red-and-white Indonesian flag is said to be of pre-European origin.
Roy Stilling, 11 October 1996

Inhabitants of Malayo-Indonesian origin were not the first settlers. There were populations from Africa before. As you probably know, major African civilizations were not attracted to the seashore, for various reasons, including quest for healthier places, and this goes for Madagascar as well. When navigators from SE Asia arrived, they gained political supremacy and thus built their kingdom in the highlands (where Antananarivo now lies), while unmitigated Africans were more or less forced to move towards the coast. This is why the majority is Merina inside the country and Sakalave or related people near the sea (this is the same group as in the Comores, for instance). This is just from memory, but I think that it should be globally right.

Were there "African" flags or banners in Madagascar before Asians came in ?
Thanh-Tâm Lê, 2 January 1999

by Paige Herring 1 January 1999

PRESIDENTIAL FLAG 1960-1975 - OBVERSE

The flag of the President of Madagascar showed the arms in gold on the white stripe. The initials of the country appear above the arms while those of the president showed below the arms.
Paige Herring, 1 January 1999

by Paige Herring 1 January 1999

PRESIDENTIAL FLAG 1960-1975 - REVERSE

The reverse of the presidential flag had the national motto inscribed in gold. "Liberty" and "Fatherland" arcs over "Progress."
Paige Herring, 1 January 1999

The presidential flag posted was adopted 1972, when general Gabriel Ramanantsoa take the power. The reverse was created new, with the motto, and the observe was similar to the previous one. Before 1972 the reverse was the same that the observe.

The first president was Philibert Tsiranana. The standart was 1958-59 the national flag with golden fringe in three sides. 24 December 1959 was adopted new badge, and later (unknow date) a standart (similar to the observe posted) but with the initials "Ph T" (same design in observe and reverse).

Is not know if Richard Ratsimandrava (some days in February 1975) and Gral. Andriamahazo (February-June1975) has standart, but is supposed that they don't have.

Didier Ratsiraka adopted presidential standart with diferent emblem, initials (RDM and DR), and motto in reverse, probably after 30-12-1975. The moto was changed to "Tanindrazana, Tolompiavotana, Fahafahana" (Liberty, progress, justice?)

Jaume Ollé, 6 January 1999

Madagascar Protectorate

by Ivan Sache, 18 June 1998

W. Smith shows - without any comment - the flag used by Madagascar between 1885 and 1896, in the section 'Flags inspired by the French tricolor'. The flag is a horizontal blue-white-red triband, with a red crescent facing the fly and shifted to the hoist in the white band. During this period, Madagascar was a de facto protectorate (not formally recognized by England for instance) although de jure a kingdom. Military invasion turned the island to a French colony in 1898.
Ivan Sache, 18 June 1998

Malagasy kingdoms

The last indigenous monarch, Queen Ranavalona III, used a flag of diagonally red over white with her royal cipher (crown over R M) over all (Crampton, The World of Flags, 1990, p65)
Roy Stilling, 11 October 1996

by Paige Herring 1 January 1999

FLAG OF QUEEN RANAVALONA III

This flag is recreated from a picture of a German Cigarette card which reproduced the flag of Queen Ranavalona III. The flag was shown in reverse; therefore, I have reproduced it as such. I'm not sure if the lettering on the obverse would have been in mirror form or in a readable form.
Paige Herring, 1 January 1999


According "Les drapeaux de Madagascar" by Lucien Philippe, book made from a comunication in an International Congress, the queen Ranavalona I (first) used white flag with name (in red) and below the name the word "manjaka" (Queen). Several flags are quoted in time of Ranavalona II but anyone is white whit red name edged black.
Also several flags in the era of Ranavalona III, but anyone according the one posted.

But in the book by D. Ruhl "Die Flagge des kriegs und handelsmarinen" (1885, 1887) is quoted the ensign posted. But, in opinion of Karl Fachinger, was an error, and the real flag was B-W-R with the golden name. Later the queen Ranavalona III has a personal standard: the frewnch flag with golden royal crown in the white band, and below the crown, the letters R M.

Jaume Ollé, 7 January 1999

The source from which I got the image is Crampton's Flags of the World, 1990. The image is under the Malagasy (I've done my research into adjectives) section. I've read other descriptions, the Ranavalona III image is the first picture. My assumption, based on what little I know of the cigarette card heyday, would be that the image would be from prior to World War II. My last thought is that I doubt that the flag could be hers since was she deposed in 1897.

Paige Herring, 6 January 1999

I've detected the flag that is evidently related to Calvin Paige Herring's Queen Ranavalona's flag. Yellow letters "RANAVALO" (black outline) are on the white background. This is the only unfamiliar flag to me from the little guidebook called "Taschenbuch für die Kriegsmarine mit Kalendarium" (Adolf Sponholz Verlag - Hannover 1944). It is listed in section "Die wichtigsten Flaggen der Welt (Forsetzung)" among the other flags of independent countries. As far as I know, Madagascar was French colony at that time (1944), wasn't it? Maybe "Ranavalo" flag was Queen Ranavalona's personal flag?

by Ivan Sarajcic 6 January 1999

Ivan Sarajcic, 6 January 1999