Flag of Angola

What the flag looks like

Two horizontal bands, red over black, with a yellow emblem in the center: half a cogwheel crossed by a machete, with a five-pointed star.

What it means

Red stands for the blood shed during the liberation struggle, black for Africa and yellow for the country's wealth; the cogwheel represents industrial workers, the machete peasants and armed struggle, and the star progress.

How to remember it

Angola's red-over-black flag carries a yellow half-cogwheel and machete in the middle, an African take on the hammer and sickle.

Fun facts

• A new flag showing a rock-painting-style sun was proposed in 2003, but it was never adopted.
• Luanda has several times been ranked the world's most expensive city for expatriates.
• Angola, one of Africa's largest oil producers, left OPEC at the start of 2024.

Angola at a glance

Capital

Luanda

Region

Middle Africa

Population

38 million

Area

1,246,700 km²

Languages

Portuguese

Currency

Angolan kwanza (Kz)

Flag adopted

1975