Flag of Malawi

What the flag looks like

Three horizontal stripes of black, red and green, with a red rising sun of 31 rays at the center of the black stripe.

What it means

Black stands for the African people, red for the blood of the martyrs and green for nature; the rising sun represents the dawn of hope and freedom.

How to remember it

Malawi has a red sun rising out of the black top stripe; Kenya has the same colors but a shield in the middle.

Fun facts

• In 2010 Malawi switched to a red-black-green flag with a full white sun, but restored the original rising-sun design in 2012.
• Lake Malawi is home to more fish species than any other lake, most of them cichlids.

Malawi at a glance

Capital

Lilongwe

Region

Eastern Africa

Population

22 million

Area

118,484 km²

Languages

English, Chewa

Currency

Malawian kwacha (MK)

Flag adopted

2012

Flags often confused with Malawi

• Kenya: Kenya and Malawi both have black, red and green horizontal stripes. Kenya has thin white stripes and a shield with spears in the center; Malawi has a red rising sun on the top black stripe.
• South Sudan: Malawi and South Sudan both have black, red and green horizontal stripes. Malawi has a red rising sun on the black stripe; South Sudan has thin white stripes and a blue triangle with a yellow star.