Ghana

Last modified: 2001-08-23 by antonio martins
Keywords: ghana | star: 5 points (black) | presidential | cross: teutonic | freedom and justice |
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• History and meaning
• President’s flag
• Coat of arms

• Ghanian ensigns
• Ghana 1964-1966
• Gold Coast (Ghana under British rule)
• Former Colonies and other Overseas Territories (Germany) for German West African Company and other German flags used in Togoland and Gross-Friedrichsburg.
• Asafo company flags

• Ghana's Emblems
  reported by Dov Gutterman, 16 Mar 1999
• Pledge to the Flag and Arms of Ghana
  reported by Dov Gutterman, 19 Dec 1998

The flag was officially hoisted 1957.03.06, replaced shortly with version with white middle stripe 1964.01.01 to 1966.02.28, when this flag was reintroduced. The flag is national flag on land and state ensign. Proportions 2:3.
Zeljko Heimer, 04 Jul 1996

It uses Pan-African colours, with black star for being the first independent African nation of the 20th century.
David Kendall, 01 Oct 1996

It is believed that the black star on the flag of Ghana, the lonestar of African freedom, is taken from the flag of the Black Star Line. This shipping line was founded by Marcus Garvey in June 1919 and would take new negro colonists back to Africa. It closed in 1922. The flag was green with a red saltire and a large black star in the centre.
Mark Sensen, 20 Jun 2000, quoting from [cra89i]

According to Smith [smi75b], «the green-white-red horizontal of the ruling Convention Peoples’ Party and the green-yellow-red of Africa’s oldest independent nation (Ethiopia) combined to inspire Ghana’s flags.»
Ivan Sache, 26 Jun 1999

The flag of Ghana consists of red, gold and green horizontal strips with a five pointed black star in the centre of the gold stripe. The color red represents the blood of those who died in the country’s struggle for independence: gold stands for the minerals wealth, while green symbolizes the rich forest. The star represents the lonestar of African freedom.
Dov Gutterman, 19 Dec 1998, quoting from http://www.erols.com/johnston/pledge.htm

On 23 November 1958 a Ghana-Guinea Union was formed with a flag like that of Ghana but with two black stars.
Mark Sensen, 20 Jun 2000, quoting from [cra89i]

by Zeljko Heimer, 30 Jul 1996

Blue with two eagles holding a disc looking like a shooting target with teuton cross in the middle and a black star above. Over the emblem it is written ’PRESIDENT’ and under it in two rows ’OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA’.
Zeljko Heimer, 04 Jul 1996

Smith [smi75b] says regarding the Presidential flag: «The flag is composed of authentic Ghanaian symbols, meaning sovereignty, good luck and sanctity.» Therefore this “teuton cross’ has apparently here nothing to do with German symbolics. The proportions are «approximately 7:12», precisely like in the image above.
Ivan Sache, 26 Jun 1999

The coat of arms of Ghana consists of a shield divided into four quarters by a green St. George’s cross rimmed with gold. In the top left-hand quarter is a crossed linguist staff and ceremonial sword on a blue background, representing local administration. In the top right-hand quarter is an heraldic castle on an heraldic sea with a light blue background, representing national government. In the bottom two quarters are a cocoa tree and a mine shaft representing the wealth of the country. In the centre of the green St. George cross will be found a gold lion, representing the continued link between Ghana and the Commonwealth. Surmounting the shield is a black five pointed star rimmed with gold, representing the lonestar of African freedom, and this star stands on the wreath to the colors red, gold and green which again stand on the top of the shield. Under the shield will be found the motto FREEDOM AND JUSTICE. The supporters of the coat of arms are two eagles, colored gold. Around each eagle’s neck hangs a black star suspended from a ribbon of Ghana’s colors.
Dov Gutterman, 19 Dec 1998, quoting from http://www.erols.com/johnston/pledge.htm