Comoros flag in 1963-1975

Last modified: 2003-04-05 by antonio martins
Keywords: crescent: points to fly (white) | stars: 4 (line to top hoist) | stars: map | star: 5 points (white) | gauthier (suzanne) |
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• About the flag
• Alternative proposal

• Comoros’ historical flags

In 1963, a flag was adopted for local use. It was green with a white crescent placed in canton and four white stars placed in an ascending diagonal. The flag was designed by the heraldist Suzanne Gauthier (who also designed the coat of arms of the TAAF), and had proportion 5:7. (Source: [clv02])
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002

According to an article in The Flag Bulletin [tfb] 174, from 1963 until 1975 the flag was green with a white crescent in the top hoist, facing the fly. Four white stars were placed diagonally across the flag, from bottom left to top right.
Stuart Notholt, 22 May 1997

A proposal for independent Comoros, from [smi75b]: Green field. White crescent at upper hoist. Four white 5-pointed stars in diagonal from lower hoist to upper fly, pointing to upper fly. Smith gives no more information about the real use of this flag.
Ivan Sache, 27 Mar 1998

Adopted 13 July 1963. Was used after the independence 6 July 1975.
Jaume Ollé, 30 Mar 1997

I think this flag was used when the Comoros were French autonomous region and also during 1975 (between self-proclaimed independence and UN-recognition).
Jan Zrzavy, 27 Mar 1998

This flag was adopted in 1963 while the Comoros were still a French overseas territory. The crescent represents Islam while the four stars represent the four principal islands in the archipelago. Unusually for this source, in [ped70] the ratio is not specified but that of the illustration is 2:3.
Vincent Morley, 29 Mar 1997

France imposed a referendum on independence on each island, scheduled on 22 December 1974. Mayotte rejected independence (63.82%), which was unilaterally procaimed by the three other islands on 6 July 1975 and acknowledged by France on 13 December 1975. Lux-Wurm [lux01] says that independence was proclaimed on 7 July and that Gauthier’s flag proposal became the official flag.
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002

It is interesting to note that the main motive (half moon, four stars) has been kept unchanged since independence.
António Martins, 30 Jan 2002

Another proposal, also dated 1963, was reported to Calvarin [clv02] by a Comorian student. The flag was green with a white crescent placed along the hoist and four white stars representing the geographical pattern of the archipelago, from NW to SE: Grande Comore, Moheli, Anjouan, Mayotte. It seems that such a flag never existed in real. (Source: [clv02])
Ivan Sache, 20 Apr 2002