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Namibia

by Zeljko Heimer, 3 Jul 2002

Namibian flag 1990-
Flag construction sheet
An UFE (Unidentified Flying Ensign or Flag)

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Namibian flag 1990-

On 21 March 1990 South West Africa gained its independence as the Republic of Namibia and adopted a new flag. The design was chosen by a committee which had been established to investigate and provide technical advice on new national symbols for Namibia. The public has been requested to submit designs and 835 designs were received. The official description of the flag is as follows:

The National Flag of Namibia shall be rectangular, in the proportion of three in the lenght to two in width, tirced per bend reversed, blue, white and green; the white bend reversed, which shall be one third of the width of the flag, is charged with another of red, one quarter of the width of the flag. In the upper hoist there shall be a gold sun with twelve straight rays, the diameter of which shall be one third of the width of the flag, with its vertical axis one fifth of the distance from the hoist, positioned equidistant from the top edge and from the reversed bend. The rays, which shall each be two-fifths of the radius of the sun, issue from the outer edge of a blue ring, which shall be one tenth the radius of the sun.

Although no colour has a specific meaning, the symbolism attributed to the national flag by the Chairman of the National Symbols Sub-committee at a press conference on 2 February 1990 is as follows:

Red - represents Namibia's most important resource, its people. It refers to their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all;
White - refers to peace and unity
Green - symbolises vegetation and agricultural resources
Blue - represents the clear Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain;
and the golden-yellow sun represents life and energy.

Source: Coats of Arms and Flags in Namibia by FG Brownell - a series of 8 articles appearing in Archives News from April - December 1990.
Bruce Berry 13 Feb 1998

The main colours were taken from the flag of SWAPO (South West African People's Organization), the most important liberation movement. This flag was adopted in 1971 and comprises horizontal stripes of blue-red-green, the most important colours of the Ovambo's, the largest ethnic population.
Source: Jos Poels, "Prisma Vlaggenboek", 1990.
Mark Sensen, 10 Aug 1999

National Flag. CSW/CSW 2:3
The flag is described in details from official source. All the dimensions are provided for. The distance of the sun emblem from the upper edge and the diagonal is only stated to have to be equal. I designated them the letter d to indicate that. While drawing the flag this size came (on three digits) as 3.175 (or if you want from the center of the sun d+5=8.175) but I haven't tried to prove this mathematically.
Zeljko Heimer, 3 Jul 2002

I have done mathematical research and my answer is 3,170740241 (from bend to border of sun-circle). <(24-5/cosA)/(1+1/cosA)-5A=arctan(30/45)> But if we use only two-digital cyphers the answer shall be 3,18
We can say that 3.175 is correct too.
Victor Lomantsov, 3 Jul 2002

Flag construction sheet

by Zeljko Heimer, 3 Jul 2002

An UFE (Unidentified Flying Ensign or Flag)

Probably related to a drawing of a flag with a gazelle in center, arc and arrow (right to gazelle) and boy and head of a human figure (probably a black woman). Inscription in upper fly: M.P.S.M; and in upper fly: Windhoe (k is not visible but probably is in the original flag). Colours not quoted.
Source: Flagge Mitteilungen S 3 $ 11
Jaume Ollé, 9 Oct 1999

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