Africa · ZM / ZMB
Flag of Zambia
The Zambia flag is green, with an orange African fish eagle in flight above three vertical stripes of red, black and orange near the fly edge. It was adopted at independence on 24 October 1964.
What the flag of Zambia looks like
The flag of the Republic of Zambia has a green field. In the lower right, at the fly end, is a rectangular block of three vertical stripes: red, black and orange from left to right. Above this block, an orange eagle flies with its wings spread. The ratio is 2:3.
The eagle is an African fish eagle, a bird that lives near lakes and rivers across southern Africa. The flag has four colors in all. Image files for the flag are on the Zambia flag download page, and the emoji is at /zambia/emoji/.
Because the stripes and eagle sit at the fly end, the left side of the flag is left as open green. Placing the eagle and block of stripes at the fly is unusual, since most flag emblems sit at the center or the hoist. Green takes up roughly three quarters of the flag.
Zambia flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#147F55RGB
20, 127, 85CMYK
84, 0, 33, 50HEX
#F99815RGB
249, 152, 21CMYK
0, 39, 92, 2HEX
#D40829RGB
212, 8, 41CMYK
0, 96, 81, 17HEX
#000000RGB
0, 0, 0CMYK
0, 0, 0, 100Zambia flag meaning and symbolism
The commonly given meanings are:
- Green stands for the country's natural resources and vegetation.
- Red stands for the struggle for freedom.
- Black stands for the people of Zambia.
- Orange stands for the mineral wealth under the ground, especially copper.
- The eagle stands for freedom and the ability of the nation to rise above its problems.
History of the Zambia flag
The country was called Northern Rhodesia during the colonial era, after Cecil Rhodes, whose British South Africa Company governed the area from the 1890s. It became a British protectorate in 1924 and from 1953 to 1963 it was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Its flag was the British Blue Ensign with the colony's badge.
When independence came on 24 October 1964, Northern Rhodesia took the new name Zambia, from the Zambezi River, and raised the present flag. The design is set out in the National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act of 4 June 1965. The flag was slightly modified in 1996, when the dark green of the 1964 flag was replaced with a brighter, lighter green and the eagle was altered to look more like the one in the coat of arms.
The date is marked each year as Independence Day, and in 1964 Kenneth Kaunda became the first president of the new republic.
A flag with an eagle
The same African fish eagle appears in Zambia's coat of arms. For other designs see the Africa flags page.
Zambia flag facts
| Country | Zambia |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | October 24, 1964 |
| Proportions | 2:3 |
| Colors | #147F55, #F99815, #D40829, #000000 |
| Symbols | African Fish Eagle, sinister canton |
| Flag emoji | 🇿🇲 |
| Country code | ZM, ZMB (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Lusaka |
| Continent | Africa |
| Population | 19,610,769 |
| Area | 752,618 km² |
| Currency | Zambian Kwacha |
| National anthem | Stand and Sing of Zambia, Proud and Free |
Zambia flag: frequently asked questions
What is the symbolism of the Zambian flag?
Green is for natural resources, red for the struggle for freedom, black for the people, orange for mineral wealth and the eagle for freedom and the ability to rise above problems.
Why did Zambia change its name?
The country was Northern Rhodesia under British rule, named after Cecil Rhodes, and from 1953 to 1963 it belonged to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. At independence in 1964 it took the name Zambia, taken from the Zambezi River.
Is Zambia an African country?
Yes. Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It borders eight countries, including Zimbabwe, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its capital is Lusaka.
What does the Zambia flag look like?
It is green with an orange eagle in flight above a block of three vertical stripes, red, black and orange from left to right, placed at the fly side. The proportions are 3:2 and the design is set by an act of 4 June 1965.
What kind of eagle is on the Zambian flag?
It is an African fish eagle, which also appears on the Zambian coat of arms. Unlike most flags, the eagle and the stripes sit at the fly instead of the center or hoist.
Did Zambia change its flag?
Zambia adopted its flag at independence on 24 October 1964. It was slightly modified in 1996, when the green was replaced with a brighter, lighter shade and the eagle was altered to look more like the one on the coat of arms.
