Flag of Burundi

What the flag of Burundi looks like

The Burundi flag is built on a white saltire, a diagonal cross that runs from corner to corner. It splits the flag into four triangles. The top and bottom triangles are red, and the triangles next to the flagpole and at the outer end are green. The flag is 3:5 in proportion.

At the point where the arms of the cross meet is a white circle. Inside it are three six-pointed stars, each red with a thin green outline. They are arranged in a triangle with one star at the top and two below.

Saltires are rare on national flags. Jamaica (gold) and Scotland (white on blue) use a similar diagonal cross, but in different colors. A smaller version is shown as the Burundi flag emoji.

Burundi flag meaning and symbolism

The colors and symbols are generally explained as follows:

• Red stands for the struggle for independence and the blood shed for it.
• Green stands for hope and for the country's prosperity and agriculture.
• White stands for peace.
• The three stars represent the national motto, Unity, Work, Progress (Ubumwe, Igikorwa, Amajambere). They are also often said to stand for the three peoples of Burundi: the Hutu, the Tutsi and the Twa.

The second reading is widely repeated but is not part of any official statement, and it reflects the importance placed on national unity after the ethnic violence that Burundi has suffered.

History of the Burundi flag

The territory of Burundi was a kingdom for centuries before German colonial rule in the late 19th century. After World War I, Belgium took over and administered it with Rwanda as Ruanda-Urundi. Burundi became independent as a kingdom on 1 July 1962, with a flag that already used the white saltire and red and green fields but had a different central emblem.

The monarchy was abolished in 1966 after a coup, and the country became a republic. The flag was changed in 1967 to the design in use today, with the stars replacing the earlier emblem. The new flag is dated 28 June 1967 in most references. Minor adjustments to the shades and details were made in 1982. Since then, the flag has stayed the same, although it has outlived several periods of conflict and political change.

A variant of the flag is also used as the national ensign.