The Secret History Behind Ivory Coast's Flag
Ivory Coast's flag is Ireland's flag, almost in reverse.
It has three vertical stripes: orange, white and green, from the hoist. It was adopted on December 3, 1959, as the country moved toward independence. Ireland's tricolor uses the same colors in the opposite order, green, white, orange, and in longer proportions, which is a common source of confusion between the two.
Ivory Coast did not follow its neighbors in choosing the Pan-African colors. According to a speech by the minister Jean Delafosse after the flag was adopted, the orange stands for the land, the struggle and the blood of the Ivorians, the white for peace and order, and the green for hope and a better future. Another reading sees the green as the forests, the orange as the savanna and the white as the rivers.
The date printed on every Ivory Coast design in our catalog, August 7, 1960, is Independence Day.
Three colors, a mirror image, and a country that chose its own.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.