The Secret History Behind São Tomé and Príncipe's Flag
The flag of São Tomé and Príncipe carries two stars, one for each island.
Its design follows the flag of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe, the independence movement, whose leader, Manuel Pinto da Costa, became the first president. The only change is the width of the bands, wider in the middle.
There are three horizontal bands, green, yellow and green, a red triangle at the hoist, and two black five-pointed stars on the yellow band. Green is tied to the vegetation of the islands, yellow to the tropical sun and to cocoa, a major export, and red to the struggle for independence. The two stars stand for the two main islands.
The date printed on every São Tomé and Príncipe design in our catalog, July 12, 1975, is Independence Day.
Two stars, two islands and the colors of independence.
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.