Cameroon

Specification

The Constitution identifies the represented state as the Republic of Cameroon. Its flag clause specifies equal vertical bands and the central gold star, but gives no numerical ratio, point count, star-size grid or colorimetric values. “National flag of Cameroon” is a descriptive title, not a separately verified statutory nickname. [1]

Legal text and reference practice

Flags of the World describes an upright five-pointed star and reports that Decree 76-424 of 16 September 1976 fixes the overall ratio at 2:3, citing Gervais Mbarga’s 2014 study. The decree itself was not inspected here, so that attribution remains secondary evidence. The reference also documents varying star sizes; none is treated here as a legal tolerance. [3]

Specimen colors

The vector uses the following screen fills. Gold is rendered as yellow. These are artwork values, not government-approved textile, Pantone or RAL specifications. [5] Published reference palettes differ, including Olympic manuals and naval albums; no single binding physical palette was verified. [3]

Construction notes

The inspected SVG has a 0 0 90 60 viewBox. Three rectangles each measure 30 × 60 units, beginning at x=0, 30 and 60. The star is translated to (45,30), with a top tip at (45,22) and outer radius 8. Mirrored half-points are repeated at 72° intervals. Its 16-unit circumcircle diameter is a specimen choice, not a verified official dimension. [5]

The star’s circumcenter coincides with the flag center; its visible bounding box is not vertically symmetric. Preserve the supplied vector when scaling. The artwork matches the constitutional band arrangement and central device, with reference choices for the star and shades; it is not a certified manufacturing master. [1] [5]

Historical record

The Presidency’s May 2022 publication traces the plain triband to October 1957 and records its continuation at independence on 1 January 1960. It describes two gold stars added to the green band upon federation in 1961. Those earlier flags are superseded designs, not alternative specimens of the current flag. [4]

1975 date discrepancy

Flags of the World gives 20 May 1975 for adoption and official hoisting of the single-star flag. [3] The Presidency publication gives 21 May 1975 in both its French and English accounts. [4] This record retains 1975 in its summary rather than resolving the one-day difference without a verified commencement instrument. The 1996 constitutional revision is later confirmation of the design, not its original adoption. [1] [2]

Symbols

The Presidency associates green with hope and vegetation, the central star with unity, red with blood shed for freedom, and yellow with the sun and vital energy. These are government-published interpretations, separate from the legal construction clause. [4]

Usage

This is the national flag representing Cameroon under Article 1(5). [1] The Presidency presents it as a symbol of national unity and illustrates ceremonial display. [4] This record does not establish a separate naval, presidential or ceremonial production variant.

Source trail

1. Constitute: Cameroon Constitution, consolidated through 2008, Article 1(1) and (5) ↗ — consulted constitutional text: state name and flag description.
2. Presidency: Constitution ↗ — official constitutional context and links to the 1996 and 2008 instruments; the linked full official scan could not be retrieved for inspection.
3. Flags of the World: Cameroon ↗ — 20 May 1975 date, five-pointed star, ratio, secondary report of Decree 76-424, and differing star sizes and palettes.
4. Presidency: May 2022 special edition, pages 64–65, The National Flag: A Rallying Banner ↗ — current identity, historical sequence, symbolism, ceremonial illustration and conflicting 21 May date.
5. Retrieved SVG: country-flags / cm.svg ↗; repository provenance and rights ↗; Commons contributors and rights ↗; local asset record ↗.

Sources checked 15 September 2026. Related records: Senegal and Ghana. Browse national flags or the Flag Index.