Mali vs Guinea
Both West African nations fly vertical tricolors using the Pan-African colors. Mali flies green at the hoist, yellow in the middle, and red at the fly (green-yellow-red). Guinea flies the exact mirror image: red at the hoist, yellow in the middle, and green at the fly (red-yellow-green).
- Proportion
- 2:3
- Adopted
- 1961
Colors
- Green #14B53A
- Yellow #FCD116
- Red #CE1126
- Proportion
- 2:3
- Adopted
- 1958
Colors
- Red #CE1126
- Yellow #FCD116
- Green #009460
Look foron Mali
Look foron Guinea
- Green band attached to the flagpole (hoist)Red band attached to the flagpole (hoist)
- Yellow band in the centerYellow band in the center
- Red band at the free fly edgeGreen band at the free fly edge
Which flag is Mali?
Mirror Images of West African Independence
In 1958, Guinea became the only French colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to vote 'No' in Charles de Gaulle's constitutional referendum, opting for immediate complete independence. President Ahmed Sékou Touré selected a vertical tricolor modeled directly on the French flag, replacing the colors with the Pan-African red, yellow, and green popularized by Ghana.
Neighboring Mali initially formed the Mali Federation with Senegal in 1959. Their federation flag featured green, yellow, and red with a black stick figure (*kanaga*) in the center with arms raised toward the sky. When Senegal seceded from the union in August 1960, Mali retained the tricolor.
In March 1961, Mali amended its constitution to remove the central kanaga figure to accommodate Muslim religious objections to depicting human figures in art. Removing the symbol left Mali with a plain vertical green-yellow-red tricolor—the exact mirror image of Guinea.
Telling them apart
- Both nations share the 2:3 aspect ratio common to former French colonies.
- For Guinea, red stands for the blood shed by anti-colonial martyrs, yellow for agricultural wealth and gold, and green for natural vegetation.
- For Mali, green represents fertile southern river valleys, yellow represents pure mineral wealth, and red represents the sacrifices of independence.
Questions
What was the original symbol in the middle of Mali's flag?
Mali originally had a stylized black human figure known as a kanaga, a cultural symbol from the Dogon people representing the link between heaven and earth.
Are there other flags with this color layout?
Yes. Senegal and Cameroon also use green, yellow, and red vertical tricolors, but Senegal adds a green star in the center, and Cameroon adds a gold star.
More lookalikes
Mali vs Senegal
Senegal has the Star; Mali is the plain green-yellow-red.
Cameroon vs Senegal
A yellow star on red is Cameroon; a green star on yellow is Senegal.
Chad vs Romania
Chad has the darker, deeper indigo blue; Romania uses brighter royal cobalt.
Monaco vs Indonesia
Monaco is miniature and squarish (4:5); Indonesia is island-wide (longer 2:3 rectangle).