Guinea vs Mali flag: how to tell them apart
Check the stripe at the pole: Guinea starts with red, and Mali starts with green.
How to tell them apart
Reversed stripes
Guinea goes red, yellow, green from the hoist. Mali goes green, gold, red, the same colours in reverse.
Green shade
Guinea's green is Pantone 355 C (#009460). Mali's green is Pantone 2271c (#14B53A), a lighter, brighter green.
Same red and yellow
Both list red as #CE1126 and yellow as #FCD116, so only the order and the green differ.
No emblems
Neither national flag carries an emblem, and both are 2:3.
Adoption
Guinea adopted its flag on 10 November 1958. Mali's current flag dates from 1 March 1961.
Why they look alike
Both flags use the Pan-African colours. Guinea's colours partly honour Ghana, whose president was a close associate of Guinea's first president, Sekou Toure.
Guinea's Democratic Party used these colours as early as 1954. Mali adopted its current flag on 1 March 1961, when it removed the Kanaga figure from its earlier flag.
Official colours and ratio
| Flag | Ratio | Adopted | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea | 2:3 | 10 November 1958 |
|
| Mali | 2:3 | 1 March 1961 |
|
Questions
Where do Guinea's colours come from?
They are the Pan-African colours, and they partly honour the flag of Ghana.
What did Mali's earlier flag have?
It had a Kanaga figure in the centre, which Mali removed on 1 March 1961.
Which flag is older, Guinea's or Mali's?
Guinea adopted its flag on 10 November 1958. Mali adopted its current flag on 1 March 1961.
Bert's facts
- Guinea: Guinea shares land borders with six countries.
- Mali: Mali is landlocked, yet it touches seven other countries.
Quick quiz
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Sources
