Ghana’s flag features a black five-pointed star in the center.
The star sits in the middle of the flag’s gold stripe, which is bordered by red above and green below. Ghana adopted this flag at independence on 6 March 1957. The design was created by Ghanaian artist and teacher Theodosia Okoh.
The black star symbolizes African emancipation and unity. It was associated with Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line, a shipping company founded in 1919, and helped inspire Ghana’s national nickname, the “Black Star.” The red, gold, and green bands are linked with the struggle for independence, mineral wealth, and the country’s natural resources.
Ghana’s flag is often confused with Ethiopia’s because both use red, gold, and green. The stripe order separates them: Ghana runs red-yellow-green and includes a black star, while Ethiopia runs green-yellow-red and uses a central emblem. Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Cameroon have different designs and do not place this distinctive black star in the center of a horizontal gold band.