Which African country's flag has a sky-blue field, a yellow star, and a red diagonal band edged in yellow?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a sky-blue flag with a yellow star and a red diagonal band edged in yellow. The band runs from the lower hoist side toward the upper fly side, making the design immediately distinctive.

The current flag was adopted on 18 February 2006 after a new constitution restored a design resembling the country's earlier 1960s flag. Sky blue represents peace, red recalls the blood of the country's martyrs, yellow represents wealth, and the star symbolizes the future.

The flag's history is unusually complex. A related blue-and-star design dates back to the flag associated with King Leopold II's Congo Free State in the late nineteenth century. After independence in 1960, six smaller stars were added to represent the country's provinces at that time.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is often confused with the Republic of the Congo. The two countries have different flags: the Republic of the Congo uses a green, yellow, and red diagonal tricolour, while the DRC uses the blue field, star, and yellow-edged red band described here.