Mauritania’s flag gained two red horizontal stripes after a 2017 referendum.
The current flag retains its original green field with a gold crescent and star, but adds one red band along the top and another along the bottom. The red stripes symbolize the sacrifices and efforts made to defend Mauritania’s territory and independence.
A constitutional referendum held on 5 August 2017 approved changes to the national symbols, along with major constitutional reforms. The revised flag was then enacted through legislation and decree later that year. It was first raised publicly on 28 November 2017, Mauritania’s Independence Day.
The change can be confusing because Mauritania’s original flag, adopted in 1959, had only a green field with a gold star and crescent. The red bands are therefore a relatively recent addition, not part of the design used at independence in 1960. The flag’s green and gold elements remain central to its Islamic and national symbolism.