Flag of Mauritania

The flag features a green field with two horizontal red stripes positioned at the top and bottom edges. Centered between these stripes is a yellow five-pointed star situated above a horizontal yellow crescent. Both the star and the crescent are oriented toward the top of the flag.

Green and gold are recognized as Pan-African colors, with green specifically representing the country's primary religion, Islam. The crescent and star are traditional Islamic motifs that denote the nation's status as an Islamic Republic. Newly added red stripes symbolize the sacrifices and blood shed by Mauritanian martyrs during the struggle for independence from French colonial rule. Gold also serves as a visual reference to the sands of the Sahara Desert, which characterizes much of the national landscape.

Mauritania originally adopted its national flag on April 1, 1959, following its transition to an autonomous republic within the French Community. This initial design lacked the red stripes, which were only introduced after a constitutional referendum held on August 5, 2017. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz championed the change to honor those who died for the nation's sovereignty. The revised flag was officially hoisted for the first time during Independence Day celebrations on November 28, 2017.