The on the 28th of November in 1958 established Autonomous Republic of Gabon received their first flag on 29th of June in 1959. She already very equals the today's flag, however the yellow stripe was only half wide, and the upper canton of the flag showed the French tricolor. The today's flag was officialy introduced on the 9th of august in 1960. Green stands for the economical important forests, yellow for the sun and blue for the ocean. The colors Pantone pt 355, pt 109, and pt 293 are given for Gabon.
The coat of arms of the state of Gabon was introduced on 15th of July in 1963. It shows a below to a top developing French shield. In it on golden ground a black sailing ship above a blue water surface, it stands for will to progress. The upper part of the shield is green, it stands for the forests of the country, and shows in it three golden disks. Those represent the mineral resources. Behind the shield a tree, protrude its Krone above and its radices below the shield. Above the shield a white typeface ribbon with the motto: "Uniti Progrediemur" →"united forward", below the shield a blue typeface ribbon with the motto of the state: "Union, Travail, Justice" → "unity, work, justice". Shield holders are two black panthers.
The country's name "Gabon" is of Portuguese origin, and goes back to the word "Gabão" which means coat. It is an allusion to the in the age of the discoveries there again and again occurring dense fog that everything enveloped like a coat.
