From 1997 to 2002 a red flag was used on the island with a one-third broad golden stripe on the mast. From 2002 the flag is single coloured golden, but shows a large red star in the middle. Red is in the region of the Indian Ocean a flag color with a great tradition and wide dissemination, from the coasts of Arabia, over Zansibar to the Maldives, which stands in dense context to the islam. Red flags had and have all islamic dynasties, which come from the Alawites (Alides, descentants of Ali) like today Morokko or former North Yemen, the Arabian Emirates and Oman. Oman incorporated till 1730 the african eastern coast, to an in the today Mocambique. They moved their capital to Zansibar (ca. 1830) and founded a new empire which had its red flag, too. The flag of the Sultanate Mwali showed a wide green stripe on the mast – with silvery crescent and star – and in the rest of the bunting eight alternating red and white stripes. The green and crescent and star stood for the Islam, red and white are the ancient colors of Madagascar.
