The flag of Central Africa was officially hoisted for the first time on 1st of December in 1958 in connection with the achievement of autonomy (Day of the Declaration of Autonomy). It shows four horizontal stripes in blue, white, green and yellow, and a vertical red bar in the centre. In the top corner, in the blue stripe on the pole, there is a golden five-pointed star. The flag combines the pan-African colours (green, yellow, red) with the colours of France (blue, white, red) to symbolise the bond between Africa and Europe and the desire of Central Africa to remain in close contact with France. The yellow star in the upper corner is the star of independence and also symbolises unity. The flag is attributed to Prince Barthelemy Boganda. He wanted to unite the whole of Equatorial Africa politically in a kind of federation and align it with France. This is also symbolised by the yellow star in the flag. The design of the flag is a reminder that people belong to different races but are united by their common blood (the vertical red stripe). Blue stands for freedom, white for equality and purity, green for hope and the forest dwellers, yellow for tolerance and the savannah dwellers. The colour shades of the flag are probably not defined by law. They seem to be defined by practice as blue = 287 C, green = Pantone 7739 C, yellow = Yellow C, red = Pantone 186 C. From 1976 to 1979, Central Africa was an empire. However, the flag remained unchanged under Emperor Bokassa. His personal flag was plain green and showed a large golden sun with a golden eagle in the centre. The colours green, yellow and red are the Pan-African colours. Around 1900, the Pan-African movement began, which wanted to emphasise the commonalities of all people with black skin colour. The colour triad of green, yellow and red, which many African and American countries adopted in their flags after gaining independence, stands for the political unity of Africa, indeed of all black people. The first country to do so was Ghana in 1957, and the colours of Ethiopia (Abyssinia), the oldest independent state in Africa, are considered to be the origin.
The current coat of arms was introduced on 17th of May in 1963. It shows a quartered shield between two national flags. In the first field, a white elephant's head on a green background, in the second field a green tree with roots on a white background, in the third field three stars on a yellow background and in the fourth field a black hand on a blue background. The three stars represent the motto, which appears on a silver banner above the coat of arms: "Zo Kwe Zo" → "Man is man". The black hand is the logo of the Freedom and Unity Movement (MESAN) founded by Barthelmy Boganda in 1946. On the shield is a red central shield showing the golden star of freedom on a stylised black map of Aftrika. Above the shield appears the liberty sun with the date of independence. Below the shield is the state motto in French: "Unité, Dignité, Travail" → "Unity, Dignity, Labour". Before the introduction of this coat of arms, there was only a state seal. It showed a map of Africa covered by a five-pointed star, the name of the state and the state motto.
middle ages · colonization by Bantu and Nilote peoples and Central African tribes of the Sahel-Sudan
19th century · slave raids by Arab traders
1887 · occupation by French troops
1891 · establishing of the Upper Ubangi Region as part of French Congo
1894 · establishing of the Colony of Upper Ubangi
1900 · establishing of the Upper Shari Region as part of French Congo
1903 · establ. of the French colony of Ubangi-Shari by the union of Upper Ubangi and Upper Shari
1906 · Ubangi-Shari is united with the French colony of Chad to the Ubangi-Shari-Chad Colony
1910 · establishment of the General Gouvernement of French Equatorial Africa, now consisting of the territories Gaboon, Middle Congo (today Congo Brazzaville), Ubangi-Shari (today Central Africa) and Chad
4th of December 1976 · the Constitution becomes suspended, dissolve of the National Assembly, proclamation of the Central African Empire under Emperor Bokassa I.
4th of December 1977 · coronation of the emperor in Bangui
21st of September 1979 · fall of Emperor Bokassa I., transformation into a republic
1981 · military coup led by General Kolingba
1991 · reinstatement of political parties
1993–2003 · Military revolts, overthrows and attempted overthrows
since 2006 · civil war against Muslim rebels in the north, numerous groups fight against the central government: UPC, FPRC, MPC, 3R, PRNC, LRA
2013–2021 · French military intervention
2015 · Proclamation of the Republic of Dar El Kuti (Republic of Logone) in the north by the FPRC
since 2018 · Russian military intervention (Wagner Group)
The name "Central Africa" highlights the situation of the country on the African continent. In the colonial era, the country was called "Ubangi-Shari", named after the two great rivers of the region.
