MAURITIUS, FLAG OF

horizontally striped red-blue-yellow-green national flag. It has a width-to-length ratio of 2 to 3. Like many other islands in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere, Mauritius was long under colonial rule by both the British and the French. The unique culture that resulted is reflected in the national flag, one of only two in the world with four equal horizontal stripes (the Central African Republic has a four-striped flag that is bisected by a vertical red bar). This flag was chosen in anticipation of independence from colonial rule, which occurred on March 12, 1968, and was first hoisted on that date. Prior to independence, Mauritius displayed the typical colonial flags of the British Empirethe Union Jack, the British Red Ensign, and a version of the British Blue Ensign with a badge representing the colony. The flag has symbolic attributes for each of its colours. Yellow is said to be the light of freedom shining over the island, while red reflects the national struggle for independence. The blue stripe is emblematic of the insular nature of the country and its position in the Indian Ocean. Finally, green refers to the yearlong verdure of the island, based on its subtropical weather. No alterations have been made in the Mauritian flag since independence in 1968. Whitney Smith