Flag of madagascar

The flag of Madagascar (from 1958 - the Autonomous Republic of Malagasy, from 1960 - the Malagasy Republic, from 1975 - the Democratic Republic of Madagascar, from 1992 - the Republic of Madagascar) was adopted on October 21, 1958 during preparations for a referendum on the country's status relative to France, two years before gaining independence. The colors of the flag symbolize the history of Madagascar, the desire for independence and the traditional classes of society. Red and white were the colors of the Merina Kingdom (the gelding is the largest ethnic group within the Malagasy people), which was conquered by France in 1896. These colors were used on the flag of the kingdom's last monarch, Queen Ranavalona III. They may indicate the ethnic roots of the Malagasy people in Southeast Asia, as they are used on the flag of Indonesia. Green was the color of the Howe tribe, an outstanding class of peasant communes who played an important role in anti-French agitation and in the national liberation movement.