flag National anthem
The flag of Benin in Fon
Three colors (green, yellow, red), three symbols (agriculture, wealth, blood shed). The Beninese flag tells a story — here is how to decode it, with Fon vocabulary.
Amǐamǐ — hope and agriculture
Green (on the left) symbolizeshope and the fertile land of Benin. It represents the farmers (gbetɔ́) and the forests of the south.
Sín hwi hwi — wealth
Yellow (top right) represents the wealth agricultural and mineral wealth of the north — savanna, oil palms, mango trees.
Vɔvɔ — blood shed
Red (bottom right) honors the blood shed by the heroes of independence (1960). A symbol of courage.
History
The current flag was adopted on November 16, 1959, just before independence on August 1, 1960. Briefly replaced under Kérékou (1975-1990), it was restored with democracy.
Three colors, one nation
Amǐamǐ, sín hwi hwi, vɔvɔ — green, yellow, red. Three Fon words to understand the Beninese flag and its history.
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