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Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) 1966 - 1971

Last modified: 2004-06-19 by jarig bakker
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Congo-Léopoldville flag of 1963-1971 by Zeljko Heimer, 23 May 2004 See also:

Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) 1966 - 1971

Following a preamble in the form of a statement by the President dated 8 June 1966 (which is concluded by "The present Law shall lay down all the details of the flag, and its dimensions, in a definitive manner (which is to be abided by), Ordonnance-loi No. 66-512 dated 19 September 1966 (published in Moniteur Congolais No. 22 of 1 December 1966) states that:
  • Single Article.
The flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a rectangular sky-blue flag, having a bright red stripe from the lower left corner to the upper right corner with a yellow-gold fimbriation and bearing a five-pointed star in the upper left corner.

The height (of the flag) is equal to two-thirds of (its) length (150cms x 225cms).
The diagonal stripe is 16cms wide; the width of the fimbriation is 5 cms.
The star is contained within a circle of 65cms diameter, whose centre is at the meeting point of three lines bisecting the angles formed above the diagonal stripe.
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All the above were translated from the originals by myself, however, on the evidence of two stamps issued in 1970 (as reproduced in Flagmaster 087 of Autumn 1997) either the last law was ineffective or was replaced by another, because the flags shown have much wider stripes and a smaller star.  More importantly, these stamps show the diagonal as being contained within the width of the flag
Christopher Southworth, 21 May 2004

As was already proven in several cases, stamps tend to be very untrustworthy evidence in vexillology. The stamps, especially those of Third World countires are made far away from home and the artists drawing them have little knowlage of the local reality. The errors even when found then tend to be ignored for the sake of the cost their correction would require, especialy if the errors were not that large and would be spotted only be a very experienced eye :-)
Well, not saying that Chris is wrong here, but the great Smith shows the flag with the "usual" diagonal (p. 202). Also I would argue that if the legislator thought anything else then the "usual" diagonal, they would have said so.
Zeljko Heimer, 23 May 2004

Is it not more likely that the designer of the stamps would have given the flags a conventional diagonal in default of any concrete information to the contrary?
Pedersen (1970) shows the flag with an east-west diagonal, rather than with a conventional one, and (as did I) excludes the fimbriation.(placing the lower band on the length).
Christopher Southworth, 23 May 2004

1966 flag, with the "usual" diagonal. For the time being I ignore the "unusual" diagonal Chris Southworth suggested, but I shall gladly redraw them all again if it turns out correct.
Zeljko Heimer, 23 May 2004

Congo 1966 flag construction sheet

[1966 flag construction sheet] by Zeljko Heimer, 23 May 2004

1966 flag construction details. The bisectoring lines of the upper blue triangle are just an other way of saying that the circle circumscribing the star is equidistant from all thtee triangle sides.
Zeljko Heimer, 23 May 2004