Mali vs. Senegal: Flag Comparison
Mali and Senegal fly the exact same 2:3 Green–Yellow–Red vertical tricolor inherited from the 1959–1960 Mali Federation; Senegal adds a centered green five-pointed star.
How to tell Mali and Senegal apart at a glance
- Look at the center of the yellow stripe: Senegal has a green five-pointed star in the middle; Mali's yellow stripe is completely plain.
- Senegal's central yellow band is a lighter lemon-yellow (#FDEF42), whereas Mali's center band is a warmer golden-yellow (#FCD116).
Side-by-side structural comparison
| Attribute | Mali | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 2:3 (2:3) | 2:3 (2:3) |
| Layout & orientation | vertical tricolor | vertical tricolor |
| Band / color sequence | green · yellow · red | green · yellow · red |
| Official color specs | Green (Vert) (Pantone 354 C (protocol approximation)); Gold / Yellow (Or) (Pantone 116 C (protocol approximation)); Red (Rouge) (Pantone 186 C (protocol approximation)) | Green (Vert) (Pantone 355 C (protocol approximation)); Yellow / Gold (Or) (Pantone Yellow C (protocol approximation)); Red (Rouge) (Pantone 032 C (protocol approximation)) |
| Official adoption | 1961-03-01 | 1960-08-20 |
| Region | Western Africa | Western Africa |
| Visual similarity score | 90/100 (Layout 35/35 · Colors 25/25 · Symbols 14/20 · Ratio 10/10 · Geometry 6/10) | |
Why these two flags look alike
Few look-alike flag pairs share a more direct historical origin than Mali and Senegal. On 4 April 1959, Senegal and French Sudan united to form the autonomous Mali Federation within the French Community and adopted a shared vertical tricolor of green, gold, and red with a black human-shaped Dogon mask figure (the kanaga) in the center of the gold stripe.
When the federation dissolved in August 1960 shortly after achieving independence from France, both successor states kept the federation's green-yellow-red vertical tricolor in a 2:3 proportion but altered the center emblem in different ways: Senegal replaced the black kanaga with an upright green five-pointed star on 20 August 1960, while Mali removed the kanaga altogether on 1 March 1961 under Law No. 61-26.
As a result, the presence or absence of the central green star is the definitive diagnostic clue separating Senegal from Mali.
Explore each flag in detail
Read the complete statutory specification, color table, and historical timeline on the Flag of Mali page or the Flag of Senegal page, or return to all flag comparisons.