The flag of Benin has a green stripe down the left side representing the hope for democracy. The right side has two coloured horizontal stripes with the yellow on top representing the treasures of the nation, and the red on bottom representing the courage of the ancestors.
From 1894 to 1959 the flag of Benin was the French tricolour while it was under French colonial rule. Prior to the colonisation of Benin, the Kingdom of Dahomey also had its own flags and coat of arms. The flag of King Ghezo (1819-1859) had a white background with an African war elephant in the centre.
During French colonial rule, regional and local flags were banned.
