Drapeau du SénégalFlag and National AnthemDrapeau du Sénégal

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Flag

The colours of the flag of the Republic of Senegal were chosen in 1960. They are the actual Panafrican colours set like the three-coloured French pattern, with three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star of liberty and progress centered in the yellow band.

History of the flag
On 4 April, 1959, French Sudan and Senegal formed the Mali Federation. The federation became independent on 20 June, 1960, and Senegal seceded from it on 22 August 1960, at which point it replaced the federation flag with similar tricolour with a green star, instead of the kanaga (black human-like image) in the Federation flag.

The Senegalese Coat of Arms was adopted December 1965.

Mali Federation Flag Senegal's Flag Senegal's Coat of Arms
Mali Federation Flag - the predessor of the Senegalese Flag The Senegal Flag Senegal's Coat of Arms
Click for greater details

President's flags
The first two presidents of Senegal had their own flags with initials of the president in black added around the star. The current President, Abdoulaye Wade has decided NOT to put his initials on the flag.

The Presidents of Senegal have been:

Léopold Sédar Senghor (born 1906): 6 Sep 1960 - 31 Dec 1980
Abdou Diouf (born 1935): 1 Jan 1981 - 1 Apr 2000
Abdoulaye Wade (born 1926): 1 Apr 2000 - ?
Flag of President Senghor Flag of President Diouf
Flag of President Senghor Flag of President Diouf


Senegal National Anthem

The National Anthem of Senegal should be playing.

Flag icon for national anthemClick on the flag for a better quality streamed version of the Senegal National Anthem 

Adopted in 1960. Words by LÉOPOLD SÉDAR SENGHOR (1906-), former President of the Republic of Senegal. Music by Herbert Peppert.

Premier Couplet
Pincez tous vos Koras,frappez les balafons!
Le lion rouge a rugi; le Dompteur de la brousse,
D'un bond s'est élancé, dissipant les ténèbres.
Soleil sur nos terreurs, soleil sur notre espoir.
Debout, frères, voici l'Afrique rassemblée

REFRAIN

Fibres de mon cœur vert.
Épaule contre épaule, mes plus que frères,
O Sénégalais, debout !
Unissons la mer et les sources,
unissons la steppe et la forêt!
Salut Afrique mère, salut Afrique mère.


Deuxième Couplet
Sénégal, toi le fils de l'écume du Lion,
Toi surgi de la nuit au galop des chevaux,
Rend-nous, oh! rends-nous l'honneur de nos Ancêtres,
Splendides comme ébène et forts comme le muscle
Nous disons - droits: l'épée n'a pas une bavure.

REFRAIN

Troisième Couplet
Sénégal, nous faisons nôtre ton grand dessein:
Rassembler les poussins à l'abri des milans
Pour en faire, de l'Est à l'Ouest, du Nord au Sud,
Dressé, un même peuple, un peuple sans couture
Mais un peuple tourné vers tous les vents du Monde.

REFRAIN

Quatrième Couplet
Sénégal, comme toi, comme tous nos héros,
Nous serons durs sans haine et les deux bras ouverts.
L'épée, nous la mettrons dans la paix du fourreau,
Car le travail sera notre arme et la parole.
Le Bantou est un frère, et l'Arabe et le Blanc.

REFRAIN

Cinquième Couplet
Mais que si l'ennemi incendie nos frontières
Nous serons tous dressés et les armes au poing:
Un Peuple dans sa foi défiant tous les malheurs,
Les jeunes et les vieux, les hommes et les femmes.
La Mort, oui! Nous disons la Mort, mais pas la honte.

REFRAIN

First Verse
Sound, all of you, your Koras, Beat the drums,
The red Lion has roared, The Tamer of the bush
With one leap has rushed forward, Scattering the gloom.
Light on our terrors, Light on our hopes.
Arise, brothers, Africa behold united!

CHORUS

Fibres of my green heart.
Shoulder to shoulder, O people of Sénégal,
more than brothers to me, arise!
Unite the sea and the springs,
Unite the steppe and the forest!
Hail, mother Africa, Hail, mother Africa!


Second Verse
Sénégal, thou son of the Lion
Arise in the night with great speed,
Restore, oh, restore to us the honour of our ancestors,
Magnificent as ebony and strong as muscles!
We are a straight people-the sword has no fault.

CHORUS

Third Verse
Sénégal, we make your great design our own:
To gather the chicks, sheltering them from kites,
To make from them, from East to West, from North to South,
A people rising as one, in seamless unity,
Yet a people facing all the winds of the earth.

CHORUS

Fourth Verse
Sénégal, like thee, like all our heroes,
We will be stern without hatred, and with open arms.
The sword we will put peacefully in its sheath,
For work and words will be our weapon.
The Bantu is our brother, the Arab, and the White man too.

CHORUS

Fifth Verse
But if the enemy violates our frontiers,
We will all be ready, weapons in our hands;
A people in its faith defying all evil;
Young and old, men and women,
Death, yes! but not dishonour.

CHORUS

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