Africa · Hoist band
How to draw the flag of Guinea-Bissau
The flag of Guinea-Bissau is a vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands in red, yellow and green, with black star. It flies at a ratio of 1:2.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Guinea-Bissau flies at 1:2 — for every 2 units of width the flag is 1 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Block in the background. Fill the whole flag with red first, then build the rest on top of it. Working from the largest area to the smallest keeps the proportions honest.
- Add the yellow and green. A vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands. Place these shapes by eye against the edges of the flag, not against each other.
- Finish with the black star. Detail is the last ten percent of the score, so leave it until the colour blocks are down. Size and position count for more than drawing every line of it.
Guinea-Bissau flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Red | #CE1126 | rgb(206, 17, 38) |
| Yellow | #FCD116 | rgb(252, 209, 22) |
| Green | #009E49 | rgb(0, 158, 73) |
Common mistakes
- Watch out for Ghana and Benin — they are close enough to Guinea-Bissau that people draw the wrong one from memory.
A trick for remembering it
Anchor on the biggest shape: a vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands in red, yellow and green. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Guinea-Bissau flag
What colours are on the flag of Guinea-Bissau?
Guinea-Bissau uses 3 colours: red (#CE1126), yellow (#FCD116), green (#009E49).
What are the proportions of the Guinea-Bissau flag?
It flies at 1:2 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
Which flags look like the Guinea-Bissau flag?
Ghana, Benin. Watch out for Ghana and Benin — they are close enough to Guinea-Bissau that people draw the wrong one from memory.
How hard is the Guinea-Bissau flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 3 out of 5. The colours are simple; the arrangement is what catches people out.
