The national flag of Angola is a horizontal bicolour of red and black, charged in the center with a yellow emblem consisting of a machete crossed by a half-cogwheel and crowned with a five-pointed star.

The original meanings of the flag's colours and symbols accordingly referenced the war and colonial period, but they have since been reinterpreted to represent the Angolan people and society more broadly.

[3] Parameters in which the flag should be constructed are specified in section 2.1 of the Angolan government's manual of graphic and protocol standards for national symbols.

The position and size of the emblem and bands should match the construction sheet shown in the manual; any other arrangement is considered a distortion, alteration or misrepresentation.

Section 2.1 of the Angolan government's manual on protocol standards for national symbols outlines regulations regarding the display and handling of the flag.

[8] Any institution or individual may fly the flag as long as they properly observe the procedures and protocols outlined in the manual.

[8] In general, the flag should be raised on Sundays, public holidays and days when official ceremonies or observances are held.

[9] In digital representations, the flag's legibility and contrast should be maximised when displaying it on a solid colour background or in the foreground of a photograph.

[11] The standard of the president of Angola is a red field charged in the center with the same emblem on the national flag, albeit with two yellow olive branches below it.

The Angolan War of Independence (1961–1974) was ended by the success of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, which saw the installation of a military council in favour of decolonisation.

[24] A public competition was held, and a proposal submitted under the pseudonym Catica was selected as the winning design.

In contrast, the agency also reported support from opposition deputies of UNITA and the PLD, who considered the design politically neutral.

The sun's design was based on ancient rock paintings located in the Tchitundu-Hulu historical site of Namibe Province.

[25] Ana Maria de Oliveira, the MPLA deputy who was responsible for coordinating the subcommission for the national symbols, explained the flag's significance: "The blue strips represent freedom, justice and solidarity, whereas the white ones stand for peace, unity and harmony.

"[25] The Fortress of São Miguel, which houses Angola's Museum of the Armed Forces, is the location of a 40-kilogram (88 lb) flag named the Bandeira-Monumento (lit. 'Flag-Monument').