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British West Africa

• former British administrative structure
• also: West Africa Settlements

Contents

• Flag

• Meaning/Origin of the Flag

• Numbers and Facts

• History

Flag

1869–1888,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (DE)

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

In British West Africa was used the blue, British official flag (Blue Ensign) with an emblem in the flying end. United Kingdom introduced a flag system in 1864 in which:

• war ships fly the "White Ensign" (naval flag), a white flag often with an uninterrupted red St. George's-Cross and with the Union Jack in the upper staff quadrant of the flag,
• merchant ships fly a "Red Ensign" (also named "Civil Ensign" => civil flag, the real merchant flag), a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper staff quadrant of the flag, and
• governmental ships fly the "Blue Ensign" (flag for the use by the gouvernment => the actual state flag), a blue flag with the Union Jack in the upper staff quadrant of the flag.

Since 1865 ships of colonial governments were permitted to fly the Blue Ensign with a badge in the flying end of the flag. The governments were asked to design appropriate badges.



The probably in 1869 introduced emblem (badge) showed an elephant with threatening gesture in front of a palm tree amid an African scenery. In the lower part of the badge was to see the inscription "West Africa Settlements" in red.

Source: Wikipedia (DE)

Numbers and Facts

Area: British West Africa consisted of the colonies, protectorates and territories in:
- Gambia
- Sierra Leone
- Gold Coast
- Nigeria

Seat of the Governor-in-chief: Freetown (Sierra Leone)

Currency: Westafrican Pound

Source: Wikipedia (D)

History

1821 · foundation of British West Africa
1850 · dissolution of British West Africa
1866 · new founding of British West Africa
1888 · dissolution of British West Africa

British West Africa consisted of a large number of colonies, protectorates and territories in western Africa. Only in the late phase did develop the known colonies of Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast (the later Ghana) and Nigeria, which were then own colonies with their own administration. From 1907 there existed an unitary currency, the West African Pound, maintained until the independence of the individual colonies and in British Cameroon until 1964. It was equivalent to one Pound Sterling.

Source: Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (DE)