some vexillology - Dylan

This is the national flag of Madagascar! It was adopted in 1958, two years before Madagascar became independent from France. The red and white in the modern Madagascar flag come from the Marina Kingdom's flag, which has a white stripe on top and a red on the bottom (bottom left.) This flag also has significance in the history of the Czech Republic, where it was the flag from 1918-1920 and 1990-1992. To avoid confusing the Marina Kingdom's flag with the national flag of Monaco, remember that the Marina Kingdom's flag is Electrode, while Monaco's flag is Voltorb. (See? Pokemon is so relevant to vexillology I can't even.)

The red, white, and blue flag to the right of the Marina Kingdom flag is the flag of the Malagasy Protectorate, which was used from 1885 to 1896. The Malagasy Protectorate was a French protectorate, so the flag's resemblance to a rotated French tricolor makes sense. From 1897 to 1958, the French flag flew over Madagascar, which was at the time a French colony.

The decision to add the green to the modern day Madagascar flag is a nod to the Hova, who played a large role in gaining independence from the French.