An official language (with English) of the Republic of South Africa and Namibia. Spoken mainly by the Afrikaners descendants of Dutch and other 17th-century colonists it is a variety of the Dutch language, modified by circumstance and the influence of German, French, and other immigrant as well as local languages. It became a standardized written language about 1875.
Green represents the Islamic minority. Orange stands for the Hindu Tamils. The sword denotes authority. The four pipul leaves symbolize Buddhism. Effective date: 7 September 1978.