The flag of Madagascar consists of three colors: white, red, and green, displayed in both horizontal and vertical bands. The flag is divided vertically into two equal portions with the hoist side (left side when hanging) being white and the fly side (right side when hanging) being red. A green horizontal stripe spans the bottom of the flag. Historically, red and white were the colors of the Merina Kingdom, which colonized almost all of the island in the 19th century, while green represents the Hova, a common class of free citizens.