Vessels sailing under the Ivory Coast (Cote de Ivorire) Country Flag are required to have on board this flag as part of flag state requirements that derive from maritime regulations in the International Code of Signals and the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. These codes are published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as an ongoing effort to reinforce maritime safety procedures and communications to the international maritime community. Fleet management companies and ship owners are responsible to ensure that each vessel in their respective fleets have the appropriate flag signage onboard to be in compliance. This flag is used to identify the flag state a vessel is sailing under and to communicate with other vessels under the provisions of the International Code of Signals.
The Ivory Coast, or Cote de Ivorire Country Flag is distinguished by it's three, equally proportioned vertical stripes. These are colored orange, white and green from hoist, or left to fly, or right. Upon gaining independence from France, the Flag was officially adopted in 1959. The Ivory Coast Country Flag is designated to hold a proportional dimension of 2:3, height to length, respectively. The design of the Cote de Ivorire Flag was borrowed from the design of the French tricolor flag and similar to the design of the Irish Flag. The orange color is meant to symbolize land, referencing the famous northern savanna and it's untamed wilderness. The white color represents the waters of this region as they flow in the bright sunlight. White is also meant to stand for the continuing joy and happiness enjoyed by the people of the Ivory Coast. Green is the color of fertile and lush forests that define expansive portions of this region, providing a tribute to the untamed natural abundance that may have provided the cradle of civilization.