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ARTICLE 1. The state of Bénin shall be an independent sovereign republic. The Capital of the Republic of Bénin shall be PORTO-NOVO. The national emblem shall be a tri-colored flag of green, yellow and red. Next to the staff is a green band for the entire height and two-fifths of the length, with two equal horizontal bands: the upper one yellow and the lower one red. The national anthem of the Republic shall be "l'AUBE NOUVELLE." The motto of the Republic shall be "FRATERNITÉ - JUSTICE TRAVAIL." The official language shall be French. The State Seal shall consist of a disk 120 millimeters in diameter showing: On the obverse side a pirogue loaded with six five-pointed stars sailing over the waves, accompanied overhead by a bow with one arrow in the shape of a palm supported by two crossed "recades," and below by a banderole bearing the motto "FRATERNITÉ-JUSTICE-TRAVAIL" with the inscription "République du Bénin" within the circle; And on the reverse side a shield divided into two equal parts - the first part of sinople [green] and the second of gold [yellow] and of gueules [red] which are the three colors of the flag. The shield is surrounded by two native palm trees with their trunks crossed in the shape of an X. The Coat of Arms of Bénin shall be as follows: In the first quarter in gold, a Somba fortress; In the second quarter in silver, the native star of Bénin, that is to say, an eight-pointed azure saltire angled with rays of silver and black in the background; In the third quarter in silver, a green palm tree loaded with red fruit; In the fourth quarter in silver, a sable [black] ship sailing on an azure sea with a losange in gueles [red] passing under the line of the quarter. The Supporters: two spotted panthers in gold; The Postage Stamp: Two black cornucopias from which come ears of corn; The motto: "Fraternité-Justice-Travail" in black letters on banderole.