Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Adopted	October 12, 1985 (colors darkened on December 14, 2019)
Designed by	Julien van der Wal
Proportions	2:3

The flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines consists of three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern.

Flag of the British Windward Islands

Governor General's flag

Symbolism

• The green diamonds are shaped in a V for St. Vincent, and reflect the plural nature of the many islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These gems define St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the gems of the Antilles.
• The blue represents the Caribbean Sea and the sky.
• The gold is for warmth, the bright spirit of the people and the golden sands of the Grenadines.
• The green represents the lush vegetation of St. Vincent’s agriculture and the enduring vitality of the people.

Nickname

• The Diamond V

History

The coat of arms of Saint Vincent shows peace and justice represented by two women, one holding an olive branch (peace) and the other making a sacrifice over an altar (justice). This design with the Latin motto Pax et justitia ("Peace and justice") was used as a flag badge on the British Blue Ensign when Saint Vincent was an associated state of the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1979. At independence on October 27, 1979, however, a national flag designed by Elaine Liverpool was introduced. The arms were shown on a green breadfruit leaf, recalling the introduction of breadfruit in Saint Vincent by Captain William Bligh. The background of the flag consisted of vertical stripes of blue, yellow, and green separated by narrow white stripes.

Many believed this complex and expensive flag to be inappropriate. Following June 1984 elections won by the New Democratic Party, Prime Minister James Mitchell commissioned a new flag. Swiss graphic artist Julien van der Wal created a version with the narrow white stripes omitted, leaving a simple vertical tricolour of blue-yellow-green. The arms and breadfruit leaf, difficult to distinguish at a distance, were replaced by three green diamonds arranged in the form of a V.

1877 – 1907

1907 – October 27, 1979

October 27, 1979 – March 1985

March 1985 – October 12, 1985

October 12, 1985 – December 14, 2019

December 14, 2019 – present