Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Adopted	October 21, 1985 ref name="FOTW"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at Flags of the World</ref>
Designed by	Julien van der Wal ref name="B"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, flag of. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 29, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online</ref>
Proportions	2:3 refSt. Vincent & the Grenadines at World Flag Database</ref> or 7:11

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 sky and sea.
• 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.

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 – January 1, 1940

January 1, 1940 – January 3, 1958

January 3, 1958 – October 27, 1979

October 27, 1979 – March, 1985

March, 1985 – October 22, 1985

Since October 22, 1985