Flag of Anguilla

What the flag of Anguilla looks like

The Anguilla flag is a blue ensign with a 1:2 ratio. The Union Jack fills the upper corner nearest the pole, and the coat of arms of Anguilla is placed on the right half. The shield shows three orange dolphins that curve around each other in a circle, set on a white background. A band of turquoise (light blue) runs along the bottom of the shield.

Three dolphins are shown in an interlocking circle, each with its head pointing toward the tail of the next. The three dolphins were already featured on the earlier Dolphin Flag, flown during Anguilla's brief independence in the late 1960s. For a smaller version of the flag, see the Anguilla flag emoji.

Anguilla flag meaning and symbolism

The dolphins are the main symbol. They stand for unity, strength and endurance. The white of the shield stands for peace, while the light blue base represents the sea, as well as faith, youth and hope.

The Blue Ensign and the Union Jack show that Anguilla is a British overseas territory.

History of the Anguilla flag

Anguilla was joined with Saint Kitts and Nevis for many years, and in 1967 the three islands became an Associated State against the wishes of the Anguillans. They expelled the Saint Kitts police, seceded and declared the Republic of Anguilla. The island's earlier flag was disliked and was replaced during this period by the Dolphin Flag, white with a broad blue band across the base and three stylised golden dolphins above it. British rule was soon restored, and the Anguilla Act 1971 placed the island under direct rule from London.

In 1980 Anguilla was given its own constitution and its union with Saint Kitts and Nevis officially ended. The Blue Ensign with the coat of arms was adopted in 1990 and is used on land and by government vessels at sea. The dolphin flag is still widely seen around the island and is commonly used as an all-purpose civil flag, so the two designs are often mixed up.

The government sits in The Valley, the capital.

Flags that look like the Anguilla flag

The flags of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands are also blue ensigns with a shield on the right, so the dolphins are the quickest way to recognize Anguilla. Browse all flags of the world to compare more.