Flag of the Bahamas

What the flag of the Bahamas looks like

The Bahamian flag is made of three horizontal stripes of equal height. The top and bottom stripes are aquamarine, a bright blue-green. The middle stripe is golden yellow. On the hoist side, a black equilateral triangle points toward the fly and takes up the full height of the flag. The width-to-height ratio is 1:2.

The flag has no coat of arms, but it does have a separate state emblem. The national coat of arms shows a shield held by a marlin and a flamingo, with a conch shell on top, and appears on government documents rather than on the national flag. The flag of the Bahamas is easy to tell apart from other flags of the region: its black triangle and aquamarine stripes are distinctive. See the Bahamas flag emoji for the icon version.

Bahamas flag meaning and symbolism

The colors of the Bahamian flag are linked to the geography of the islands and to the people. The usual explanations are these:

• Aquamarine represents the water surrounding the islands.
• Gold alludes to the shining sun and to other key land-based natural resources.
• Black symbolizes the strength, vigor and force of the Bahamian people. The triangle, which points toward the fly, evokes their enterprising and determined nature to cultivate the abundant natural resources of the land and the sea.

History of the Bahamas flag

The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1717. Under colonial rule the islands used the British Blue Ensign with the territory's emblem, which showed a British ship chasing two pirate ships and carried the Latin motto Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia ("Pirates expelled, commerce restored"). The emblem was designed around 1850 and officially approved in 1964.

After the 1972 elections the territory began negotiating independence, and a contest was held to design a new flag. Instead of choosing a single winner, it was decided that the flag would combine elements from various submissions. It was first hoisted at midnight on 10 July 1973, when the Bahamas became an independent nation. The flag has not changed since that date. 10 July is celebrated as Independence Day.

Why ships fly the Bahamas flag

The Bahamian flag is often used as a flag of convenience by foreign-owned merchant vessels, so it is seen far from the islands. Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1976 (amended in 1982), any domestic or foreign vessel can be registered in the Bahamas without difficulty, and the crew is not restricted by nationality. On a ship, the flag is used as the ensign at the stern, so the Bahamas flag is a common sight in ports around the world. For other flags of the region, visit flags of the world.