North America · BM / BMU
Flag of Bermuda
The Bermuda flag is a red ensign with the Union Jack in the canton and the territory's coat of arms on the fly: a lion holding a shield that shows a shipwreck. Unlike most British overseas territories, it uses a red ensign on land.
What the flag of Bermuda looks like
The flag of Bermuda is a British red ensign: a plain red field with the Union Flag (the Union Jack) in the upper hoist corner. The proportions are 1:2. On the right half of the red field, the fly, is the Bermuda coat of arms.
The arms show a lion that holds a shield. On that shield is a shipwreck on a rock, the wreck of the Sea Venture in 1609. The arms are carried with the Latin motto Quo Fata Ferunt, "Whither the Fates carry [us]". You can also see the flag as the Bermuda flag emoji 🇧🇲.
Bermuda flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#C8102ERGB
200, 16, 46CMYK
0, 92, 77, 22HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0HEX
#012169RGB
1, 33, 105CMYK
99, 69, 0, 59Bermuda flag meaning and symbolism
The flag shows the link between Bermuda and the United Kingdom, and the history of the island's settlement.
- The Union Jack in the corner shows that Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.
- The red field follows the British Red Ensign, a flag long used by merchant ships.
- The lion holds a shield with the wreck of the Sea Venture.
- The shipwreck recalls 1609, when the Sea Venture, on its way to the new colony of Jamestown in Virginia, was driven onto the reefs of Bermuda in a hurricane. Its crew and passengers survived and later built new ships to continue the voyage. Some stayed behind, and the English settlement of the island began in 1612.
The motto Quo Fata Ferunt fits the same story: the castaways went wherever the fates took them.
History of the Bermuda flag
The island is named after the Spanish navigator Juan de Bermúdez, who sighted it in the early 16th century, but it was settled by the English after the Sea Venture wreck. It was run by a company until it became a Crown colony in 1684.
Like most British colonies of the time, Bermuda used a Blue Ensign with a seal that showed a dry dock with three sailing ships. The Red Ensign form was first adopted on 4 October 1910. It is unusual because most other British overseas territories use a version of the Blue Ensign on land, while Bermuda's red ensign is also in keeping with the pre-1965 Canadian and pre-1928 South African practice. In 1999 the flag was changed to its current form, with an enlarged coat of arms.
Bermuda is still a British Overseas Territory with its own government. See other territories on the flags of the world page or the flags of North America.
Bermuda flag facts
| Country | Bermuda |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | 1999 |
| Proportions | 1:2 |
| Colors | #C8102E, #FFFFFF, #012169 |
| Symbols | Union Jack |
| Flag emoji | 🇧🇲 |
| Country code | BM, BMU (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Hamilton |
| Continent | North America |
| Population | 65,024 |
| Area | 53 km² |
| Currency | Bermudian dollar |
| National anthem | God Save the King |
Bermuda flag: frequently asked questions
Why does Bermuda have a shipwreck on its flag?
The shipwreck is the Sea Venture, which ran aground on Bermuda in 1609 while sailing to Jamestown, Virginia. The wreck led to the English settlement of the island.
Why does Bermuda have a UK flag?
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory, so its flag includes the Union Jack in the corner. The red background is the British Red Ensign.
Is Bermuda its own country?
No. Bermuda is a self-governing British Overseas Territory. It has its own government and flag, but the United Kingdom is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs.
What does the Bermuda flag symbolize?
It symbolizes the island's British ties through the Union Jack, and its history of settlement through the lion and the wrecked ship of 1609.
Is Bermuda more British or American?
Bermuda is British politically, as a British Overseas Territory. Geographically it lies in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,000 km off the US east coast.
What did the old Bermuda flag look like?
Before 1910 Bermuda used a blue ensign with a seal showing a dry dock and three sailing ships. The red ensign was first adopted on 4 October 1910, and in 1999 the flag was changed to its current form with an enlarged coat of arms.
What is the 3-letter abbreviation for Bermuda?
The ISO three-letter code for Bermuda is BMU, and the two-letter code is BM. The flag emoji 🇧🇲 is built from those two letters.
What does Bermuda mean?
The islands are named after the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez, who found them in the early 1500s. Their later English settlement began after the Sea Venture shipwreck in 1609, shown on the flag.
