Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

What the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines looks like

The flag has three vertical bands: blue at the hoist, a wider gold band in the center (a Canadian pale layout) and green at the fly. The proportions are 2:3. On the gold band sit three green diamonds (rhombuses) arranged in the shape of a V, with two on top and one below.

The flag is nicknamed "The Gems". If you want a small version for messages or posts, see the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag emoji.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag meaning

The commonly cited meanings are:

• Blue stands for the sky and the sea.
• Gold represents the sand of the islands, the sunshine and the "bright spirit" of the islanders.
• Green stands for the lush vegetation of the islands and the vitality of the people.
• The three diamonds form the letter V for Vincent. They also evoke the nicknames "Gems of the Antilles" and "Jewels of the Caribbean". Their placement on the slightly lower part of the central band indicates the position of the islands within the Antilles.

History of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag

Saint Vincent was a British colony for much of its history, and used a British Blue Ensign with the territory's coat of arms. It became an associated state in 1969 and gained independence on 27 October 1979, when a flag designed by Elaine Liverpool, a Saint Vincentian, became the national flag. It also used blue, gold and green bands, separated by thin white fimbriations, with the coat of arms on a breadfruit leaf in the center. The breadfruit was introduced to the island by William Bligh.

The independence design proved convoluted and costly to produce. After the New Democratic Party won the 1984 election, the new government sought a redesign. A public contest produced no suitable entry, so the Swiss graphic artist Julien van der Wal was asked to modernise the flag, keeping the colors and symbolism. Three diamonds in a V replaced the arms and breadfruit leaf, and the government formally adopted the new flag on 12 October 1985. It has been in use since.

Where the flag is used

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean, with its capital in Kingstown. The flag is raised on the main island of Saint Vincent and in the Grenadine islands, which include Bequia, Mustique and Union Island. The country is a member of the Commonwealth. See also flags of North America and the flag download page.