Flag of Saint Lucia
Dunstan St Omer | |
governor-general of Saint Lucia | |
Proportion | 1:2 |
---|---|
Adopted | 1979 |
The flag of
History
The French colonised Saint Lucia in 1635 and subsequently signed a treaty with the local indigenous population 25 years later in 1660.[2] However, the British vied for control with the French, and the island frequently switched hands between the two powers.[3] This continued until 1814, when the Treaty of Paris was signed that saw France permanently relinquish Saint Lucia to the British,[3] and it became a crown colony of the United Kingdom within its colonial empire in that same year.[2] During this colonial period of French and British rule, Saint Lucia did not have its own unique colonial flag.[4]
The British finally granted Saint Lucia its own unique coat of arms in August 1939. The escutcheon consisted of a black shield featuring two sticks of bamboo forming a cross, with two Tudor roses symbolising England and two fleurs-de-lis symbolising France occupying the four quadrants. This emblem was utilised to deface the British Blue Ensign in order to form the territory's flag.[4]
The island became part of the
Design
The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The blue epitomises the sky and the sea,
Historical flags
Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1766–1796 | Flag of the French Colony of Saint Lucia | The drapeau aux serpents was adopted by French colonial officials in 1766 for use as a civil ensign in both St Lucia and Martinique. The flag features a white cross on a blue field with four L-shaped (for Lucia) white fer-de-lance vipers in each quarter. | |
1796–1801 | Flag of the United Kingdom | Following the British annexation of the island the Kings Colours became the official flag of the colony. | |
1801–1875 | Flag of the United Kingdom | In 1801 the Union Jack was adapted to include the St. Patrick's satire. This would be the official flag of the island until its adoption of a unique colonial ensign. | |
1875–1939 | Flag of the British Colony of Saint Lucia | The Latin motto in the seal reads: STATIO HAUD MALEFIDA CARINIS (roughly, "Hardly a faithless guard for ships"). | |
1875–1939 | Flag of the governor of Saint Lucia |
The Union Jack defaced in the centre with the 1875 arms of Saint Lucia surrounded by a laurel wreath. | |
1939–1967 | Flag of the British Colony of Saint Lucia | A British Blue Ensign defaced with the arms of the colony. This consisted of a black shield featuring two sticks of bamboo forming a cross, with two Tudor roses symbolising England and two fleurs-de-lis symbolising France occupying the four quadrants. | |
1939–1979 | Flag of the governor of Saint Lucia | The Union Jack defaced in the centre with a white disc containing the 1939 arms of Saint Lucia and surrounded by a laurel wreath. | |
1967–1979 | Flag of Saint Lucia | A cerulean blue field charged with a yellow triangle in front of a white-edged black arrowhead. | |
1979–2002 | Flag of Saint Lucia | A cerulean blue field charged with a yellow triangle in front of a white-edged black arrowhead. The yellow triangle was enlarged and the arrowhead made narrower. |
References
- ^ "Flag of Saint Lucia". Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "St Lucia profile". BBC News. October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ a b "History of St Lucia". Lonely Planet. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Whitney (June 26, 2014). "Flag of Saint Lucia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ISBN 9780761425694.
- ^ Newton, Richard (February 12, 2000). "St Lucia: Michelangelo of the Caribbean". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9780756654863.
- ^ "Island of St. Lucia fights independence from Britain". The Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. United Press International. February 21, 1979. p. 23. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ^ "Little Caribbean island goes it alone". The Miami News. Associated Press. February 22, 1979. p. 2A. Retrieved October 1, 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "Saint Lucia". The World Factbook. CIA. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
External links
- Flag of Saint Lucia at Flags of the World
- Code of Etiquette for the use of the National Flag of Saint Lucia
- The Flag of Saint Lucia information from the Government of Saint Lucia
- Saint Lucia Flag Archived 2019-01-28 at the Wayback Machine at World Flags 101