Anguilla Flag

Antigua and Barbuda Flag

The flag of Antigua and Barbuda was adopted on February 27, 1967 when Antigua became independent of the British-governed West Indies. The flag features two red isosceles triangles that structure a "V" shape. In the center of the V is a white triangle underneath a blue stripe. Above the blue stripe is a layer of black with a rising sun in the center of the layer.

To develop a design for the flag, the Antiguan government held a competition in 1966, offering five hundred dollars and the national flag design to the winner. Reginald Samuel, a secondary school craftsmanship teacher, artist, and painter living in Antigua, won the competition for the flag design, and his drawing was chosen from over 600 entries. As per the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, Samuel designed the flag in just a 30 minutes, meeting the deadline at the very last moment. In 1966, the Antiguan government displayed Samuel's design for the flag, alongside the Antiguan national anthem, emblem, and motto outside the country's organization building. This unique exhibit is as yet viewable at the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda.

The design of the flag has great symbolic meaning. The rising sun represents the beginning of a new era, one in which the islands of Antigua and Barbuda are free and independent. The red represents the energy of the people of Antigua and Barbuda and furthermore the gore by the country's forefathers. The "V" shape formed by the red sections additionally represents "Triumph finally." The gold sun, the black stripe at the head of the flag, the blue in the middle, and the white at the base represent the sun, soil, ocean, and sand, respectively. In more symbolic terms, the blue symbolizes hope and the black symbolizes the African heritage of the country's citizens.

Until 1994, the sun on the flag of Antigua and Barbuda would often have up to twenty full focuses, as Reginald Samuel didn't specify what number of focuses the sun ought to have. Antigua comprises of six parishes and a "sister" island, Barbuda; and starting at 1994, the rising sun was required to contain seven full focuses, one for each of the parishes and one for Barbuda. Flagsworld.org provides Antigua and Barbuda Flag with images, meanings, history, country information, currency, codes and time zone.