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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Last modified: 2019-05-20 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: saint vincent and the grenadines | diamonds: 3 (green) | gem | the gems | van der wal (julien) | governor general | error | st vincent & the grenadines |
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Flag of St Vincent and the Grenadines image by Željko Heimer, 2 January 2003


See also:
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Description of the flag

The flag is vertically blue yellow green 1:2:1, with three green diamonds. Diamonds are said to represent that islands are “gems of Antilles”. The flag was introduced in October 21st 1985.
Željko Heimer, 29 Jan 1996

The Album 2000 [pay00] says:

1. National Flag. CSW/CSW 2:3
Vertical tricolour of blue-yellow-green, the yellow being double the width of each of the other two, and with three green lozenges, two and one in the middle of it. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is one of those rare Commonwealth countries that did not adopt the British ensign system and uses one national flag for all purposes. The ratio is also not quite according to British traditions.
Željko Heimer, 02 Jan 2003

After a local competition failed to produce a satisfactory design, the problem was submitted to a Swiss graphic artist who suggested what is now the current design.
Ivan Sache, 31 Jan 2000, quoting from [rya97]

The Swiss graphic artist who designed the current flag of St Vincent is the late Julien van der Wal. Among many of creations, he is also the author of the current flag of the Canton of Geneva.
Tal Schibler, 24 Mar 2010

Julien van der Wal was the Swiss designer of the Saint Vincent and Grenadines flag (source: article in the Encyclopedia Britannica, by Whitney Smith
Dave Martucci, 23 Jan 2010

The present flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines came into use officially on Monday October 21, 1985. That morning there was a ceremony at the War Memorial in Kingston to mark the change over. According [v9c85], a leaflet produced in 1985 at the Government Printing Office in Kingston, the symbolism of the flag is as follows:

The green diamonds are shaped in a V for St. Vincent, and reflect the plural nature of the many islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These gems define St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the gems of the Antilles. The Blue represents the sky and sea. the gold is for warmth, the bright spirit of the people and the golden sands of the Grenadines. The Green represents the lush vegetation of St. Vincent’s agriculture and the enduring vitality of the people. The Flag may be called “The gems”.

Jos Poels 03 Dec 1996

The Grenadines consist of two groups, the Northern and the Southern Grenadines; the latter belong to Grenada, among which are Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Diamind island, Ronde island, Les Tantes, Caille island, London Bridge island, The Sisters, Green island, Bird island. In total there are c. 600 Grenadines. 34,5 sq. km. belong to Grenada; 45,3 sq. km. to St. Vincent. (source: Fischer Weltalmanach 2000)
Jarig Bakker, 03 Feb 2000

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National Flag at the London 2012 Olympics

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [loc12]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be.
For St Vincent & the Grenadines: PMS 286 blue, 109 yellow, 354 green. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012


Coat of arms

What is generally shown as the current form of the Arms would have been designed by a herald at the College of Arms in London when the Arms were granted in 1912. However the scene on the shield is not original. It is a copy of the Seal of St Vincent which was in use before 1839 when it appeared in an anaglyptograph of Seals of the Colonies of the British Empire [g9bXXc].
David Prothero, 12 Nov 2008

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Governor General (since 1979)

SVG Gov. Gen
image by Željko Heimer, 02 Jan 2003

The Album 2000 [pay00] says:

2. Governor General. 1:2
Blue flag with the royal crest and yellow ribbon inscribed in black "St VINCENT & THE GRENADINES".
Željko Heimer, 02 Jan 2003
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Incorrect red flag

SVG Gov. Gen
image by Željko Heimer and Victor Lomantsov, 03 Jan 2003

In 1993 Michel Lupant wrote in Gaceta de banderas [gdb] about a red flag of governor-general.
Victor Lomantsov, 03 Jan 2003

According to Michel Lupant, it should be blue; it will be corrected by him in Gaceta as soon as possible.
Armand du Payrat, 06 Jan 2003

Governor General flag was never red but blue, it was a mistake in the translation in Gaceta.
Michel Lupant, 19 Jun 2005

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Storm flag signals

pierced black
image by Antonio Martins, 15 Aug 1999

According to the WMO book [c9h07], Saint Vincent and the Grenadines partially use the well-known US signal set:

  • 40a (red pierced black) is «A cautionary warning: possibility of storm or hurricane affecting island».
  • 41a (double set of red pierced black) is «Definite warning: hurricane will affect island».
Jan Mertens, 30 Mar 2008