Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Last updated

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg
The Gems
Use National flag and ensign FIAV 111111.svg FIAV normal.svg
Proportion2:3
Adopted12 October 1985;39 years ago (1985-10-12)
DesignA Canadian pale triband of blue, gold, and green, with three green diamonds in the middle arranged to form the letter "V".

The flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Canadian pale triband consisting of blue, gold, and green bands charged with three green diamonds at the middle. Adopted in 1985 to replace a similar design used from the time of independence, it has been the flag of Saint Vincent since that year. The design of the present flag entailed substituting the country's coat of arms on a breadfruit leaf with the diamonds. They are a reference to both the letter "V", which is the first letter of the country's name, and its nickname as the "Gems of the Antilles" and "Jewels of the Caribbean". Accordingly, the flag itself has been given the moniker of "The Gems".

Contents

History

Sovereignty over Saint Vincent switched hands between the French and the British throughout the 18th century. This continued until 1783, when the Peace of Paris saw France permanently relinquish the island to the United Kingdom, and Saint Vincent eventually became a crown colony within the latter's colonial empire. [1] During this period, it utilised a British Blue Ensign defaced with the territory's coat of arms as its flag. [2] The shield initially consisted of two brunette raven-haired ladies, one clutching a palm branch on the left and one with clasped hands kneeling before an altar on the right. This design was revised in 1907, with the women's hair colour changed to blond and the clasped hands becoming an eye. [3] The island subsequently joined the West Indies Federation in 1958 and remained part of this political union until 1962. [4] On 27 October 1969, seven years after the federation was dissolved, Saint Vincent became an Associated State, [1] and adopted the aforementioned blue ensign as its official flag. [3]

When Saint Vincent became an independent country on 27 October 1979, a flag designed by native Saint Vincentian Elaine Liverpool was chosen to be the national flag. [2] [5] This consisted of a triband of blue, gold, and green separated by two thin white fimbriations, and the centre band charged with the country's coat of arms on a breadfruit leaf, which had been introduced to the island by William Bligh. However, this design soon proved to be convoluted and costly to manufacture, with the breadfruit leaf hard to recognise from afar. [2] After the New Democratic Party emerged victorious in the 1984 elections, new prime minister James Fitz-Allen Mitchell sought to have the flag redesigned. [2] A nationwide contest was held, but it resulted in an impasse after no entry was deemed suitable. [5] Consequently, Julien van der Wal – a graphic artist from Switzerland who also designed the flag of the Canton of Geneva [6] and pictograms for the Olympic Games [7] – was tasked with modifying the flag. [2] He was instructed to "modernise the original flag, keeping the same colours and respecting the symbolism". [8] In the meantime, the white fimbriations were removed from the soon-to-be disused design in March 1985. [6] [9]

Van der Wal's design saw the arms and breadfruit leaf substituted for three diamonds grouped together in a "V" shape. Notwithstanding these changes, the meaning behind the colours remained the same. [2] The new flag was formally adopted by the government on 12 October 1985. [5] [10] There is some discrepancy over when it was first hoisted officially. The islands' national newspaper, The Vincentian, maintains this took place during a ceremony at the War Memorial in the capital Kingstown on 21 October. [6] On the other hand, Whitney Smith in the Encyclopædia Britannica states that it was first raised one day later (22 October). [2] The flag – which has been occasionally dubbed "The Gems" [6] [10] – is utilised "for all purposes", with no distinction made between civil, state, and naval ensigns. [6]

Design

The Saint Vincentian flag flying outside the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei. Flags of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Republic of China 20100827.jpg
The Saint Vincentian flag flying outside the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei.

Symbolism

The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The blue epitomises the sky and the sea, while the gold represents the colour of the islands' sand, [2] [11] the sunshine, [5] and the "bright spirit" of the islanders. [10] The green symbolises the country's plentiful vegetation, [5] [11] as well as the vitality of Vincentians. [2] The three diamonds evoke the nicknames of Saint Vincent as the "Gems of the Antilles" [5] [11] and the "Jewels of the Caribbean". [2] Their arrangement in the shape of the letter V is a subtle allusion to the first letter in "Vincent", [2] while its placement on the marginally lower part of the centre band indicates the geographical positioning of the islands within the Antilles. [11]

The Saint Vincentian flag is utilised as a flag of convenience by foreign merchant vessels. The government permits this in order to increase revenue for the country, [12] and it offers many advantages for these ships, such as less expensive fees and lax rules regarding crew, safety, and the environment. [13] However, the lack of regulation on such vessels has led to concerns over illegal and suspicious activity like money laundering. [12] Two ships flying the flag of Saint Vincent were found by the European Commission (EC) to have been on the blacklist of the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. [14] [15]

As a result, this practice has attracted criticism from opposition parties as well as international organisations, [12] most notably the EC. [15] The EC identified Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a non-cooperating country in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) on May 23, 2020, having warned them earlier through pre-identification in December 2014. [14] By listing the country as non-cooperating, it meant that all fisheries products from Saint Vincent could no longer be legally imported into the European Union. [16] [17] This has negligible impact on the country, because Saint Vincent does not export fisheries products to EU member states. [15]

Historical flags

Historical flags of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines [3] [9]
Historical flagDurationDescription
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1877-1907).svg 1877–1907A Blue Ensign defaced with the badge of British Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1907-1979).svg 1907–1979A Blue Ensign defaced with the badge of British Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979-1985).svg 1979–1985A vertical tricolour of blue, gold, and green bands separated by two thin white fimbriations, and the middle band charged with the country's coat of arms on a breadfruit leaf.
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1985).svg 1985 (March to October)A vertical tricolour of blue, gold, and green bands, and the middle band charged with country's coat of arms on a breadfruit leaf.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vincent and the Grenadines</span> Country in the Caribbean

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies, at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea, where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf of Guinea</span> Northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean

The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. Null Island, defined as the intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian, is in the gulf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Sierra Leone</span>

The national flag of Sierra Leone is a tricolour consisting of three horizontal green, white and blue bands. It was adopted in 1961, Sierra Leone's independence year, to replace the British Blue Ensign defaced with the arms of the Crown Colony of Sierra Leone.

The music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and also reggae. String band music, quadrille, bélé music and traditional storytelling are also popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing</span>

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Sint Maarten</span>

The flag of Sint Maarten consists of a white triangle situated at the hoist charged with the constituent country's coat of arms, along with two horizontal bands of cherry red and navy blue. Adopted in 1985 shortly after the territory was granted a coat of arms, it has been the flag of Sint Maarten since 13 June of that year. Since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, it has been the sole flag used in the constituent country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines</span>

The monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The current Vincentian monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Vincentian Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines–related articles</span>

The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

A fisheries subsidy is a government action that confers an advantage on consumers or extractors of fish in order to supplement their income or lower their cost. Fisheries subsidy are addressed in sustainable development goal 14 where target 14.6 works on prohibiting subsidies contributing to overcapacity and over fishing, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from new such subsidies.

The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is a 2009 international treaty of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designed to prevent and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Saint Vincent and the Grenadines relations</span> Bilateral relations

India–Saint Vincent and the Grenadines relations refers to the international relations that exist between India and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Embassy of India in Paramaribo, Suriname is concurrently accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance</span> Law enforcement agency

The Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance is a government agency under the management of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia. Formally established on 23 November 2000 according to Presidential Decree No. 165/2000, the PSDKP is the agency responsible for supervising the marine and fishery resources of the Republic of Indonesia. The main mission of PSDKP is the prevention of Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Indonesian waters, which has caused a substantial loss for Indonesia's fishing industry. In its mission to prevent illegal fishing, PSDKP has conducted joint-operations with the Indonesian Navy, Water Police, Sea and Coast Guard, the Maritime Security Agency and Customs. PSDKP is however is not associated with these agencies.

Vladivostok 2000 (ex-Damanzaihao) is the world's largest fish factory ship with a mass of 49,367 tons and 228 metres in length.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU) in the Arctic is an under researched scientific field. The most recent academic articles about IUU in the Arctic mainly concerns the mid-2000s.

Transshipment or transhipment at sea is done by transferring goods such as cargo, personnel, and equipment from one ship to another. It is a common practice in global fisheries and typically takes place between smaller fishing vessels and large specialized refrigerated transport vessels, also referred to as “reefers” that onload catch and deliver supplies if necessary.

The fishing industry in Thailand, in accordance with usage by The World Bank, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other multinational bodies, refers to and encompasses recreational fishing, aquaculture, and wild fisheries both onshore and offshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a part of the global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was confirmed to have reached Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in March 2020. The first confirmed case was discovered on 11 March 2020.

Vincentian nationality law is regulated by the Saint Vincent Constitution Order of 1979, as amended; the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Citizenship Act of 1984, and its revisions; and various British Nationality laws. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Vincentian nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to parents with Vincentian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalisation. There is not currently a program in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for persons to acquire nationality through investment in the country. Nationality establishes one's international identity as a member of a sovereign nation. Though it is not synonymous with citizenship, for rights granted under domestic law for domestic purposes, the United Kingdom, and thus the commonwealth, have traditionally used the words interchangeably.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2022 Commonwealth Games</span> Sporting event delegation

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England between 28 July and 8 August 2022. It was the team's thirteenth appearance at the Games.

References

  1. 1 2 Fraser, Adrian; Tolson, Richard (21 October 2019). "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – History". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Smith, Whitney (5 August 2011). "Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Whitney, ed. (1980). "Flag Bulletin". Winchester, Massachusetts: Flag Research Center. p. 6. ISSN   0015-3370.
  4. ↑ "St Vincent and the Grenadines country profile". BBC News. BBC. 31 May 2018. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kindersley Ltd., Dorling (2009). Complete Flags of the World. Penguin. p. 37. ISBN   9780756654863.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "The flags of SVG". The Vincentian. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  7. ↑ Wenn, Stephen R.; Barney, Robert (30 January 2020). The Gold in the Rings: The People and Events That Transformed the Olympic Games. University of Illinois Press. p. 195. ISBN   9780252051531.
  8. ↑ Smith, Whitney, ed. (1986). "Flag Bulletin". 25. Winchester, Massachusetts: Flag Research Center: 207. ISSN   0015-3370.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. 1 2 "History of the Flag". House of Assembly. Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 "The National Flag". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Regional Integration. Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines". The World Factbook. CIA. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 Ferguson, James. "St. Vincent and the Grenadines". Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies. Gale. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "Province's newest ferry flagged for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Fight against illegal fishing: Commission lists Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Comoros as non-cooperating, and issues warning for Liberia". European Commission. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 "Question and Answers on the EU's fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing". European Commission. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  16. ↑ Brivio, Enrico; Stoycheva, Daniela (8 January 2019). "Questions and Answers – Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in general and in Thailand". European Commission. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  17. ↑ "Illegal fishing – Overview of existing procedures (third countries)" (PDF). European Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.