National flag
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1962-Present | Flag of Trinidad and Tobago | A red field with a white-fimbriated black diagonal band from the upper hoist-side to the lower fly-side. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] |
This is the following is a list of flags related with Trinidad and Tobago.
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| | 1962-Present | Flag of Trinidad and Tobago | A red field with a white-fimbriated black diagonal band from the upper hoist-side to the lower fly-side. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1962-Present | Presidential Flag of Trinidad and Tobago | A Blue Field with The Coat of Arms surrounded by Laurels in the center. |
 | 1962-Present | Flag of The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago | A White field with the national flag in the canton and defaced with The Coat of Arms surrounded by Laurels. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1962-Present | Flag of The Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard | A Blue field with the national flag in the canton and defaced with The Air Guard's Emblem. |
 | 1962-Present | Flag of The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment | A Green Field with The Regiment's Emblem in the center. |
 | 1962-Present | President's Flag of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment | Similar to The National Flag, but with a golden border, The Emblem of the president in the center and The Coat of Arms surrounded by Laurels upwards. |
 | 1962-Present | Regimental Flag of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment | A Green Field with a golden border, The Regiment's Emblem in the center and The Coat of Arms surrounded by Laurels upwards. |
 | 1962-Present | Flag of The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force | A Horizontal Triband of Red, Blue and Cyan with The Defence Force's Emblem in the center. |
 | 1962-Present | Flag of The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Reserves | A Red Field with a small triband of green, white and blue with The Defence Force's Emblem in the center. |
 | 1962-Present | Civil Ensign of Trinidad and Tobago | A red field with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist-side to the lower fly-side. |
 | 1962-Present | Naval Ensign of Trinidad and Tobago | A White Ensign with the National Flag in the canton. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1498-1516 | Flag of The Crown of Castile | quartered banner of arms of Castile, represented by a castle, and León, represented by a lion. |
 | 1516-1785 | Flag of The Spanish Empire | A red saltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned (knotted) branches, on a white field. |
 | 1785-1797 | Flag of The Kingdom of Spain | A horizontal triband flag of red, yellow (double width) and red; charged with the Spanish coat of arms off-centred toward the hoist. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1628-1680 | The Prince's Flag | A Horizontal triband of orange, white and blue. |
 | 1652–1672 | States Flag | A Horizontal triband of red, white and blue. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1654 1680-1693 | Flag of The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | A horizontal triband of red (top), white and red with the Coat of arms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the center. |
 | 1654 1680-1693 | Flag of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia | A Horizontal Bicolour of Red and White [7] |
 | 1654 1680-1693 | Merchant ensign of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia | A Red Field with a black crab in the center. also known as The "Crab Flag". |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1662-1667 1781-1790 | Flag of The Kingdom of France | a white banner with several Fleur de Lis with the royal coat of arms in the center. |
 | 1790-1794 | Flag of The Kingdom of France and The French First Republic | A vertical tricolour of red, white and blue. |
 | 1794-1803 | Flag of The French First Republic | A vertical tricolour of blue, white and red. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1733 | Flag of Sweden | A blue 3-pointed swallowtail field charged with a yellow Nordic cross that extends to the edges; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1639-1649 1672-1674 | Flag of England | A white field with centred red cross. |
 | 1649-1651 | Flag of The Commonwealth of England | St George's Cross and an Irish Harp juxtaposed. [8] |
 | 1651-1654 | Flag of The Commonwealth of England | St George's Cross and St Andrew's cross quartered. |
 | 1762-1781 | Flag of The Kingdom of Great Britain | A superimposition of the flags of England and Scotland |
 | 1803-1962 | Flag of The United Kingdom | A superimposition of the flags of England and Scotland with the Saint Patrick's Saltire (representing Ireland). |
 | 1886-1903 | Flag of The British Windward Islands | A blue ensign with the arms of The Windward Islands. [9] |
 | 1889–1958 | Flag of The Colony of Trinidad and Tobago | A blue ensign with the arms of Trinidad & Tobago. [10] |
 | 1903-1953 | Flag of The British Windward Islands | A blue ensign with the arms of The Windward Islands. [11] |
 | 1953-1960 | Flag of The British Windward Islands | A blue ensign with the arms of The Windward Islands. |
 | 1958–1962 | Flag of The West Indies Federation | A blue field with four white horizontal wavy bars (the top pair of bars being parallel and the lower pair also parallel) and an orange sun in the center. [12] |
 | 1958–1962 | Flag of The Colony of Trinidad and Tobago | A blue ensign with the arms of Trinidad & Tobago. [13] |
 | 1962–1976 | Royal Flag of Trinidad and Tobago | the coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago in banner form, which depicts the colours of the national flag. The gold ships represent the three ships Christopher Columbus used on his voyage. The two birds above are hummingbirds. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag. [14] |
The history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Indigenous First Peoples. Trinidad was visited by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498,, and claimed in the name of Spain. Trinidad was administered by Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch, and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands following the second Treaty of Paris (1814). In 1889, the two islands were incorporated into a single political entity. Trinidad and Tobago obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.
The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states throughout the Americas and Atlantic Ocean. They have primary objectives to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973, with its four founding members signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its primary activities involve:
The Lesser Antilles are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. They are distinguished from the large islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc which begins east of Puerto Rico and swings south through the Leeward and Windward Islands almost to South America and then turns west along the Venezuelan coast as far as Aruba. Barbados is isolated about 100 miles east of the Windwards.
The British West Indies (BWI) were colonised British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago. Other territories included Bermuda, and the former British Honduras.
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmost island in the West Indies. With an area of 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi), it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.
The flag of Trinidad and Tobago was adopted upon independence from the United Kingdom on 31 August 1962. Designed by Carlisle Chang (1921–2001), the flag of Trinidad and Tobago was chosen by the independence committee of 1962. Red, black and white symbolise fire, earth and water.
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated 11 kilometres off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres south of Grenada. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the east, Grenada to the northwest and Venezuela to the south and west. Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies. The island country's capital is Port of Spain, while its largest and most populous city is San Fernando.
The coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The committee included artist Carlisle Chang (1921–2001) and carnival designer George Bailey (1935–1970).
The Caribbean or West Indies is a subregion of the Americas that includes the Caribbean Sea and its islands, some of which are surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some of which border both the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; the nearby coastal areas on the mainland are often also included in the region. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.
Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago formally established diplomatic relations on Barbados' national date of independence, 30 November 1966. Barbados maintains non-resident representation to Port of Spain, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago maintains non-resident representation to Bridgetown. Both countries are members of many shared organisations, including the Association of Caribbean States, the Commonwealth of Nations, CARICOM, CARIFORUM, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories refers to the various flags that were used across the various Dominions, Crown colonies, protectorates, and territories which made up the British Empire and overseas territories. Early flags that were used across the Empire tended to be variations of the Red and Blue Ensigns of Great Britain with no colonial badges or coat of arms attached to them. In the first half of the 19th century, the first colonies started to acquire their own colony badges, but it was not until the UK Parliament passed the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865 that the colonies were required to apply their own emblems.