Flag of Barbados
North America
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Bridgetown
- Flag adopted
- 1966
- Population
- 267,800
- Area
- 430 km²
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Barbadian dollar ($) — BBD
- Demonym
- Barbadian
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Caribbean
- Driving side
- Left
- Timezones
- UTC-04:00
- Independence
- 1966
Religions
- Protestant 71.8%
- None 20.6%
- Roman Catholic 3.8%
- Other 1.5%
- Unspecified 1.2%
- Rastafarian 1%
About This Flag
The flag of Barbados consists of three equal vertical bands of ultramarine blue on the hoist and fly sides with a golden-yellow band in the center, upon which is centered a black trident head. The blue represents the sea surrounding the island and the sky, while the gold stands for the sandy beaches.
The broken trident (with its shaft missing) is derived from the colonial seal, which showed Britannia holding a full trident — the broken shaft symbolizes the break from colonial rule. Each of the three prongs represents the three principles of democracy: government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
The flag was designed by Grantley Prescod and adopted on November 30, 1966, upon independence from Britain.
What the colors & design mean
Blue represents the sky and surrounding sea. Gold symbolizes the sandy beaches of Barbados. The broken trident head signifies the break from colonialism, with its three prongs representing democratic government of, by, and for the people.
Pattern: Vertical Stripes
Fun Facts
- The broken trident is a deliberate modification of the colonial symbol — the intact trident of Britannia was broken to represent the severing of ties with British rule.
- Barbados was a British colony for over 300 years (1627-1966) and was sometimes called 'Little England' due to its strong British cultural influence.
- Barbados is the birthplace of rum — Mount Gay Rum, established in 1703, is the oldest existing brand of rum in the world.
- In 2021, Barbados became a republic, replacing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state with a Barbadian president, while remaining in the Commonwealth.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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