🇭🇹

Flag of Haiti

North America

Download SVG

Quick Facts

Capital
Port-au-Prince
Flag adopted
1986
Population
11,867,032
Area
27,750 km²
Languages
French, Haitian Creole
Currency
Haitian gourde (G) — HTG
Demonym
Haitian
Government
semi-presidential republic
Subregion
Caribbean
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC-05:00
Independence
1804

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 55%
  • Protestant 29%
  • None 10%
  • Other 4.6%
  • Vodou 2.1%

About This Flag

The flag of Haiti consists of two equal horizontal bands — blue on top and red on the bottom — with the national coat of arms centered on a white rectangular panel. The blue represents Haiti's Black citizens, the red represents its mixed-race (mulatto) citizens, and together the colors symbolize the unity of these communities.

The coat of arms features a palm tree topped by a Phrygian cap of liberty, flanked by cannons, rifles, and flags, with a banner reading 'L'Union Fait La Force' ('Unity Makes Strength'). The flag's origin is legendary: during the revolution in 1803, Jean-Jacques Dessalines reportedly took the French tricolor and tore out the white stripe, symbolizing the removal of the white colonizers, then sewed the blue and red together.

What the colors & design mean

Blue represents the Black citizens of Haiti. Red represents the mixed-race (mulatto) population. Together the colors symbolize the unity of all Haitian people. The Phrygian cap represents freedom from slavery. The motto 'L'Union Fait La Force' means 'Unity Makes Strength.'

blue red

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (1)

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

Fun Facts

  • Haiti's flag origin story is one of the most dramatic in vexillology — Dessalines supposedly ripped the white stripe from a French tricolor to symbolize the expulsion of the white colonial class during the revolution.
  • Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial Black-led nation, and the second republic in the Americas (after the United States), achieving independence in 1804.
  • The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was the only slave revolt that successfully led to the founding of a sovereign state, ending both slavery and French colonial rule simultaneously.
  • Haiti's flag has been modified numerous times, alternating between blue-and-red and black-and-red versions depending on the political regime in power.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇭🇹 Cape Verde 🇭🇹 Liberia 🇭🇹 Armenia 🇭🇹 Cambodia 🇭🇹 Laos

More North America Flags

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda · 🇧🇸 Bahamas · 🇧🇧 Barbados · 🇧🇿 Belize · 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇨🇷 Costa Rica · 🇨🇺 Cuba · 🇩🇲 Dominica

View all North America flags →

Explore by Category

Flags with blue Flags with red Horizontal Stripes

Test Your Knowledge!

Think you can identify the flag of Haiti?

Play Flag Quiz