Flag of Saint Lucia

The national flag of Saint Lucia is a proud symbol of the country. It has a blue background with a golden triangle in front of a white-edged black triangle.

The flag was adopted in 1967 when Saint Lucia became an associated state of the United Kingdom. Before that, it used a different flag with British colors and symbols.

The colors and shapes have special meanings. The blue stands for the sky and the sea. The golden triangle means life and light. The black triangle with a white edge shows strength and dignity.

Even though a few small details have changed, the main design has stayed the same since 1967. The flag is a symbol of Saint Lucia and what the country values.

History

The British and the French both wanted to control Saint Lucia for many years, and the island changed hands many times. It wasn’t until 1814, with the Treaty of Paris, that the French finally gave Saint Lucia to the British. After that, Saint Lucia became a crown colony of the United Kingdom.

In 1939, the British gave Saint Lucia its own special symbol called a coat of arms. This symbol was used on a special British flag. Later, in 1967, Saint Lucia became its own nation but still had some ties to Britain. That year, a new flag was created by a local artist named Dunstan St Omer. When Saint Lucia fully became independent in 1979, the flag’s design stayed mostly the same, with just small changes to the colors and sizes.

Design

The colors and symbols on Saint Lucia’s flag have special meanings. The blue represents the sky and the sea, including the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The black and white stand for friendship between different groups of people. The yellow stands for sunshine and good times. The triangles on the flag are inspired by the Pitons, two famous volcanic cones in the southwest part of the island, called Gros Piton and Petit Piton. They also show unity.

Historical flags

Flag	Duration	Use	Description
	1766–1796	Flag of the French Colony of Saint Lucia	The drapeau aux serpents was adopted by French colonial officials in 1766 for use as a civil ensign in both St Lucia and Martinique. The flag features a white cross on a blue field with four L-shaped (for Lucia) white fer-de-lance vipers in each quarter.
	1796–1801	Flag of the United Kingdom	Following the British annexation of the island the Kings Colours became the official flag of the colony.
	1801–1875	Flag of the United Kingdom	In 1801 the Union Jack was adapted to include the St. Patrick's saltire. This would be the official flag of the island until its adoption of a unique colonial ensign.
	1875–1939	Flag of the British Colony of Saint Lucia	The Latin motto in the seal reads: STATIO HAUD MALEFIDA CARINIS (roughly, "Hardly a faithless guard for ships").
	1875–1939	Flag of the governor of Saint Lucia	The Union Jack defaced in the centre with the 1875 arms of Saint Lucia surrounded by a laurel wreath.
	1939–1967	Flag of the British Colony of Saint Lucia	A British Blue Ensign defaced with the arms of the colony. This consisted of a black shield featuring two sticks of bamboo forming a cross, with two Tudor roses symbolising England and two fleurs-de-lis symbolising France occupying the four quadrants.
	1939–1979	Flag of the governor of Saint Lucia	The Union Jack defaced in the centre with a white disc containing the 1939 arms of Saint Lucia and surrounded by a laurel wreath.
	1967–1979	Flag of Saint Lucia	A cerulean blue field charged with a yellow triangle in front of a white-edged black arrowhead.
	1979–2002	Flag of Saint Lucia	A cerulean blue field charged with a yellow triangle in front of a white-edged black arrowhead. The yellow triangle was enlarged and the arrowhead made narrower.