Flag of the Bahamas

What the flag of the Bahamas looks like

The Bahamian flag is made of three horizontal stripes of equal height. The top and bottom stripes are aquamarine, a bright blue-green. The middle stripe is golden yellow. On the hoist side, a black equilateral triangle points toward the fly and takes up the full height of the flag. The width-to-height ratio is 1:2.

The flag has no coat of arms, but it does have a separate state emblem. The national coat of arms shows a shield held by a marlin and a flamingo, with a conch shell on top, and appears on government documents rather than on the national flag. The flag of the Bahamas is easy to tell apart from other flags of the region: it is the only one in the Caribbean with a black triangle and aquamarine stripes. See the Bahamas flag emoji for the icon version.

Bahamas flag meaning and symbolism

The colors of the Bahamian flag are linked to the geography of the islands and to the people. The usual explanations are these:

• Aquamarine represents the clear shallow waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean that surround the more than 700 islands and cays.
• Gold stands for the sun and the sandy beaches, and for the natural resources of the land.
• Black stands for the strength and unity of the Bahamian people, most of whom are of African descent. The triangle, which points toward the fly, is said to represent the vigor and determination of the people to develop and use the rich resources of the islands and the sea.

Many Bahamians also see the black triangle as a statement of pride in the nation's African heritage.

History of the Bahamas flag

The Bahamas were a British colony from 1718, when the Royal Navy and Governor Woodes Rogers cleared out the pirates who had made Nassau their base. The colony flew the British Blue Ensign with a colonial badge, and the colony's seal carried the Latin motto Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia ("Pirates expelled, commerce restored").

As independence approached in the early 1970s, a committee of the Bahamian parliament held a competition to choose a new flag. The design is credited to Hervis Bain, a Bahamian, and it was chosen from the entries. The flag was officially raised at midnight on 9-10 July 1973, when the Bahamas became an independent nation within the Commonwealth. The flag has not changed since that date. 10 July is celebrated as Independence Day.

Why ships fly the Bahamas flag

The Bahamas has one of the largest ship registers in the world, so its flag is seen far from the islands. Many cruise ships, tankers and cargo vessels fly the Bahamian flag even though they are owned by companies in other countries. Registration is open to foreign owners and carries low fees and taxes, which is why such a register is also called a flag of convenience. On a ship, the flag is used as the ensign at the stern, so the Bahamas flag is a common sight in ports around the world. For other flags of the region, visit flags of the world.