Flag of the Falkland Islands

What the flag of the Falkland Islands looks like

The flag is a blue ensign with a ratio of 1:2. The Union Jack of the United Kingdom is in the upper hoist corner, and the coat of arms of the Falkland Islands is on the blue field to the right. The shield is divided in two. The upper half is green with a ram standing on tussock grass, and the lower half is made of blue and white wavy lines with the sailing ship Desire on top. A white scroll beneath carries the motto Desire the Right.

The coat of arms is drawn straight onto the blue field. From 1948 the arms were placed on a white disc; the disc was removed and the arms enlarged in 1999. To see the design in a small size, look at the Falkland Islands flag emoji.

Falkland Islands flag meaning and symbolism

The blue ensign and the Union Jack show that the Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory. The elements on the coat of arms were chosen to represent the islands' main activities and history:

• The ram stands for sheep farming, which has long been the basis of the islands' rural economy.
• The ship Desire recalls the vessel captained by John Davis, who is reputed to have discovered the islands in 1592.
• The motto Desire the Right is the motto of the islands and echoes the name of the ship.
• The wavy lines represent the South Atlantic Ocean.

History of the Falkland Islands flag

The islands have been disputed for centuries. Britain has administered them since 1833, and Argentina, which calls them the Islas Malvinas, claims sovereignty over them. This page describes the flag used by the islands' government, while the sovereignty question is disputed between the United Kingdom and Argentina. The two countries fought a war over the islands in 1982. In a referendum held in 2013, an overwhelming majority of voters chose to remain a British overseas territory.

The islands first received a flag of their own in 1876, a Blue Ensign with a seal showing HMS Hebe and a bullock. A new coat of arms was introduced in 1925, and on 29 September 1948 the flag was updated with the arms (a ram above the Desire) on a white disc. The Argentine military junta banned the flag during its occupation from 2 April to 14 June 1982. The present form, with the arms enlarged and the disc removed, was adopted on 25 January 1999. The governor has a separate flag, a Union Flag with the arms, and the islands' civil ensign is a Red Ensign with the arms.

Flags that look like the Falkland Islands flag

The British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and other territories use similar blue ensigns, and the animals and the ship on the Falklands shield are what make it stand out. See all flags of the world for comparison.