Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis

What the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis looks like

The flag has a width-to-height ratio of 2:3 and is cut by a broad diagonal band. The band starts in the lower hoist corner (next to the pole) and rises to the upper fly corner. It is black, with a narrow yellow border on each side, and carries two white five-pointed stars set on a slant along its length.

The band divides the field into two triangles. The upper triangle, along the hoist, is green. The lower triangle, toward the fly, is red.

Saint Kitts and Nevis flag meaning and symbolism

The meanings were formulated by Edrice Lewis, the designer of the flag. They are:

• Green for the fertile land of the islands.
• Red for the struggle against slavery and colonialism.
• Yellow for the sunshine the islands enjoy all year round.
• Black for the African origins of the people.
• The two white stars for the two islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and for hope and liberty.

The stars also reflect the federation itself: the country is made up of two islands that share one government, and each one is represented on the flag.

History of the Saint Kitts and Nevis flag

For most of its history the islands flew British colonial flags. In 1958 Anguilla, Nevis and Saint Christopher formed a province of the West Indies Federation. After that federation dissolved, they became the associated state of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. Anguilla seceded in 1969 and the split was formalised in 1980, which left only Saint Kitts and Nevis and meant a new flag was needed.

A national competition was held in the early 1980s to choose a new flag. The winning design, by the student Edrice Lewis, was one of 258 entries. It was first hoisted one minute after midnight on 19 September 1983, the day the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis became independent from the United Kingdom. It has not been changed since. The country remains in the Commonwealth, and the king is the head of state.

The flag is a point of national pride and appears on the flag emoji, on public buildings and at sporting events. Independence Day is celebrated every 19 September.

Flags that look like the Saint Kitts and Nevis flag

Two flags share the idea of a diagonal band across the field. Trinidad and Tobago has a black band edged in white on a red field. Tanzania has a black band edged in yellow between green and blue triangles. The flag of the Republic of the Congo is also close in design and colors, though its meanings differ.