Flag and coat of arms of Saint Barthélemy
 | |
| Tricolore | |
| Use | National flag, civil and state ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 15 February 1794 |
 Unofficial flag of Saint Barthelemy | |
 | |
The flag of Saint Barthélemy is the French tricolor. This is because Saint Barthélemy is a self-governing overseas collectivity of France. An unofficial flag of Saint Barthélemy consisting of the island's coat of arms centered on a white field is also used on the island.[1][2][3]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Saint-Barthélemy is a shield divided into three horizontal stripes (parted per fess), three gold fleurs-de-lis on blue, above a white Maltese cross on red, over three gold crowns on blue, and "Ouanalao" is what the indigenous people called the island. On top of the shield is a mural crown.
The fleurs-de-lis, Maltese Cross, and gold crowns are heraldic reminders of the island's history as a colony ruled by first the Kingdom of France, then the Knights Hospitaller and in turn the Kingdom of Sweden. Eventually, the island returned to French rule.
On a white background, the arms serves as an unofficial flag for Saint Barthélemy.
References
- ^ "Archived copy". stbartsvilla.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
{cite web}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Saint-Barthélemy (Overseas Collectivity, France)".
- ^ "Saint Barthélemy". worldstatesman.org. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
External links
