Flag of Belize
Encyclopedia
The flag of Belize is a continued version of the earlier flag of British Honduras
(the name of Belize during the British colonial period).
British Honduras obtained a coat of arms
on January 28, 1907, which formed the basis of the badge used on British ensigns. The coat of arms recalls the logging industry that first led to British settlement there. The figures, tools, and mahogany tree represent this industry. From 1950 onward an unofficial national flag was in use. It was blue, with a modified version of the arms on a white disc in the centre (sometimes a blank white circle was used as the coat of arms was difficult to draw). The national motto, Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning “I Flourish in the Shade”, is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.
held by a white and a black man surrounded by fifty mahogany leaves. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes.
The colours on the flag are respectively those of the country's national parties, the People's United Party
(PUP) and United Democratic Party (Belize)
(UDP). The UDP, established in 1973, had objected to the original blue and white design, those two colours being the PUP's representative colours.
The two red stripes at the top and bottom were added to the original design at independence. The coat of arms was granted in 1907. Red stripes were added to denote the colour of the opposition party. Blue is the party colour of the PUP (People's United Party. The 50 leaves recall 1950, the year PUP came to power.
The flag of Belize contains twelve colours, three more than on any other national flag. It is also the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element on its national flag, although the flag of Malta
contains an image of Saint George
on the badge of the George Cross
, and the flags of British dependencies Montserrat
and the Virgin Islands
also depict humans.
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
(the name of Belize during the British colonial period).
British Honduras obtained a coat of arms
Coat of arms of Belize
The Coat of Arms of Belize was adopted upon independence, and is only slightly different from the coat of arms used when Belize was a British colony....
on January 28, 1907, which formed the basis of the badge used on British ensigns. The coat of arms recalls the logging industry that first led to British settlement there. The figures, tools, and mahogany tree represent this industry. From 1950 onward an unofficial national flag was in use. It was blue, with a modified version of the arms on a white disc in the centre (sometimes a blank white circle was used as the coat of arms was difficult to draw). The national motto, Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning “I Flourish in the Shade”, is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.
Description
The flag is royal blue, with a white disc at the centre containing the national coat of armsCoat of arms of Belize
The Coat of Arms of Belize was adopted upon independence, and is only slightly different from the coat of arms used when Belize was a British colony....
held by a white and a black man surrounded by fifty mahogany leaves. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes.
The colours on the flag are respectively those of the country's national parties, the People's United Party
People's United Party
The People's United Party is one of two major political parties in Belize, and currently the main opposition party. It is a Christian Democratic party; the current Party Leader is Francis Fonseca....
(PUP) and United Democratic Party (Belize)
United Democratic Party (Belize)
The United Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in Belize, and currently the ruling party, having won the 2008 general elections. A centre-right conservative party, it is currently led by Dean Barrow.-Founding:...
(UDP). The UDP, established in 1973, had objected to the original blue and white design, those two colours being the PUP's representative colours.
The two red stripes at the top and bottom were added to the original design at independence. The coat of arms was granted in 1907. Red stripes were added to denote the colour of the opposition party. Blue is the party colour of the PUP (People's United Party. The 50 leaves recall 1950, the year PUP came to power.
The flag of Belize contains twelve colours, three more than on any other national flag. It is also the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element on its national flag, although the flag of Malta
Flag of Malta
The Flag of Malta is a basic bi-colour, with white in the hoist and red in the fly: colours from the blazon of the arms of Malta. Tradition states that the colours of the flag were given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily, in 1091...
contains an image of Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
on the badge of the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
, and the flags of British dependencies Montserrat
Flag of Montserrat
The Flag of Montserrat was adopted on 10 April 1909.-Flag features:It is a Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton and the Coat of arms of Montserrat in the fly.-Symbolism of arms:...
and the Virgin Islands
Flag of the British Virgin Islands
The flag of the British Virgin Islands was adopted on 15 November 1960. It is a defaced Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and defaced with the coat of arms of the British Virgin Islands...
also depict humans.
Other flags
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