Flag of Belize
Flag of Unity
The flag of Belize is royal blue with a thin red stripe at the top and bottom and a large white circle in the middle, holding the national coat of arms with two woodcutters and a mahogany tree.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 21, 1981a blue flag with a white disc was used from 1950; the red stripes were added at independence in 1981, and the design was standardised in 2019
- Shape (height : width)
- 3:5
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- royal blue
- red
- white
- green (leaves and tree)
What it means
- Blue and white: taken from the colours of the People's United Party
- Red stripes: taken from the United Democratic Party; together the colours show the unity of the nation
- Coat of arms: two men with an axe and a paddle, tools such as a saw and a hammer, a sailing ship and a mahogany tree: the logging of mahogany that built the country's economy
- Motto: "Sub Umbra Floreo", Latin for "Under the shade I flourish"
- 50 leaves: the circle of 50 leaves recalls 1950, when the independence movement began
Where it came from
In 1950 the People's United Party, which led the push for independence from Britain, began using a blue flag with a white disc. The red stripes come from the other big party, the United Democratic Party.
When Belize became independent on 21 September 1981, a design chosen from citizens' entries joined these together. It was called the "Flag of Unity".
History
Before independence the country was the British colony of British Honduras. Its coat of arms was granted in 1907 and has changed little since.
For many years there were no exact rules for drawing the flag. In 2019 it was standardised: the shape became 3:5, and details such as the shading of the two men were made the same on every flag.
Fun facts
- Belize is one of very few national flags with people on it.
- There are exactly 50 leaves in the wreath around the coat of arms.
- A Belize flag found in the ruins of the World Trade Center after 11 September 2001 is now kept in the Museum of Belize.
Easy to mix up with
Laos
NicaraguaQuestions
What does the flag of Belize look like?
The flag of Belize is royal blue with a thin red stripe at the top and bottom and a large white circle in the middle, holding the national coat of arms with two woodcutters and a mahogany tree.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Belize mean?
Blue and white: taken from the colours of the People's United Party; Red stripes: taken from the United Democratic Party; together the colours show the unity of the nation; Coat of arms: two men with an axe and a paddle, tools such as a saw and a hammer, a sailing ship and a mahogany tree: the logging of mahogany that built the country's economy; Motto: "Sub Umbra Floreo", Latin for "Under the shade I flourish"; 50 leaves: the circle of 50 leaves recalls 1950, when the independence movement began.
When was the flag of Belize adopted?
The current flag of Belize was adopted on September 21, 1981. (a blue flag with a white disc was used from 1950; the red stripes were added at independence in 1981, and the design was standardised in 2019)
What colours are on the flag of Belize?
The flag of Belize uses royal blue, red, white and green (leaves and tree).
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Belize?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Laos. Laos also has a white circle on blue between red stripes, but the circle is plain
Famous landmarks in Belize
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)