Flag of Haiti
Haiti's flag has a blue stripe over a red stripe, with a white panel in the centre showing the coat of arms: a palm tree topped by a cap of liberty, with weapons and flags below.
At a glance
- Adopted
- February 26, 1986the blue-and-red flag dates from 1803; this version with the coat of arms was first used in 1806 and was restored in 1986 after the Duvalier years
- Shape (height : width)
- 3:5
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- blue
- red
- white
What it means
- Removing the white: according to Haitian tradition, white was taken out because it stood for the white French colonists
- Blue and red: by tradition, the union of Black and mixed-race Haitians; there is no official explanation
- Palm tree and cap of liberty: independence and freedom
- Motto "L'Union fait la force": "Unity is strength"
Where it came from
The story goes that on 18 May 1803, at the Congress of Arcahaie, the revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore the white stripe out of a French flag. His goddaughter, Catherine Flon, sewed the blue and red parts together to make the first Haitian flag.
Catherine Flon is remembered as a heroine of Haitian independence, and Haiti celebrates 18 May as Flag Day.
History
In 1806, under the leader Alexandre Petion, the design that today's flag is based on was first used. Under the dictators Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier, from 1964 to 1986, Haiti used a black and red flag instead.
When the Duvaliers fell in 1986, the blue and red flag with the coat of arms came back. A plain blue and red version without the arms is used as the civil flag.
Fun facts
- The white panel in the middle is supposed to be a square, but it is often drawn as a rectangle.
- Catherine Flon, who sewed the first flag, has appeared on Haitian money and stamps.
- The coat of arms shows small Haitian flags, so the flag has a picture of itself on it.
- At the 1936 Olympics, Haiti and Liechtenstein reportedly found their flags were the same plain blue and red, so both later added emblems; some historians doubt this story.
Easy to mix up with
Dominican Republic: the Dominican Republic, Haiti's neighbour, uses the same blue and red with a white cross
Questions
What does the flag of Haiti look like?
Haiti's flag has a blue stripe over a red stripe, with a white panel in the centre showing the coat of arms: a palm tree topped by a cap of liberty, with weapons and flags below.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Haiti mean?
Removing the white: according to Haitian tradition, white was taken out because it stood for the white French colonists; Blue and red: by tradition, the union of Black and mixed-race Haitians; there is no official explanation; Palm tree and cap of liberty: independence and freedom; Motto "L'Union fait la force": "Unity is strength".
When was the flag of Haiti adopted?
The current flag of Haiti was adopted on February 26, 1986. (the blue-and-red flag dates from 1803; this version with the coat of arms was first used in 1806 and was restored in 1986 after the Duvalier years)
What colours are on the flag of Haiti?
The flag of Haiti uses blue, red and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Haiti?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Dominican Republic. the Dominican Republic, Haiti's neighbour, uses the same blue and red with a white cross
Famous landmarks in Haiti
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)