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Flag of Belize
 |
| Use |
Civil and state flag.  |
| Proportion |
2:3 |
| Adopted |
September 21, 1981 |
| Design |
A white disc at the center containing the National Coat of Arms surrounded by fifty mahogany leaves on a royal blue field. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes. |
The national flag of Belize was adopted on September 21, 1981 upon independence from the United Kingdom. The flag is a continued version of the earlier flag of British Honduras (the name of Belize during the British colonial period). This flag was established in 1950 at the start of the British Honduras independence movement.
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 represents this industry. From 1968 onward an unofficial national flag was in use. It was blue, with a modified version of the arms- minus the Union Jack- on a white disk in the center. The national motto- Sub Umbra Floreo meaning I Flourish in the Shade is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.
[edit] Description
The flag is royal blue, with a white disc at the center containing the National Coat of Arms surrounded by fifty mahogany leaves. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes.
The colors 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 colors being the PUP's representative colors. 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 color of the opposition party. Blue is the party color of the PUP (People's United Party. The 50 leaves recall 1950, the year PUP came to power.
[edit] Uniqueness
The flag of Belize is unique in that it contains twelve colors, three more than on any other national flag. [1] Also, it is the only national flag to have human beings depicted on it, in the Coat of Arms.
[edit] References
- ^ Belize Flag - Flags of Belize (http://www.belize.com/belize-flag.html)
[edit] External links
