The flag of the Falkland Islands is rectangular shaped, consisting of the defaced British Blue Ensign with the Union Flag on the top corner of the hoist side and the Falkland Islands Coat of Arm on the fly side. The coat of arm consists of a shield containing a ram on a tussock grass and a sailing ship underneath. The motto of the Falklands “Desire the Right” is on the ribbon at the bottom of the shield. The flag is in the proportion of 1:2. The flag of Falkland Island was adopted on January 25, 1999.
The flag of Falkland Island symbolizes its association with Britain, as it is one of its overseas territories. The ship symbolizes the Desire, a vessel which is believed to have been used by Captain John Davis when he discovered the Falkland Islands in 1592. The ram represents sheep farming, which is a major economic industry in the country, while the tussock grass represents the most notable native vegetation in the country. The motto, scrolled at the bottom of the arms, represents what the Falkland people stand for.
The design of the current flag of Falkland Islands is not clearly known. However, the design of the flag was most likely inspired by the British flag, commonly known as the Union Jack. The Falkland Islands is an overseas territory of Britain. Thus, explaining the close relationship between the flag of Great Britain and that of the Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands have been occupied by different countries that generally hoisted their own flags. However, in 1876, the Islands were given their own flag which was mainly the Blue Ensign defaced with the island’s seal. The seal consisted of the image of the vessel, HMS Hebe, which was used by the British settlers to access the islands. The ship is overlooked by a bull. In 1925, a new coat of arm was introduced, replacing the HMS Hebe with the Desire, and a sea lion in place of the bullock. The arms also had the island’s motto on it. The flag was updated in 1948 to include the ram on top of the Desire and the motto below the shield. The coat of arm was superimposed on a white disc. The size of the arms was increased and the white disc removed in 1999 to create the current flag.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
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