The flag of Saint Martin represents the dual-owned state of the island. Saint Martin is divided into two governments, the French and Dutch. There are two capitals in Saint Martin, Marigot (on the French side) and Phillipsburg (on Sint Maarten, the Dutch side).
The colors of the St. Maarten flag are red, blue, and white. The colors on the St. Maarten flag all symbolize different things, red symbolizes solidarity and courage, blue symbolizes peace and assurance of pardon, and white symbolizes purity and faith.
The date that the flag of Saint Martin was adopted was June 13th, 1985. The flag of St. Maarten also features a “coat of arms” or symbol of the island. The coat of arms of Sint Maarten consists of a shield with a rising sun, the motto of the island’s name and both the national bird, and the national flower of the island of St. Maarten.
The coat of arms of Sint Maarten shows the national bird of St. Maarten, a brown pelican, soaring in front of the rising sun. The shield is adorned with a ribbon bearing the Latin motto “Semper pro grediens” which means “always progressing”. The shield also shows the courthouse in the center, the border monument at the right, and the national flower, an orange-yellow sage.
The most recent coat of arms used by both sides of the island was adopted in 2010. These arms depict various symbols of Saint Martin like the pelican, coralita flowers, the border monument, slavery walls, salt, sea, the sunrise, mountains, and shells.
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What is the history of the St. Maarten flag?
The island of St. Maarten is partly owned by the Netherlands, and for some time it was also represented by the flag of the Netherlands. Sint Maarten became a part of the Netherlands Antilles in 1959 and they started using the Dutch flag.
Some years later, the people in St. Maarten requested to have their own flag and the government started working on suggestions for a new flag design for St. Maarten. On November 17th, 1982, the coat of arms of Sint Maarten was established.
On August 19th, 1983, the government asked the locals to design their suggestions for the St. Martin flag. There were 115 flag designs submitted and the government finally settled on the flag design made by a 17-year-old girl named Roselle Richardson. The St. Martin flag made by Roselle Richardson was officially adopted on June 13th, 1985.
The colors of the flag are a reference to the Dutch flag and the French national flag. The colors of the flag are red, white, and blue. The Sint Martin flag design includes the national coat of arms. The colors of the flag and the coat of arms symbolize the blue of the sea, the light blue of the sky, the green of the fertility of the island, the red of the blood of the inhabitants, and yellow for the energy of the people on the island.
The design of the coat of arms is a representation of the characteristic courthouse of Philipsburg, the capital of St. Maarten, located inside a light blue coat of arms with orange borders representing the colors of the Dutch royal family. The St. Martin flag also displays a bouquet of yellow sage flowers punctuated by green leaves, which symbolize the white monument that marks the border between the two parts of the island.
The flag also includes a gray pelican on a yellow sun above the coat of arms. Around the lower part of the shield is a yellow ribbon containing, in light blue letters, the territorial motto in the Latin language which says “Semper progrediens” and means “Always progressing”.
After the Netherlands Antilles dissolved on October 10th, 2010, the Sint Maarten island became an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the flag of Sint Maarten officially replaced the flag of the Netherlands Antilles.
When did the St. Martin flag begin to represent the island?
The flag of St. Martin has been in use since June 13, 1985.
Who designed the flag of St. Martin?
The St. Martin flag was designed by Roselle Richardson and was presented by Dr. Claude Wathey. The designer of the Saint Martin Flag was Miss Roselle Richardson, a 17-year-old schoolgirl resident of St. Maarten. Roselle Richardson submitted her design after the local government asked the locals for flag designs, there were 115 submissions for flag designs and the one made by Roselle Richardson was the winner.
Roselle Richardson included the coat of arms of Sint Maarten with the three colors of the Dutch and French flag, which are red, white, and blue. In addition, the rising sun at the top and a pelican flying in front of the sun, and, below, a yellow ribbon with the Latin inscription “Semper pro Grediens”. This saying when translated means “Always in progress”.
The flag design was approved and established by the members of the Island Council on June 13th, 1985. Albert Claudius Wathey, also known as Claude Wathey, was a prominent politician on the island of Sint Maarten belonging to the Democratic Party. In recognition of his long-term work, the Dutch Crown knighted him.
Does St. Maarten have two flags?
Yes, St. Martin has two official flags. There are two flags because the island of Sint Maarten is shared by two countries, France and The Kingdom of the Netherlands. The French part of the island flies the French flag as the national flag of St. Martin. The Dutch side of the island flies the Sint Maarten flag. There is also an additional unofficial flag that is flown on the French side of St. Martin called the “Flag of the Collectivity of Saint Martin”.
What does the St. Maarten flag represent?
The flag of St. Maarten is a tricolor flag. The colors of the St. Maarten flag are blue, red, and white. The flag features a horizontal bicolor of blue and red with the coat of arms of St. Maarten on a white chevron on the left side which divides the red and blue sections. On the white triangle is the coat of arms of Sint Maarten. The coat of arms depicts the sun at the top of the shield and the country’s motto at the bottom.
On the coat of arms on the St. Maarten flag, there is a depiction of a brown pelican flying above the shield on the flag. On the shield is the depiction of the courthouse of Sint Maarten with the country’s national flower, an orange sage on the left, and a depiction of the border monument on the right.
The St. Maarten flag was officially adopted in 1985 to represent the island. The colors of the St. Maarten flag are listed and explained below.
- The white on the flag of St. Maarten symbolizes faith and purity.
- The blue on the flag represents peace and the assurance of pardon.
- The red symbolizes bloodshed.
When does St. Maarten celebrate flag day?
St. Maarten has a “Flag Day” celebration on June 13th. Flag Day celebrates the date when the flag was officially adopted on the island of St. Martin. In order to commemorate the Flag Day, the Minister of Education Culture Youth & Sports Dr. Rodolphe Samuel motivate locals and businesses on the island of St. Maarten to show their patriotism and pride by flying the Sint Maarten flag wherever they see it appropriate.
What is the unofficial flag of St. Maarten?
The unofficial flag of St. Maarten is used on the French side of St. Martin. The unofficial flag is called the Flag of the Collectivity of Saint-Martin, and it consists of a white field with a green and blue ribbon running through it with the words “Saint-Martin French Caribbean”. There is a depiction of the unofficial flag of St. Martin below.
