Flag of British Virgin Islands - Description of the British Virgin
Islands Flag
As the
above picture of the British Virgin Islands Flag indicates the overall
background is
blue
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the British Virgin Islands flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
Blue -
vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
The
basic style shown in the picture of the British Virgin Islands flag is
described as Canton and Emblem - reflecting the
central design of the flag pattern
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape
& flag ratio of the British Virgin Islands flag is described as 1:2 ( length twice the height )
The upper
left quarter of the flag is called the Canton and pictures
the Union Jack flag of the UK
The right
half of the flag is called the Fly and pictures
the Virgin Islands coat of arms
The
emblem on the British Virgin Islands flag pictures the coat of arms
depicting a woman flanked on either side by vertical columns of
six oil lamps
Above the
emblem is a scroll bearing the Latin word Vigilate which
translates as "Be Watchful"
The Meaning
& History of the British Virgin Islands Flag - The British
Virgin Islands emblem depicts
St. Ursula the patron saint of the British Virgin Islands
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
British
Virgin Islands
Flag Etiquette
British Virgin
Islands Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic
Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including British Virgin
Islands as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
British Virgin Islands
State Flag of
British Virgin Islands
Military Flag of
British Virgin Islands (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
British Virgin Islands
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the British Virgin
Islands Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of
British Virgin Islands should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The British Virgin
Islands flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
British Virgin Islands should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the British Virgin
Islands flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of British
Virgin Islands, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in British Virgin Islands Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the British Virgin Islands flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the British Virgin Islands flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the British Virgin Islands flag to the top, then lowering the
British Virgin Islands Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the British Virgin Islands flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The British Virgin Islands flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the British Virgin Islands flag
The British
Virgin Islands flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The British
Virgin Islands
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
British Virgin Islands flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to British
Virgin Islands
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding British Virgin Islands Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource.
British
Virgin Islands
Location:
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and
the
North Atlantic Ocean,
East of Puerto Rico
Land Size of
British Virgin Islands : 153 sq km
The British Virgin
Islands include Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke,
Peter Island, Salt Island, Beef Island, Cooper Island, Ginger
Island, Norman Island and many other smaller islands
around Sir Francis Drake Channel
Climate / Weather
of British Virgin Islands : subtropical; humid; temperatures
moderated by trade winds
Population of
British Virgin Islands : 22,187 (July 2004 est.)
Former Name(s) :
N/A
Capital City of
British Virgin Islands : Road Town
GDP of British
Virgin Islands :
$320 million (2002 est.)
Main Industries :
tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block,
offshore financial center
Currency of British
Virgin Islands
: US dollar (USD)
Agricultural
products : fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Main Colors of
British Virgin Islands Flag : Blue
Concise History of
the British Virgin Islands & its Flag
The Ciboney, Arawak
and the Carib
Indians first inhabited the British Virgin Islands
The Caribs
and the Arawaks were tropical forest people who probably
originated in South America and were related the people found
anywhere from Panama to Brazil
Not
discovered by Europeans until 1492 when Christopher Columbus
first landed in the New World
Before the
arrival of the Spanish the Carib males had a justified
reputation as the most feared warriors of the Caribbean
In 1555 the
Spanish claimed the Islands
The Caribs
and the Arawaks were progressively wiped out by the
after-effects of the Spanish conquest, with the more peaceful
Arawak tribes suffering the greater losses
Columbus
named the islands Las Vírgenes in tribute to St Ursula and her
11,000 virgin followers
The Spanish
were continuosly harassed by the native Caribs and by pirates
and buccaneers who attacked the Spanish galleons which were
carrying riches back to Spain
The pirates
who operated in the Islands included Blackbeard, Calico Jack,
Anne Bonny, Henry Morgan, Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake
In 1648 the
Dutch established a permanent settlement on Tortola
The 1672 the
English ousted the Dutch from Tortola and the islands became a
British colony
Quakers
established settlements and plantations on the Islands
The
plantations were worked by slaves brought from Africa and this
in turn lead to a slave trading and slave auctions
The slaves
were emancipated in the 1830's
1872 - The
islands became part of the Leeward Islands
In 1917 the
United States of America purchased the adjacent Danish West
Indies (US Virgin Islands)
1956 - the
British Virgin Islands became a separately administered entity
The flag of
the British Virgin Islands was adopted on November 15, 1960
In 1967 a
new constitution allowed a ministerial system of government
headed by a Chief Minister
The British
Virgin Islands remain under British control
Arawakan and
Cariban words such as avocado, barbecue, buccaneer, canoe,
cannibal, hurricane, iguana, maize and of course Caribbean have
all become an established part of the English language
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The
Flag and Nation of the British
Virgin Islands
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Flag and Country of the British
Virgin Islands has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your knowledge
of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the Flag and Nations
Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
right to enter the Vexillologist Hall of Fame!
