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!
