Flag of Guyana
The flag of Guyana was adopted on the 26th of May 1966, upon gaining independence from British colonial rule, it was designed by Whitney Smith, an American vexillologist, and reflects the country’s natural resources, history, and aspirations for the future.
Following the Second World War, Guyana was among other nations to gain its independence from the British Empire.
The Guyana flag consists of a green field incorporating a red hoist triangle and a central yellow arrowhead, separated by black and white borders.
Symbolism Of The Flag Of Guyana
The Guyana flag has come to be known as “The Golden Arrowhead” in honour of its unique design.
The flag has a green field with several triangles stretching out from along the hoist. The first triangle is red, and it is bordered by a black triangle. A longer yellow triangle stretches out past those two, and it is bordered by a white triangle.
Each colour in the Guyanese flag has several symbolic values;
- The green field represents the nation’s agriculture and its vast forests.
- The red triangle represents dynamic action and the zeal of the citizenry
- The black triangle represents the nation’s endurance.
- The gold portion represents the nation’s mineral wealth
- The white stands for the country’s rivers and waterways.
- The “Golden Arrowhead”: Represents the golden future the citizens hope will be built upon Guyana’s mineral resources
History Of The Flag Of Guyana
The inaugural flag of Guyana, introduced in 1875 under British governance, adhered to the standard colonial design prevalent during that era.
The initial flag was a standard colonial flag of the period, with a blue field that displayed the Union Jack in the canton and the colonial seal on the fly. The colonial seal depicted a sailing ship and sea in honour of Guyana’s importance to the British navy and trade network.
In 1906, the seal underwent simplification and was placed on a white disc, forming a modified design that persisted until 1919 when the white disc element was removed.
Guyana saw another alteration in its colonial flag in 1955. This revision reinstated the white disc, while the former seal was substituted with a new depiction of a sailing ship displayed on a shield with the colony’s motto beneath it.
This flag marked the final colonial emblem for Guyana, ceasing its usage upon the nation’s attainment of independence in 1966.
Guyana adopted a new flag upon its independence. The government selected a proposal to use a design by the American scholar Whitney Smith, with a few changes that had been suggested by the British College of Arms. The design has not been changed since it was first approved and adopted as a symbol of the nation.
