The flag of the Caribbean Community is the banner of the regional bloc founded by the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973. CARICOM coordinates economic, political, and cultural cooperation across the Caribbean, with full membership extending across the English-speaking islands and into the South American mainland (Belize, Guyana, Suriname).
The design
The Flag of CARICOM is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses blue, yellow, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Yellow | yellow | Usually denotes wealth, the sun, gold reserves, or a generous spirit. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A two-tone blue field — light blue above, darker blue below — bearing a yellow circle with two interlocking "C" letters at the centre: one C for Caribbean, the other for Community. The light blue represents the sky, the dark blue the sea, and the yellow circle signifies the Caribbean sun warming both.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of CARICOM — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1984. It is credited to WINART Studio (Saint Vincent). Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of CARICOM should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | Americas | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1984 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | blue, yellow | — |
| Designer | WINART Studio (Saint Vincent) | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Suriname (a Dutch-speaking country) and Haiti (a French/Creole-speaking country) are full CARICOM members despite the bloc's historical English-speaking core — making it one of the most linguistically diverse regional groupings.
About the organisation
CARICOM was founded in 1973. Its headquarters are in Georgetown, Guyana.
Member states
CARICOM has 14 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
