The national flag of Dominica was adopted on 3 November 1978, with some small changes having been made in 1981, 1988, and 1990. The original flag was designed by playwright Alwin Bully in early 1978 as the country prepared for independence.
It is one of the few flags of sovereign states to contain purple.
History and design
The flag, adopted in 1978, features the national bird emblem, the sisserou parrot (Amazona imperialis), which also appears on the coat of arms of Dominica as two supporters in the achievement, granted on 21 July 1961. This parrot, endemic to Dominica, is an endangered species with a population of only 250–350 individuals."Amazona imperialis" , The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
The green field represents the lush vegetation of the island. The cross represents the Trinity and Christianity, with its three colours symbolising the natives, the fertile soil, and the pure water. The ten green five-pointed stars stand for the country's ten parishes: (St Andrew, St David, St George, St John, St Joseph, St Luke, St Mark, St Patrick, St Paul, and St Peter), while the red disc stands for justice.
The sisserou parrot is sometimes coloured either blue or purple (the parrot's actual colour). The use of purple makes the flag of Dominica one of the few flags of sovereign states to contain the colour.
The flag of Dominica, along with other national symbols, was the focus of a government-sponsored "Emblems Week" in 2016. An initiative of the independence committee, Emblems Week is aimed at reflecting on the meaning of the national emblems, and promoting their use among members of the general public and particularly among the country's schools.
Historical designs FlagDateUse 1493–1500 Flag of Castile and León 1500–16 1516–1627 Flag of Spain 1627–35 Flag of England 1635–60 Flag of France 1715–63, 1778–84 1763–78, 1784–1801 The Union Jack 1801–75 1875–1940 Flag of the British Leeward Islands 1875–1940 Flag of the governor of Leeward Islands 1940–53 Flag of the British Windward Islands 1940–53 Flag of the governor-in-chief of the British Windward Islands 1953–58 Flag of the British Windward Islands 1953–58 Flag of the governor-in-chief of the British Windward Islands 1955–65 1958–62 Flag of the West Indies Federation 1965–78 1965–78 Flag of the governor of Dominica 1978–81 Flag of Dominica 1981–88 1988–90 1990–present
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