Flag of the West Indies Federation (1958–1962)

The flag of the

West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that ...

was used between 1958 and 1962. It bore four equally spaced narrow white stripes with a large orange-gold disc over the middle two lines in the center of the flag, undulating horizontally across a blue field representing the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

and the sun shining upon the waves. The flag was originally designed by

Edna Manley Edna Swithenbank Manley, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (28 February 1900 – 2 February 1987) is considered one of the most important artists and arts educators in Jamaica. She was known primarily as a sculptor although her oeuvre included signi ...

. The flag is shown as 1:2; the upper two white stripes reflect the lower ones. The official description given in the West Indies Gazette is "Flag approved has blue ground with four white horizontal wavy bars (the top pair of bars being parallel and the lower pair also parallel) and an orange sun in the centre." "Blue", unless qualified, usually means the same blue as in a

Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...

. However, whatever the establishing resolution called for, many copies were made that were at variance with it, as variants often show a pale blue or Imperial blue field. The naval ensign (used by coast guard vessels) was a British white ensign with the federal flag in the canton. Flag flying days were Commemorative Days-the usual British flag flying days, and Federal Days-January 3, Inception of the Federation; February 23, Federation Day; and April 22, Inauguration of the Federal Parliament. Buildings with two flagstaffs were to fly the Union Jack and the Federation Flag on Commemorative Days and on Federal Days; the Union Jack at the staff on the left when facing the building. Buildings with only one staff were to fly the Union Jack on Commemorative Days and the Federation Flag on Federal Days. Video clips of the flag at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

appear to show a red or bronze disc, lighter blue and the flag is symmetrical about both axes. The flag of the

was flown at the cricket test match between Australia and the West Indies held in Barbados in 1999. Despite the dissolution of the Federation in the 1960s and some countries and territories not being part of the Federation, the Caribbean nations compete together as one

West Indies cricket team The West Indies cricket team, nicknamed the Windies, is a multi-national men's cricket team representing the mainly Commonwealth Caribbean, English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean region and administered by Cricket West I ...

, but under a different flag.

References

*''Observer's Book of Flags'', I.O. Evans 1959 *''The Book of Flags'', I.O. Evans 1960 *''Flags of the World'', G. Carr 1961 *''West Indies Gazette'' Volume 1 No. 9, February 21, 1958

External links

The Federal Flag
document fro
The West Indies Federal Archives Centre
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:West Indies Federation National flags Obsolete national flags West Indies Federation

See also

References

External links