Flag of Antigua and Barbuda

Facts about the Flag of Antigua and Barbuda

1. The design came out of a national competition in 1966 that drew some six hundred entries; the winner, Reginald Samuel, was an art teacher.
2. The inverted V of the white, blue and black bands is read as a V for victory, which makes it one of very few flags whose shape spells a letter.
3. The rising sun refers to the end of colonial rule rather than to the tropical climate, which is why it sits at the top of the design rather than at the horizon.
4. The flag of Antigua and Barbuda was officially adopted on February 27, 1967. It was designed by Reginald Samuel.
5. The flag in its present form is 59 years old as of 2026.
6. Design type: Red field with an inverted triangle bearing a rising sun.
7. The official proportions are 2:3. It shares that ratio with 82 national flags.
8. The flag uses 5 colours: red, black, blue, white and yellow.
9. The red on the flag stands for the dynamism of the people.
10. The black on the flag stands for the African heritage of the people.
11. The blue on the flag stands for hope and the Caribbean Sea.
12. Rising sun: The dawn of a new era.
13. Inverted V: The victory of a new nation.
14. White band: The famous beaches of the islands.
15. The design belongs to the "Triangle over horizontal bands" family, shared with 1 other flag in this reference.
16. Flags most often confused with it: Eritrea.
17. Antigua and Barbuda became independent on 1 November 1981 from the United Kingdom.
18. Cricket is the national sport.