Flag of Belize

Country

Flag of Belize uses blue field with red edges and the national coat of arms. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption September 21, 1981.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Belize
Entity Type	Country
Identifier	BZ / BLZ
Region	Central America

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	September 21, 1981
First Documented Use	1950
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Blue, Red, White, Green
Construction	Blue field with red edges and the national coat of arms

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Blue	#003F87	0, 63, 135	100, 53, 0, 47
Red	#CE1126	206, 17, 38	0, 92, 82, 19
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Green	#289400	40, 148, 0	73, 0, 100, 42

Design and Symbolism

Blue	the People’s United Party and the sea.
Red	the United Democratic Party.
White	the disc of the coat of arms.
Green	the mahogany tree.
Coat of arms	Two woodcutters with an axe and a paddle, beneath a mahogany tree.
Motto	“Sub Umbra Floreo” — Under the shade I flourish.
Fifty leaves	The mahogany wreath has fifty leaves, recalling 1950 and the start of the independence movement.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Belize

Blue field with red edges and the national coat of arms The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with plain field with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Belize is Blue (#003F87), Red (#CE1126), White (#FFFFFF) and Green (#289400). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Coat of arms: Two woodcutters with an axe and a paddle, beneath a mahogany tree; Motto: “Sub Umbra Floreo” — Under the shade I flourish; Fifty leaves: The mahogany wreath has fifty leaves, recalling 1950 and the start of the independence movement.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1950. The adoption field for the present record is September 21, 1981.

Additional flag context

This is the only national flag that shows human figures as its central subject rather than as a supporting element of a coat of arms.

The two red bands at the top and bottom were added at independence in 1981 to balance the blue of the People's United Party with the red of the opposition — a rare case of a flag negotiated between political parties.

The mahogany tree records the timber trade that the colony of British Honduras was built on, and the motto beneath translates as 'Under the shade I flourish'.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Blue field with red edges and the national coat of arms, a 2:3 proportion and the visible coat of arms. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Belize — Specialist vexillological reference

Other plain field with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Belize

Belize is recorded as blue field with red edges and the national coat of arms.
The reference proportion for the flag of Belize is 2:3.
The stored palette for Belize contains Blue, Red, White and Green.
The adoption field for this country flag record is September 21, 1981.
The design record traces first use to 1950.
Its construction is grouped with the plain field with a central emblem design family in this library.
Coat of arms: Two woodcutters with an axe and a paddle, beneath a mahogany tree.
Motto: “Sub Umbra Floreo” — Under the shade I flourish.
This is the only national flag that shows human figures as its central subject rather than as a supporting element of a coat of arms.
The two red bands at the top and bottom were added at independence in 1981 to balance the blue of the People's United Party with the red of the opposition — a rare case of a flag negotiated between political parties.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Belize

What does the flag of Belize look like?

Blue field with red edges and the national coat of arms, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Belize?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Belize?

The reference palette lists Blue #003F87, Red #CE1126, White #FFFFFF and Green #289400.

What do the symbols on the flag of Belize represent?

Coat of arms — Two woodcutters with an axe and a paddle, beneath a mahogany tree. Motto — “Sub Umbra Floreo” — Under the shade I flourish. Fifty leaves — The mahogany wreath has fifty leaves, recalling 1950 and the start of the independence movement.

When was the present flag record for Belize adopted?

The adoption field in this record is September 21, 1981.

Which design family does the flag of Belize belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with plain field with a central emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Belize?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.