Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Territory or dependency

Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands uses british Blue Ensign with the territorial coat of arms. Ratio 1:2 and current adoption February 3, 1992.

Hoist Ratio 1:2 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Entity Type	Territory or dependency
Identifier	GS / SGS
Region	Antarctic

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	February 3, 1992
First Documented Use	1985
Proportion	1:2
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Blue, White, Red, Gold
Construction	British Blue Ensign with the territorial coat of arms

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Blue	#012169	1, 33, 105	99, 69, 0, 59
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red	#C8102E	200, 16, 46	0, 92, 77, 22
Gold	#FFD100	255, 209, 0	0, 18, 100, 0

Design and Symbolism

Blue	the ensign field.
White	the Union Jack and shield.
Red	the Union Jack.
Gold	the shield.
Lion, fur seal and macaroni penguin	The British link and the wildlife of the islands.
Motto	“Leo Terram Propriam Protegat” — Let the lion protect his own land.

Proportions

Ratio	1:2
Hoist	1 units
Fly	2 units

About the Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

British Blue Ensign with the territorial coat of arms The recorded proportion is 1:2. Within this library it is grouped with british-style ensign designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is Blue (#012169), White (#FFFFFF), Red (#C8102E) and Gold (#FFD100). 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

Lion, fur seal and macaroni penguin: The British link and the wildlife of the islands; Motto: “Leo Terram Propriam Protegat” — Let the lion protect his own land.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1985. The adoption field for the present record is February 3, 1992.

Entity status

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is classified here as territory or dependency. That label describes the entity represented by the flag and prevents a territory, state or constituent area from being presented as a sovereign country.

Additional flag context

The shield carries a lion holding a torch and a fur seal and macaroni penguin as supporters, with the motto Leo Terram Propriam Protegat.

The reindeer above the shield refers to a herd introduced by Norwegian whalers, which was removed from the island entirely by 2015 — the flag now depicts an animal no longer found there.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for British Blue Ensign with the territorial coat of arms, a 1:2 proportion and the visible lion, fur seal and macaroni penguin. 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 — South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands — Specialist vexillological reference

Other british-style ensign flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is recorded as british Blue Ensign with the territorial coat of arms.
The reference proportion for the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is 1:2.
The stored palette for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands contains Blue, White, Red and Gold.
The adoption field for this territory or dependency flag record is February 3, 1992.
The design record traces first use to 1985.
Its construction is grouped with the british-style ensign design family in this library.
Lion, fur seal and macaroni penguin: The British link and the wildlife of the islands.
Motto: “Leo Terram Propriam Protegat” — Let the lion protect his own land.
The shield carries a lion holding a torch and a fur seal and macaroni penguin as supporters, with the motto Leo Terram Propriam Protegat.
The reindeer above the shield refers to a herd introduced by Norwegian whalers, which was removed from the island entirely by 2015 — the flag now depicts an animal no longer found there.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

What does the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands look like?

British Blue Ensign with the territorial coat of arms, with a recorded proportion of 1:2.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 1:2.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

The reference palette lists Blue #012169, White #FFFFFF, Red #C8102E and Gold #FFD100.

What do the symbols on the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands represent?

Lion, fur seal and macaroni penguin — The British link and the wildlife of the islands. Motto — “Leo Terram Propriam Protegat” — Let the lion protect his own land.

When was the present flag record for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands adopted?

The adoption field in this record is February 3, 1992.

Which design family does the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with british-style ensign designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

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.