Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

Facts about the Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

1. The diagonal band was chosen so the flag would read the same whether flown from a pole or hung flat, and it is one of the cleanest examples of the form.
2. Carlisle Chang, who designed it, was a painter and stage designer whose murals were later destroyed in a building demolition, making the flag his most visible surviving work.
3. The white fimbriation on either side of the black band exists to keep black from touching red, following the heraldic rule against colour on colour.
4. The flag of Trinidad and Tobago was officially adopted on August 31, 1962. It was designed by Carlisle Chang.
5. The flag in its present form is 64 years old as of 2026.
6. Design type: Red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white.
7. The official proportions are 3:5. It shares that ratio with 19 national flags.
8. The flag uses 3 colours: red, white and black.
9. The red on the flag stands for the vitality of the land and its people, and the warmth of the sun.
10. The white on the flag stands for the sea, purity and equality.
11. The black on the flag stands for the dedication of the people and the wealth of the land.
12. Diagonal band: The elements of earth, water and fire, and the past and future of the nation joined in the present.
13. The design belongs to the "Diagonal band" family, shared with 5 other flags in this reference.
14. Flags most often confused with it: Namibia and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
15. Trinidad and Tobago became independent on 31 August 1962 from the United Kingdom.
16. Trinidad and Tobago became a republic in 1976.
17. Cricket and football are both played at the highest level; there is no single official national sport.
18. The national animal is the scarlet ibis and cocrico, the two birds on the coat of arms.