Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

Country

Flag of Trinidad and Tobago uses red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white. Ratio 3:5, current adoption August 31, 1962 and design credited to Carlisle Chang.

Hoist Ratio 3:5 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Trinidad and Tobago
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Identifier	TT / TTO
Region	Caribbean

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	August 31, 1962
First Documented Use	1962
Proportion	3:5
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Red, White, Black
Designer	Carlisle Chang
Construction	Red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Red	#CE1126	206, 17, 38	0, 92, 82, 19
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Black	#000000	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0, 100

Design and Symbolism

Red	the vitality of the land and its people, and the warmth of the sun.
White	the sea, purity and equality.
Black	the dedication of the people and the wealth of the land.
Diagonal band	The elements of earth, water and fire, and the past and future of the nation joined in the present.

Proportions

Ratio	3:5
Hoist	3 units
Fly	5 units

About the Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

Red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white The recorded proportion is 3:5. Within this library it is grouped with diagonal band designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Trinidad and Tobago is Red (#CE1126), White (#FFFFFF) and Black (#000000). 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

Diagonal band: The elements of earth, water and fire, and the past and future of the nation joined in the present.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1962. The adoption field for the present record is August 31, 1962. The designer is recorded as Carlisle Chang.

Additional flag context

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.

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.

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.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white, a 3:5 proportion and the visible diagonal band. 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 — Trinidad and Tobago — Specialist vexillological reference

Other diagonal band flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is recorded as red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white.
The reference proportion for the flag of Trinidad and Tobago is 3:5.
The stored palette for Trinidad and Tobago contains Red, White and Black.
The adoption field for this country flag record is August 31, 1962.
The design record traces first use to 1962.
Carlisle Chang is credited in the dataset as the designer of the flag.
Its construction is grouped with the diagonal band design family in this library.
Diagonal band: The elements of earth, water and fire, and the past and future of the nation joined in the present.
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.
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.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

What does the flag of Trinidad and Tobago look like?

Red field with a black diagonal band fimbriated white, with a recorded proportion of 3:5.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Trinidad and Tobago?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 3:5.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Trinidad and Tobago?

The reference palette lists Red #CE1126, White #FFFFFF and Black #000000.

What do the symbols on the flag of Trinidad and Tobago represent?

Diagonal band — The elements of earth, water and fire, and the past and future of the nation joined in the present.

When was the present flag record for Trinidad and Tobago adopted?

The adoption field in this record is August 31, 1962.

Who designed the flag of Trinidad and Tobago?

The designer is recorded as Carlisle Chang.

Which design family does the flag of Trinidad and Tobago belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with diagonal band designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.