The flag of Guyana

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, until 1966 British Guiana, is a state located in the northeastern part of South America. Its north is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, while the rest of the country borders Suriname, Brazil, and Venezuela. Guyana is the only English speaking country on the continent. The area of the territory is about 215 thousand km2, with a population of 801.6 thousand people.

This is what the modern flag of Guyana looks like:

History of the flag

The first Europeans to discover the coast of Guyana in the 15th century were the Spaniards, who were not interested in it because of the swampy terrain. However, other European countries (France, Britain, the Netherlands) competed for the right to own it. At first Holland established its settlements there, but at the beginning of the 19th century Great Britain seized them and, under the Treaty of Vienna in 1814, obtained the land, which later was named British Guiana.

In 1966 Guyana became an independent state. In the same year the national flag of the country, still in use today, was adopted.

Before that period different flags were used in relation to Guyana to denote belonging to a metropolis:

1. Republic of the United Provinces (Holland). Variants from the 16th to the 19th century and the late 18th early 19th century:

2. France from 1810 to 1814:

3. Great Britain from 1814 until independence.

The flags of Guyana were depicted according to the principle of all the cloths that signified belonging to Britain’s overseas territories. On the blue background in the upper left corner is the symbol of Britain, and on the right is the coat of arms of the state.

Description

The national symbol is rectangular in shape with a side ratio of 3 to 5. The edge of the flag, which is attached to the staff, serves as a base for the two triangles. An isosceles yellow triangle, which has a white border, is equal in height to the length of the flag, and the angle of the equal sides coincides with the center of the width of the flag on the opposite side of the base.

Inside the first triangle is the second, an equilateral triangle of red. Its border is black.

Flag colors

The main colors on the national symbol of Guyana are: green, yellow, red. To separate the main colors from each other, white and black are used as additional colors.

Meaning of colors and flag symbol

• The color green on the flag symbolizes the nature, the forest vegetation of this state on the African continent.
• Yellow is a symbol of natural resources and a bright future, and red symbolizes the love of life of the Guyanese people, their persistence in the struggle for independence.
• The white pieces symbolize the rivers and water resources, while the black represents the resilience of the Guyanese in overcoming hardships.

Interesting facts about the flag

The flag of Guyana is sometimes called the “Golden Arrowhead” or the Golden Arrow for the reason that the pattern that stands out on the green background resembles the tip of an arrow. And not one but two: the yellow arrow is circled by a white stripe and the red by a black stripe.

General information about Guyana

Map of Guyana