Barbados Flag

Description

The Barbados flag is available from Flags Online in full-size and desk formats, printed on both sides and made to last outdoors.

About the Barbados Flag

Three vertical bands of ultramarine blue, gold and blue frame a black trident head at the centre of the Barbados flag, a design chosen through public competition rather than handed down by a colonial authority. It has flown over the island since independence in 1966 and remains one of the more graphically bold flags in the Caribbean, built around a single broken symbol rather than a crowded coat of arms.

Colours and Symbolism

The two outer bands of blue on the Barbados flag represent the sea and sky surrounding the island, while the central gold band stands for its beaches and sand. At the centre sits a black trident head, broken away from its shaft. The trident refers to the figure of Britannia, which had appeared complete on Barbados’s colonial badge, and breaking it in the new design signalled a deliberate break from British rule and the start of independent nationhood.

History of the Barbados Flag

Before 1966, Barbados used a British colonial ensign featuring Britannia holding a full trident. As independence approached, the government ran a public competition to design a new national flag, and the winning entry came from Barbadian art teacher Grantley Prescod. His design, adopted when Barbados became independent on 30 November 1966, kept the trident but broke it into a headless, shaft-free emblem, turning a colonial symbol into one of separation and self-rule. The Barbados flag has not been altered since, and its proportions and colours are set out in law to keep reproductions consistent.

Flying and Displaying the Flag

The Barbados flag is flown on government buildings throughout the year and features heavily in the island’s Independence Day celebrations each November, when streets and homes across Barbados are decorated in its blue and gold. Barbadian flag protocol follows conventions common across the Commonwealth: it should be raised and lowered with care, never flown in a torn or faded condition, and never allowed to touch the ground. Barbados became a republic in 2021, but the flag itself was unaffected by that constitutional change and continues to serve as the national banner, appearing on uniforms, currency and official seals as one of the country’s clearest points of national identity.

Barbados Flag Sizes and Pricing

• 180 x 120cm — R860
• 22 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R800
• 10 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R650
• 90 x 60cm — R400

Material and Construction

Made from 100% polyester bunting material and digitally printed on both sides. Hemmed all around with two rows of stitching and finished with a polyester webbing heading. Rope and toggle for hoisting included.

Supplied in packs of 10. Printed on both sides onto polyester and supplied with a black plastic stick and removable base — take the base off and it doubles as a hand waving flag.

Ordering and Delivery

Every Barbados flag is printed to order and dispatched from our Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg branches, with courier delivery nationwide. Bulk and school orders are welcome — contact us for volume pricing on quantities of 10 or more.

Additional information