Flag of Bonaire

Bonaire
UseNational flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion2:3
Adopted11 December 1981; 42 years ago (1981-12-11)
DesignA large blue triangle and a smaller yellow triangle, separated by a white strip containing a black compass and a red six-pointed star.

The flag of Bonaire, adopted in 11 December 1981, represents the Dutch island in the Caribbean Netherlands.[1] Bonaire commemorates Flag Day on September 6 annually, the traditional date Europeans first arrived on the island.[2] The professional vexillologist Whitney Smith was involved in developing Bonaire's flag.[3]

The flag has a large dark blue band in the lower right corner and a smaller yellow band in the upper left corner. The dark blue and yellow bands represent the sea and sun respectively while the dividing white strip represents the sky. The yellow band was formerly red as a reference to the Dutch flag, but was changed at some point to avoid having two separated sections of red (from the star). The coloured bands are separated by a white strip, inside of which is a black compass and a red six-pointed star.[1]

The black compass represents the population of Bonaire as a seafaring people, while the arrows adjuting it symbolises equality in the four cardinal directions of the compass.[1] The red six-pointed star represents the original six villages of Bonaire: Antriol, Nikiboko, Nort Saliña, Playa, Rincon and Tera Korá.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d "The Flag of Bonaire: Meaning and History". I Love Bonaire. 26 May 2017. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  2. ^ Kiani, Tamkeen (20 April 2022). "Bonaire Flag Day". National Today. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  3. ^ Grimes, William (23 November 2016). "Whitney Smith, Whose Passion for Flags Became a Career, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2022.