The 1979 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Flag
Before “The Gems,” the independence flag used a breadfruit leaf, the national coat of arms and narrow white separators.
What did the 1979 flag look like?
The flag raised at independence on October 27, 1979 used vertical blue, yellow and green fields with narrow white separators. The national coat of arms appeared on a large green breadfruit leaf in the yellow center area.
Why was there a breadfruit leaf?
The House of Assembly links the breadfruit emblem to the historical introduction of the breadfruit tree into the Caribbean. It gave the independence flag a specifically local agricultural and historical reference.
Why use the coat of arms?
The coat of arms gave the independence-era flag a formal state emblem. In practice, however, the combined leaf-and-arms device was visually more complex than the three diamonds used today.
Why was it replaced?
In 1985 the design was simplified. The white separators disappeared, and later in October the central breadfruit-and-arms device was replaced by three green diamonds. The result was the current “Gems” flag.
FAQ
When was the old flag used?
From independence in 1979 until the redesigns of 1985.
What was the central symbol?
The national coat of arms displayed on a large green breadfruit leaf.
What replaced it?
Three green diamonds arranged in a V.
