Barbados Flag: Meaning, Broken Trident, History, Ratio & Facts
Explore why Barbados uses a broken trident, what the ultramarine and gold colors mean, who designed the flag, and how the official 3:2 design is constructed.
What does the Barbados flag look like?
The national flag has three equal vertical panels: ultramarine, gold and ultramarine. A black broken trident head is centered on the gold panel.
Why is the Barbados trident broken?
The trident derives from Neptune, the mythological sea god, and had appeared in Barbados’s colonial seal. Parliament explains that the broken shaft represents Barbados’s break with its historical and constitutional ties as a former colony.
What do the colors mean?
Ultramarine
Represents the sea and sky of Barbados.
Gold
Represents the sand of the island’s beaches.
Black
Used for the broken trident independence symbol.
Who designed the Barbados flag?
Grantley Prescod, a secondary-school teacher and Education Officer, created the winning design in the national flag competition. The flag was first raised on November 30, 1966, when Barbados became independent.
The design was retained when Barbados became a republic in 2021.
Official ratio and color references
| Ratio | 3:2 |
|---|---|
| Panels | Three equal vertical bands |
| Ultramarine reference | BCC 148 |
| Gold reference | BS 0/002 |
| Center symbol | Black broken trident |
Flag etiquette and use
Government educational guidance says that when the Barbados flag is flown with other flags, it should be the first hoisted and the last lowered. National emblems are also protected from mutilation or defacement.
Barbados flag FAQ
What does the broken trident mean?
It represents Barbados’s break with its former colonial constitutional ties.
Who designed the Barbados flag?
Grantley Prescod.
When was the flag first raised?
November 30, 1966, at independence.
What is the Barbados flag ratio?
3:2.
What do the colors mean?
Ultramarine represents the sea and sky, while gold represents the beaches.
