Proportion 1:2 | Adopted on 3 November 1978 Designed by Alwin Bully | |
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Flag of dominica
The flag of Dominica was adopted on November 3, 1978, with some small changes having been made in 1981, 1988, and 1990. The original flag was designed by playwright Alwin Bully in early 1978 as the country prepared for independence.
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History and design
The flag, adopted in 1978, features the national bird emblem, the sisserou parrot, which also appears on the coat of arms granted on 21 July 1961. This parrot, endemic to Dominica, is an endangered species with a population of only 250–350 individuals.
The green field represents the lush vegetation of the island. The cross represents the Trinity and Christianity, with its three colours symbolising the native Indians, the fertile soil, and the pure water. The 10 green five-pointed stars stand for the country's 10 parishes: (St. Andrew, St. David, St. George, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Luke, St. Mark, St. Patrick, St. Paul, and St. Peter), while the red disc stands for social justice.
The sisserou parrot is sometimes coloured either blue or purple (the parrot's actual colour). The use of purple makes the flag of Dominica one of only two flags of sovereign states (alongside the flag of Nicaragua) to contain the colour.
The flag of Dominica, along with other national symbols, was the focus of a government-sponsored "Emblem's Week" in 2016. An initiative of the independence committee, Emblem's Week is aimed at reflecting on the meaning of the national emblems, and promoting their use among members of the general public and particularly among the commonwealth's schools.