Last modified: 2014-03-28 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: belize | british honduras | hammer | oar | axe | saw | mulatto | ship | ensign | independence | olive | america | central america | bliss | baron bliss |
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![[Flag of Belize]](../images/b/bz.gif)
(2:3) 
image by Zoltan Horvath, 28 March 2014
Official Name: Belize
Previous name: British
Honduras
Capital: Belmopan
Location: Central America
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy (Queen
Elizabeth II)
Flag adopted: 21
September 1981
Coat of Arms adopted: 21 September 1981
ISO Code: BZ
See also
The white disk in the center has 50 olive leaves along its inner periphery. This represents the year 1950, when British Honduras (Belize's former name) began its quest for independence from the UK. When Belize became independent in 1981, the two red stripes were added to the previous flag.
In the center of the white disk there is a coat of arms divided in three sections. The left field holds an oar and a sledgehammer, the right one contains a saw and an ax, and the bottom one has a sailing ship. If one looks at the ship closely, one sees a red flag flying which might be a British Red Ensign.
Above the coat of arms, there is a tree, and below the coat of arms, one can see Belize's motto "Sub umbra floreo" -- I flourish in the shadow (referring to the dependence from the UK). There is a mulatto man holding an ax to the left of the coat of arms. On the right side, a black man holds an oar.
The coat of arms seems to have been slightly modified compared
to the arms in the 'pre-independence' flag
(without stripes) shown in W. Smith's book. Note the change of
darkness of the green, and the substitution of the orange with
yellow for the right section of the coat of arms. Also, the saw
went from a blade saw to a bow saw. On the old flag, the men
stand on the motto, whereas on the new one, they are on the
ground, and the motto is smaller.
Željko Heimer, 17 Febuary 1996
According to 'Pavillons nationaux et marques distinctives' [pay00] - National Flag (CSW/CSW 2:3)
- The details of the coat of arms, as it is tradition of British (and not
only British) heraldry are allowed to vary to the artistic
representation as long as they follow the blazon, and therefore
differences shown in each picture of this flag are
understandable, I guess. This is also one of those former British
colonies that did not adopt the British custom of different
ensigns for different use on sea (and land) and all functions are
covered with a flag of single design. This may be influence of
the big USA relatively near (and influencial), but on the other
hand, Central American states in the vicinity all know about
different ensigns for various purposes.
Do we know anything about details of this flag? - The stripes
seem to be 1/10 of the flag hoist and the disk is like 6/10. Is
that defined somewhere?
The [smi80] also who the
triangular flag of the Minister President - would there be a
matching flag in use today?
Željko Heimer, 4 March 2001
The protocol manual for the
London 2012 Olympics
(Flags and Anthems Manual
London 2012 [loc12]) provides recommendations
for national flag designs. Each
NOC
was sent an image of the flag, including the
PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced
a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may
not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what
the NOC
believed the flag to be.
For Belize: PMS 032 red, 285 blue, 293 blue, 355 green, 139 brown, 102 yellow,
468 brown and black. The vertical version is simply the flag turned through 90
degrees clockwise.
Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012
The blue flag with a white disk (without the stripes) was adopted on February 2, 1950, as British Honduras started its journey toward independence. The two red stripes were added on September 21, 1981, when Belize officially became independent from the UK. Surprisingly, the motto (Sub umbra floreo) was not changed in 1981, even after independence from the UK.
The coat of arms shown on the flag was given to British
Honduras on January 28, 1907. It has remained mainly unchanged
ever since, except for some minor changes which were discussed
above.
Željko Heimer, 17 Febuary 1996
From the Belize
Government Website:
"The National Flag
The red, white and blue flag of Belize is a symbol of the unity
of our nation. Prior to Independence the People's United Party
(PUP) proposed a blue flag with the Coat of Arms in a white
circle. Because of the close association of the flag with the
PUP, public opinion was divided as to its suitability to act as a
unifying symbol. The United Democratic Party (UDP) did not
propose a flag, but called for a flag that could rally all
citizens, regardless of their political affiliation. As a
consequence, the bi-partisan National Symbols Committee invited
citizens to submit designs for a National Flag.
The design selected by the Committee is a royal blue flag with
one horizontal red stripe at the top, one at the bottom, and a
white circle with the Coat of Arms in the centre."
Jarig Bakker, 16 November 1999
image by Zoltan Horvath, 28 March 2014
There is a ship in dock in Bristol at the moment registered in
Belize. She is flying a UK Red Ensign as a courtesy flag but its
own ensign is simply a blue field with red stripes top and bottom
- no white disc with Belize coat of arms.
I haven't read of this elsewhere as a simplified flag or ensign
for Belize and I wonder whether it has previously been reported.
I can understand the desire to simplify the complex design (for
cost reasons if nothing else), but this didn't even have the
white disc (though if it had, that would have made it rather
Laotian).
Andre Coutanche, 27 June 2001
Nothing of the sort in Album 2000 [pay00]
, nor anywhere else as far as I know. However, Smith reports in
his 1980 book the tendency of simplification. Of course, at that
time there were no red stripes on the flag present, and the
simplification observed was blue flag with white disk. If I am
not much mistaken, many vexillologist would expect something of
the sort - though, as much as you are surprised, my guess is that
they would be also - to simplify it some much as to remove even
the disk might seem overmuch. I wouldn't know if the same was
reported before, but it may well happen that this is more rule
then the exception. We must wait and see some more examples,
however, before concluding anything - after all it may be that
the ship's flagman was simply mistaken ...
Željko Heimer, 28 June 2001
A colleague of mine looked at your web site and noticed you
had posted an enquiry about the Belize registered ship MV Lucie
in Bristol dock. Lucie was chartered by the Bristol Old Vic to
take part in a theatrical performance "Up the Feeder, Down
the Mouth and Back Again" on which I happened to be
working. After looking at the web site I was intrigued too
and decided to ask the Captain about the flag. Apparently it is
the Belize maritime flag. It prompted the Captain to point out a
chart on the bridge which displayed national maritime flags and
sure enough the simplified blue and red ensign was there. I hope
this is of use to you and it was great reading about our ship on
your website.
Jo Cuthbert, 11 July 2001
Belize does not use a "simplified" version (i.e., a version without the arms)
of its flag as a civil ensign. Rather, the Belize national flag bearing the full
arms serves that purpose.
The controlling law is the Merchant Ships (Registration) Act, 2010, No. 22 of
2010. Part III, section 28 thereof says:
28. (1) The national colour of a Belizean ship shall be the national flag of Belize and such ship shall wear no other flag.
The website for the Ship Registry of Belize shows the national flag, also.
James T. Liston, 28 March 2014
I haven't seen any conflict here, because previous reports about Belize
Ensign were posted before 2010.
I think, this is a quite new regulation about Merchant Ships, but I would know
more about an earlier law or regulation of Belizean ensign (if any).
This recent report does not mean non-existence of this ensign in the past, and
even some observers reported this ensign when they saw it with their own eyes in
Bristol.
Zoltan Horvath, 28 March 2014
I merely suspect it was more of one-off sighting rather than a formally
established flag. I can find no legislation or written source supporting such a
flag and have never seen one used.
The Registration of Merchant Ships Act, Chapter 236, Rev. ed. 2003, "Showing the
Subsidiary Laws as at October 31, 2003" provided identically to the 2010 act, as
far as the national flag is concerned:
Part VI: Name and Flag of Ship
52(1) The national color of a Belizean ship shall be the national flag of Belize and such ship shall wear no other flag.
That's stated as of October 2003... The original Belizean Ship Registration
Act dates from 1989, but I can't put my hands on a copy of it at this moment.
James T. Liston, 28 March 2014
You may right, but I'm not sure in this issue, others may capture such a flag
or get some documentation.
Zoltan Horvath, 28 March 2014
March 9th is a flag day, Baron Bliss Day in Belize (many
thanks to Alex Smith):
Baron Bliss, a wealthy Englishman, inherited the title 4th Baron
of Bliss from the Kingdom of Portugal. He arrived in Belize in
1926. When told he had few weeks to live he changed his will and
set up a trust fund for his wife, which, after her death, would
go to the country of Belize. His estate was believed to be valued
at perhaps 1,000,000 pounds sterling. If you want more details,
you can go to <www2.belizenet.com>.
Edward Mooney, 10 March 1998