Flag of Anguilla

The flag of Anguilla was adopted in 1990 and consists of a blue background with the British flag in the canton and the coat of arms of Anguilla, which in turn consists of three dolphins above the sea in a circle.

Meaning of the flag of Anguilla

• The red color in the canton is part of the Union Jack, the British national flag, reflecting Anguilla's historical ties to the United Kingdom;
• The white color symbolizes peace, purity and neutrality;
• Blue symbolizes the sea, tranquility, youth and hope;
• Yellow is associated with the sun and symbolizes joy, energy and optimism;
• The three dolphins symbolize friendship, strength and wisdom, and the arrangement in a circle indicates the close connection between them and the common goal they help each other achieve.

Evolution of the flag of Anguilla

The first versions of the flag of Anguilla appeared during its colonial history and reflected the society and culture of the time. The 1967 flag had a red background, the name of the island in yellow, and two mermaids inside a blue oval. This design reflected cultural elements and legends related to the ocean and local nature.

During the short period of independence, the flag of Anguilla was different - a white background with a blue stripe below, above which were three golden dolphins. However, in 1990, a new stage in the development of the flag began. The current national flag of Anguilla is blue with the British flag in the canton and the coat of arms of Anguilla. The coat of arms contains three dolphins depicted in a circle, symbolizing friendship, wisdom and strength. The white color in the background symbolizes peace, and the blue color symbolizes the sea, faith, youth and hope.

Interesting facts about the island of Anguilla

• Anguilla is a little-known Caribbean island with 33 luxurious beaches and azure waters that attract travelers. However, many Britons have no idea that this British overseas territory exists. Only after the island was added to the list of green travel destinations did they learn about it. Anguilla should not be confused with Angola or other Caribbean islands. 
• The name "Anguilla" probably comes from the shape of the island, which looks like an eel. At least, that's what Christopher Columbus, who discovered the island and gave it this name, thought, since "Anguilla" means "eel" in Italian. But in fact, this is not true, if you look at what the island looks like on maps, you will not find any resemblance to an eel. This mistake can be forgiven to Columbus, as at that time he did not have modern technology and relied only on his eyes;
• On the island, which is an overseas territory of Great Britain, cars drive on the same side of the road as in the UK - the left. When renting a car, you will be asked which side you want the steering wheel to be located on, as the island is dominated by Japanese and American cars, which creates a mixture of right-hand drive and left-hand drive cars. In addition, the island has only 15,000 inhabitants, so there are no frequent traffic jams and only six traffic lights in the entire territory;
• The national bird of Anguilla is the turtledove, known as the zenaida pigeon, and the national animal is the pleiades lizard (pholidoscelis plei), also known as the earth lizard. Although not everyone likes them living next to humans, some consider them friends because they eat bugs;
• Anguilla's national soccer team is considered the worst in the world by FIFA. They lost all four matches of the first round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup, conceding 23 goals and scoring none.