FLAG OF GRANADA: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The flag of Granada is the national flag of this Caribbean commonwealth. It is made up of a red frame with three stars at the top and three at the bottom. Inside, the flag is divided into Xs, with yellow and green colors.

Regarding the internal composition, the upper and lower triangles are yellow, while the left and right are green. All of them are connected at the central vertex with a red circle with a yellow star. A small yellow and red symbol is positioned near the shaft, representing a nutmeg.

Grenada flag. (Drawn by User: SKopp, via Wikimedia Commons).

Granada was a British colony for more than a century. In 1875 it had its first colonial flag. This was kept until 1903, when a new symbol was adopted.

In 1967, Granada acquired autonomy, and this was reflected in its new flag, which got rid of the Union Jack and highlighted, with three colors, the local idiosyncrasy.

The current flag was approved in 1974. The six stars represent the six parishes of the country, while the central one represents Carriaucou and Petit Martinique. Red is identified with courage, yellow with wisdom and green with vegetation.

History of the flag

The history of Granada can be told, like that of many countries, through their flags. They have been the reflection of changes in the internal political system, as well as their own level of self-government.

The Caribbean island was a French colony between 1649 and 1763. The French colonized the island with troops sent from Martinique, and later named the island La Grenade.

The capital was established at Fort Royale. However, the Seven Years War that faced France and Great Britain in 1762 caused the island of Granada to be ceded, as well as other neighboring islands.

The French recovered the territory between 1779 and 1883, but later it returned to be a British domain.

British colonial flag

In 1877, Granada officially became a British Crown colony. Two years earlier, in 1875, Granada acquired its first colonial flag.

Following the traditional British style, the island had a dark blue cloth flag with the Union Jack in the canton. The colonial shield that distinguished it had an image of an active sugar mill.

British Grenada Flag (1875-1903). (UnknownUnknown, redrwan 2002 by Blas Delgado, via Wikimedia Commons).

1903 flag

In 1903, the colonial flag that was used in Granada underwent its first change. From then on, the colony's shield changed.

Although the flag remained dark blue with the Union Jack in the upper left, the new shield showed a sailboat sailing on the sea, with brown mountains in the background on a slightly cloudy day. In the lower part the inscription CLARIOR E TENEBRIS was added.

Flag of British Grenada. (1903-1967). (Sodacan, from Wikimedia Commons).

Federation

The understanding of the Caribbean as a similar political entity had a place even when the British ruled practically every island in this sea.

That is why in 1858 the British Caribbean colonies constituted the Federation of the West Indies. Ten islands of all sizes belonged to this entity.

However, this initiative was short-lived, as it ended up being dissolved when Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to Jamaica, achieved their independence in 1962.

During its life, the flag of the Federation of the West Indies was dark blue with four wavy white lines arranged horizontally. In the center a large yellow disk was arranged representing the sun.

Flag of the Federation of the West Indies. (1958-1962). (By Stepshep, from Wikimedia Commons).

Autonomy

After the failed federative attempt, Granada returned to its previous colonial state, thus keeping its flag. However, on the island the independence anxieties were present, which were manifested at first with the autonomy of the territory, which was achieved on March 3, 1967 under the status of associated state.

Herbert Blaize served as Prime Minister of the Associated State of Granada, being the first to occupy the post. During his tenure, in 1967, a new flag was approved for the still colony. This was the first to get rid of the Union Jack as a symbol.

The new flag was composed of three horizontal stripes of equal size. The top one was blue, the middle one yellow, and the bottom one green.

A symbol enclosed in a white oval with a red border was placed in the middle of the flag. Inside it a brown nutmeg branch with a yellow shell was designed. On the sides, two green leaves were located.

Flag of the Associated State of Granada, British dependency. (1967-1974). (Bringing It All Back Home, from Wikimedia Commons).

Independence

The history of independence was a constant throughout the British Caribbean islands, and Grenada was no exception in any way.

After significant political and social pressure, Granada obtained its independence on February 7, 1974, as a monarchy of the Commonwealth of Nations.

On the same day, at midnight, the flag of the new sovereign state was raised for the first time. As became common in the new Caribbean countries, a contest was organized in Grenada to choose a new flag and national emblem, along with the motto.

The design chosen was that of artist Anthony C. George, who won both the flag and the shield. Since then, they have not undergone modifications.

Meaning of the flag

The Grenadian flag fits into the harmony of Caribbean flags with symbols and alternative forms raised with other colors. This categorization is usually loaded with a very rich meaning.

The flag of Granada itself is the representative of the effort of a country to represent itself in a symbol, in addition to raising the confidence, hope and aspirations of a people that has just acquired its independence.

With regard to colors, red is the fervor, courage and vitality of the people of Granada, as well as their aspiration to be free.

Specifically, the red frame of the flag is identified with the dedication to preserve harmony and unity of spirit. Green, on the other hand, symbolizes the fertility of the land, vegetation and agriculture.

The color yellow is the symbol of wisdom, in addition to the sun, affection and kindness of the people of Granada. In addition, the yellow of the seven stars represents the seven parishes, their aspirations and their ideas of unity.

Finally, nutmeg shows the main economic activity on the island, since Grenada is the second largest producer in the world.

References

1. Arias, E. (2006). Flags of the world. Editorial Gente Nueva: Havana, Cuba.
2. Government of Grenada. (February 1, 2010). Flag of Grenada. The Official Website of the Government of Grenada. Recovered from gov.gd.
3. Smith, W. (2011). Flag of Grenada. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com.
4. Steele, BA (1974). Grenada, an Island State, its History and its People. Caribbean Quarterly, 20 (1), 5-43. Recovered from tandofonline.com.
5. Wilder, A. (2001). The Grenada National Flag. The Grenada Revolution. Recovered from thegrenadarevolutiononline.com.