| Colors | HEX Code | RGB | CMYK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #C3111A | 195, 17, 26 | 0, 91, 87, 24 |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 |
| Royal Blue | #171696 | 23, 22, 150 | 85, 85, 0, 41 |
The flag of Belize has a blue field with two narrow red stripes on the top and bottom of the flag. In the middle of the flag, there is the coat of arms of Belize within a white circle. The coat of arms is made of 50 leaves in a circular shape, with a ship and waves in the bottom, woodcutting tools in the middle part of the shield, and two woodcutters, one is holding a paddle and the other is holding an axe. There is also a green mahogany tree between them. Under the coat of arms, there is the motto “Sub Umbra Floreo”, which means “Under The Shade I Flourish.”
Meaning of the Belize flag
The blue color represents the People’s United Party which led the country to independence. The red color represents the United democratic party. The 50 olive leaves around the shield in the middle of the flag represent the year 1950 when Belize started its quest for independence. The mahogany tree represents the economic power of the nation. The two men represent the log woodworkers. The fairer carries an axe to represent the log woodcutters, and the darker holds a paddle that represents how the wood was carried across the river. The bottom of the shield is divided into three parts that represent the wood-cutting tools, and a ship with full sail at the bottom. They all represent the wood industry in the country.
History of the Belize flag
Belize was a British colony with the traditional Union Jack flag. An unofficial flag has been used by the citizens since 1950 when the colony started its quest for independence from Britain. In 1981, when Belize became an independent country, the unofficial flag did not become an official one due to the complaints that it might not unite all the people, representing only the ruling party and ignoring the opposition parties. When the government added the two narrow red stripes to represent opposition, the new flag gained acceptance and it was officially adopted as Belize’s national emblem.