Flag of Sint Maarten

The flag of Sint Maarten consists of a white triangle situated at the hoist charged with the constituent country's coat of arms, along with two horizontal bands of cherry red and navy blue. Adopted in 1985 shortly after the territory was granted a coat of arms, it has been the flag of Sint Maarten since 13 June of that year. Since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, it has been the sole flag used in the constituent country.

The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The blue represents the sea and the sky, while the red epitomises the blood of Sint Maarteners. The green on the coat of arms stands for the fertility of the land, while the yellow represents the energy of the islanders. The orange encircling the shield, along with its light blue field, allude to the colours of the Dutch monarchy. The shield depicts a garland of yellow sage – the official flower of the territory – as well as the Constitutional Court of Sint Maarten in Philipsburg and (top right) the Dutch–French friendship monument delineating the boundary between the Dutch and French sections of the island. The crest consists of a pelican in front of a yellow sun, while the motto in Latin on a ribbon scroll under the escutcheon – Semper progrediens – means 'always progressing'. Taken altogether, the flag's dominant colours of red, white, and blue evoke the flag of the Netherlands, Sint Maarten's mother country. They are also identical to the colours of the flag of France, which has sovereignty over the northern part of the island of Saint Martin. Although the government indeed uses the flag…