Flag of the Seychelles

Seychelles

Use	National flag and ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	June 18, 1996
Design	five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white and green radiating from the bottom of the hoist side.
Variant flag of the Seychelles
Adopted	The flag used from 1977 to 1996
Design	two horizontal bands of red and green with the white wavy horizontal stripe in the center.
Variant flag of the Seychelles
Adopted	June 1976 to June 1977
Design	A white diagonal cross divided into four triangles of blue (top and bottom) and red (hoist-side and fly-side).

The flag of Seychelles was adopted on January 8, 1996. The current flag is the third used by the country since its independence from Britain on June 29, 1976. The colours used in the current flag are the official colours of two of the nation's major political parties–Seychelles People's United Party and the Seychelles Democratic Party.

The flag consists of five different coloured bands (green, white, red, yellow and blue) starting from one end and diverging towards the other end. The oblique bands symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future. The colour blue depicts the sky and the sea that surrounds the Seychelles. Yellow is for the sun which gives light and life, red symbolizes the people and their determination to work for the future in unity and love, while the white band represents social justice and harmony. The green depicts the land and natural environment.

The original flag was adopted after independence on June 29, 1976. It had alternating blue and red triangles. Coincidentally the flag was almost identical to the Australasia's United Steam Navigation Company's flag. In 1977, when president James Mancham was overthrown by France-Albert René, the old flag was abolished and the red, white and green flag of the Seychelles People's United Party came into use and it had a district wavy white stripe. The only significant difference between the national flag and SPUP's flag was the depiction of sun in the party's flag which was not used in the country's flag. When the party lost the majority in the elections, other parties demanded a change in the flag which led to a parliamentary approval of a new proposed design.

Flag of Seychelles from 1903-1961. Badge designed by Major-General Charles George Gordon. Prior to 1903, Seychelles was administered as a dependency of Mauritius

Flag of Seychelles from 1961-1976. Badge designed by Mrs. Alec McEwen of Toronto, Canada

Governor's flag 1903-1961

Governor's flag 1961-1976

Used from 1977 to 1996, the national flag of 1977, with a yellow border, defaced with a white circle containing the Coat of arms of the Seychelles