Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Use	National flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	19 September 1983; 40 years ago (1983-09-19)
Design	A yellow-edged black diagonal band bearing two white five-pointed stars divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner to the upper fly-side corner: the upper triangle is green and the lower triangle is red.
Designed by	Edris Lewis
Naval ensign of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Use	Naval ensign
Proportion	1:2
Design	A white field with a centered red cross, the national flag stretched out to a ratio of 1:2 is in the canton.
Flag of the governor-general of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	19 September 1983
Design	A lion statant guardant surmounted upon St Edward's Crown above a gold scroll inscribed with 'COUNTRY ABOVE SELF' on a blue field

The flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis consists of a yellow-edged black band containing two white stars that divides diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner, with a green upper triangle and red lower triangle. Adopted in 1983 to replace the flag of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, it has been the flag of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis since the country gained independence that year. Although the flag utilises the colours of the Pan-Africanist movement, the symbolism behind them is interpreted differently.^[1] The three islands later became part of the West Indies Federation in 1958; after this dissolved four years later, they were granted the status of associate state as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.^[2] However, Anguilla decided to secede from the federation in 1969,^[3] owing to fears that their population, which was already small, would be further marginalised in parliament.^[2] This was eventually formalised in 1980,^[3] and a new flag for the remaining parts of the federation was needed, since the symbolism of the previous flag centred on the concept of a union of three.^[2]

A national competition was held in the early 1980s to choose a new flag. The winning design by student Edris Lewis was one of 258 entries.^[4] It was first hoisted one minute after midnight on 19 September 1983, the day Saint Kitts and Nevis became an independent country.^[5][6]