Flag of Haiti

Theflag of Haiti(drapo Ayiti) is abicolourfeaturing two horizontal bands coloured blue and red, emblazoned by a white rectangular panel bearing thecoat of arms of Haiti.The coat of arms depicts atrophy of weaponsatop a green hill and aroyal palmsymbolizing independence. The palm is topped by theCap of Liberty.The mottoL'Union fait la Force('Unity makes strength') appears on a white ribbon below the arrangement.

Haiti

Bicolour
Use	Stateandwar flag,stateandnaval ensign
Proportion	3:5
Adopted	26 February 1986(1986-02-26)
Design	A horizontalbicolourof blue and red, charged withthe coat of armsin a small white box in the center.
Designed by	Catherine Flon
Use	Civil flagandensign
Proportion	3:5
Adopted	26 February 1986(1986-02-26)
Design	A horizontalbicolourof blue and red.
Designed by	Catherine Flon

Present design

National flag

The present design was first used by the Republic of Haiti under PresidentAlexandre Pétionin 1806.It was most recently readopted on 25 February 2012 under Title I, Chapter I, Article 3 of the currentConstitution of Haiti:

L'emblême de la Nation Haïtienne est le Drapeau qui répond à la description suivante:

1. Deux (2) bandes d'étoffe d'égales dimensions: l'une bleue en haut, l'autre rouge en bas, placées horizontalement;
2. Au centre, sur un carré d'étoffe blanche, sont disposées les Armes de la République;
3. Les Armes de la République sont: Le Palmiste surmonté du Bonnet de la Liberté et, ombrageant des ses Palmes, un Trophée d'Armes avec la Légende: L'Union fait la Force.

The English translation adopted by theEmbassy of Haiti in Washington, D.C.,reads:

The emblem of the Haitian Nation shall be a flag with the following description:

1. Two (2) equal-sized horizontal bands: a blue one on top and a red one underneath;
2. Thecoat of arms of the Republicshall be placed in the center on a white square;
3. The coat of arms of the Republic are: a Palmette [sic]surmounted by theliberty cap,and under the palms atrophy of armswith the legend: In Union there is Strength.

Contrary to the constitutional mandate, the white field is rarely (if ever) rendered as a square. A rectangle with an 11:9 ratio has been adopted by the Haitian Ministry of Information and Coordination since 1987 or earlier.

The flag ofHaitiis one of seven national flags whose designs incorporate a depiction of the flag itself,the others being the flags ofBolivia,Costa Rica,theDominican Republic,Ecuador,El Salvador,andVenezuela.The flag is one of four national flags ofUN member statesto feature agun,the others being those ofMozambique,Guatemala,andBolivia.

Civil flag

Thecivil flag and ensignomits the coat of arms.

Colours scheme

	Blue	Red	White (arms)	Yellow (arms)	Green (arms)
RGB	0/32/159	210/16/52	255/255/255	241/181/23	1/106/22
Hexadecimal	#00209f	#d21034	#ffffff	#f1b517	#016a16
CMYK	100/80/0/38	0/92/75/18	0/0/0/0	0/25/90/5	99/0/79/58

History

The first purely Haitian flag was adopted on 18 May 1803, on the last day of the Congress ofArcahaie,about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north ofPort-au-Prince.Haitian lore holds that the newly appointed revolutionary leaderJean-Jacques Dessalinescreated the flag by taking a French tricolor and ripping out the white center, which he discarded. He then askedCatherine Flon,his god-daughter,to sew the remaining bands together. The whitepaleremoved, the blue was taken to represent Haiti'sBlack Africancitizens and the red thegens de couleur.The story is widely known in Haiti: the anniversary of the date is celebrated as theFlag and Universities Dayand images of Catherine Flon have appeared on Haitian currency and stamps.

Following his proclamation as Emperor Jacques I, Dessalines promulgated a new constitution on 20 May 1805. In it, the colors of the flag were altered to black and red.This flag being subsequently adopted byHenri Christophe,the republicans underAlexandre Pétionreturned to the colors blue and red, subsequently turning them horizontal and adding the newly adopted Haitian coat of arms.

During the period of the Haitian Empire ofFaustin I,his coat of arms was used on the flag and for official functions, but it was subsequently abandoned upon his removal from office.

Between 1964 and 1986, the family dictatorships ofFrançois "Papa Doc"andJean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalierreturned to Dessalines' black and red design. They included the national coat of arms, but altered the flags in its trophy to black as well.

• 
  Flag used for the whole island under the Marquis de Caradeu (with supposed powers from the French Assembly), commander of the National Guard of Port-au-Prince
• 
  Flag from 1803 to 1804
• 
  Flag of theEmpire of Haiti(1804–1806)
• 
  Flag of theState of Haiti(1806–1811)
• 
  Flag of theKingdom of Haiti(1811–1814)
• 
  Flag of theKingdom of Haiti(1814–1820)
• 
  Flag of theRepublic of Haiti (1806–1820)andRepublic of Haiti (1820–1849)
• 
  Flag of theEmpire of Haiti(1849–1859)
• 
  Flag from 1859 to 1964, used by theRepublic of Haiti (1859–1957)
• 
  Flag from 1964 to 1986, used byDuvalier
• 
  Flag of Haiti (since 1986)
• 
  Civil flag of Haiti (since 1986)
• 
  Flag duringUnited States occupation of Haiti(1915–1934)

See also

• Haitian Flag Day
• List of Haitian flags
• Coat of arms of Haiti
• Flag of France
• Flag of Liechtenstein

External links

• Fombrun, Odette Roy, ed. (2009).History of The Haitian Flag of Independence(PDF).The Flag Heritage Foundation Monograph And Translation Series Publication No. 3. p. 13.Retrieved24 December2015.
• Cahoon, Ben M. (ed.)."Haiti".Worldsstatesmen.
• de Vries, Hubert, ed. (1 June 2009)."Haiti – L'Union Fait La Force".Hubert Herald.
• The Armorial of Haiti: Symbols of Nobility in the Reign of Henry Christophe
• République d'HaïtiArchived24 December 2015 at theWayback Machine