Though not being a country by itself, the island of Bonaire has its own flag. The bright colors of the flag of Bonaire do not only simply represent the sun and the sea. The diagonal bands on the flag each symbolize a part of Bonaire. Get to know more about the history and meaning of the flag of Bonaire in this blog.
How it all started
There used to be one flag for the Netherlands Antilles. This flag was white with a red vertical band in the middle and a blue horizontal band on top. In the center of the flag, there were 6 white stars representing the 6 islands of the Netherlands Antilles: Curacao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Statia, Saba and Bonaire. Short after the Secession of Aruba in 1986, the Bonaireans felt the need for a flag of their own as well. After a number of designs, some of them including a flamingo, a definitive design was chosen. The flag of Bonaire, as we know it nowadays, was instated on December 15th, 1981.
Meaning of the flag of Bonaire
The flag is rectangular with diagonal bands in yellow, white and blue. Also, it includes some red and black. The colors and symbols are mathematically placed.
The white band represents peace and freedom. The blue band represents the sea, an important life source for the people on Bonaire. The yellow band in the upper left corner stands for the sun and the flowers. This band used to be red, referring to the Dutch flag. However, to prevent two separate red sections on one flag, the band was turned into yellow. So the yellow stands for the sun and flowers, this is in particular about the Kibrahacha Tree, one of the most spectacularly flowering trees on Bonaire. This tree normally looks quite drab, but only once a year the Kibrahacha blooms! The tree breaks out in an overwhelmingly colorful display of yellow. Find out more about Bonaire’s nature in this blog.
The black circle symbolizes a compass, referring to the image of the Bonaireans as good sailors and fisherman. The triangles on the circle stand for equality for people from all corners of the world. It also refers to North, South, East and West. Then, the 6-pointed star represents the 6 original settlements on Bonaire. Rincon, Antriol, Playa (now Kralendijk), Nikiboko, North Saliña and Tera Korá. The star’s red color symbolizes the blood and survival power of the Bonairean.
