Flag of Haiti
Two national flags have been used in turn since Haiti became independence in 1804. The first, of two bands, blue over red, was readopted most recently in 1986 when the Duvalier regime fell. Supposedly modeled on the French flag, it was used from around 1804 and its colors stand for the country’s two communities; the blue color for the blacks and red color for the mulattoes. The state flag has the national arms in a white central panel: a palm tree topped by a cap of liberty and surrounded by weapons, with the motto L’union fait la force (‘Unity gives Strength’). The rival flag, of vertical black and red bands, was used in the early 1800s and readopted in 1964 by the discredited Duvalier government.
The ratio of the flag is 3:5.
