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Trinidad and Tobago

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Last modified: 2008-08-02 by dov gutterman
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[Flag of Trinidad and Tobago]
image by Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003


Official Name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Location: Caribbean
Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy
Flag adopted: 1962
ISO Code: TT



see also:


The Flag

The red is said to represent the vitality of the land and people, the warmth and energy of the sun, and courage and friendliness. The white is said to represent the sea, the purity of national aspirations, and the equality of all men, and the black represents strength, unity and purpose, and the natural resources. (from [smi75b]).
Red stands for 'people's genersity and sunlight', white for 'equality and sea' and black for 'tenacity and vocation for unity'. (from a 1994 translation of [tal82]).

From <www.gov.tt>:
"The national flag was designed by the Independence Committee and selected to be used as the National Flag in 1962. Its colours are Red, White and Black. Red is the colour most expressive of our country, it represents the vitality of the land and its people, it is the warmth and energy of the sun, the courage and friendliness of the people. White is the sea by which these lands are bound; the cradle of our heritage; the purity of our aspirations and the equality of all men under the sun. The Black represents for us the dedication of the people joined together by one strong bond. It is the colour of strength, of unity, of purpose and of the wealth of the land. The colours chosen represent the elements Earth, Water and Fire which encompass all our past, present and future and inspire us as one united, vital, free and dedicated people."
Erki Kurikoff, 13 Febuary 2002

Articles IV(4), V and VI all say that the National Flag should be raised in the morning a lowered at night (the actual times vary). But all Articles refer to official rather than private display.
Christopher Southworth, 4 April 2003

From 'The National Flag of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago', undated but must be from after 1978 (when Trinidad became a republic), and the specifications it contains are identical to those issued by 'The Ministry of Home Affairs' on 31 August 1962:
'Chapter I - The official description of the Flag reads as follows: "On a red field, a Bend Dexter Sable bordered Silver; that is to say, there is on the Red Field a diagonal from left to right in Black bordered with White.  The width of the Black and White bands joined side by side at the upper dexter corner of the Flag is one-fifth of the full length of the Flag, and the width of each White band is one-sixth of the width of the Black and White bands together.  The width of Black is therefore four-sixths of the total width of the White and Black". The Black and White diagonals must always point to the peak of the staff. "The dimensions of the National Flag shall be in the proportions of five to three (5:3).  For flags carried at sea the dimensions shall be two to one (2:1)"'
Christopher Southworth, 29 March 2003

According to Album 2000 [pay00] - National Flag on land (-SW/--- 3:5) - Red flag with a black falling diagonal fimbriated white. Bith Album 2000 and [smi82c] mark usage as (-SW/---); does it mean that there are some prohibitions regarding the use of this flag by private citizens on land?
Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003

The regulations say only this:
"ARTICLE III - SPECIAL DAYS FOR FLYING THE NATIONAL FLAG - The dates of special significance for this country on which the National Flag may be flown freely by all citizens are as follows: 
- 1. Independence Day - 31 August. 
- 2. Republic Day - 24 September.
- 3. Remembrance Day - 2nd Sunday in November.
- 4. Any other date that may be prescribed from time to time.
The above gives the dates upon which the National Flag may be flown freely by all citizens, but there seems to be nothing in the remaining 24 Articles to explain what happens on other days?  The mystery remains.
Christopher Southworth, 6 April 2003


Construction Sheet


image by Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003

The regulations require that the width of the white and black stripes together is 1/5 of the length, with white and black stripes being 1-4-1. It is nowhere specifically explained, but the diagonal stripe is set so that it makes edges only along the top and bottom and not along hoist and fly, that it touches with one point only.
Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003


Police Flag

I have read that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service have its own flag: the national flag with a superimposed six-pointed star.
Douglas Cramer , 18 September 1999

The police flag shows on a blue field a white hexagram, and below that in a white banderol blue-black letters (text unknown)
Jaume Olle' (Translated by Jarig Bakker) , 9 October 1999


Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago Flag


image by Randy Young, 22 April 2001

The Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago has on a blue flag a crest in yellow contours: lion-torso, in the right paw holding a globe, on top of which a simple crown.
Jaume Olle' (Translated by Jarig Bakker) , 9 October 1999

I work for an international financial networking company.  One of the banks that we service is Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago, whose code on our network is ROYT.  However, we also service a Royal Bank of Canada (ROYC) and Royal Bank of Scotland (ROYS).  I became curious as to connection between these banks, if any, and began investigating.  It turns out that all three banks are members of Royal Bank Financial Group.  On the group's website, I found a copy of the institution's logo, which is exactly as the one described for the Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago.  This is actually the flag of Royal Bank Financial Group, and would therefore be flown at all branches of the above-mentioned banks.
Randy Young, 22 April 2001

The Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago Limited is a subsidary of RBTT Financial Group, a holding company fully owned in Trinidad and Tobago. Many years ago, The Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago was bought out from the The Royal Bank of Canada by local interest.  With the recent acquisition of several banks in the region, a holding company was formed - RBTT Financial Group.  The flag for the group is the white RBTT on a blue oval outlined by white and blue lines, centered on a white field.  The logo is available on the group's home page (<www.rbtt.com>).
The correct flag for the Royal Bank, would be a yellow 'Roystar' (also available on the group's home page) centered on a blue field.
Emrol Gould, 28 May 2001


Coat of Arms


image from <news.carib-link.net>

'Dorling-Kindersley Pocket Book' says the coat of arms represents the three ships of Colombus who landed in Trinidad in 1498. The top of the shield depicts two hummingbirds. The supporters are two local birds, a scarlet ibis and a cocrico, respectively. The shield stands on waves breaking against the rocky coasts of the islands.
Ivan Sache, 11 January 2001

From <www.gov.tt>:
"The Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to prepare the country for independence. The Coat of Arms was selected and formally agreed to be used as the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago in 1962. The Birds represented on the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago are the Scarlet Ibis, the Cocrico (native to Tobago) and the Hummingbird. The three ships represent the Trinity and the three ships of Columbus. The three Peaks were principal motifs of Trinidad's early British Colonial Seals and Flag-Badges. They commemorated both Columbus' decision to name Trinidad after the Blessed Trinity and the three Peaks of the Southern mountain range, called the 'Three Sisters" on the horizon. The fruited Coconut Palm dates back to the great seals of British Colonial Tobago in the days when the Island was a separate administrative unit. Motto - Together we aspire, Together we achieve" -speaks for itself and promotes harmony and diversity for national achievement."
Erki Kurikoff, 13 Febuary 2002


Aircraft Marking


image by Eugene Ipavec, 15 August 2006


Fin Flash
image by Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003

According to Album 2000 [pay00] - Aircraft Marking - Pattern exactly like the national flag (on land). However, [cos98] do not mention any marking of the sort, only the fin flash.
Fin Flash Marking - Red-white-black vertical stripes, red toward the front.
Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003

Both wrong. Aeroflight report about the marking of the Air Division of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (formed 1966): "The main marking [winged emblem - see here] is displayed intwo positions on the fuselage sides of aircraft. The fuselage flash [red-white-black] is displayed diagonally over the fuselage."
Those stripes could be on the rudder, in the back part of the fusalage, in the front part or over the cabin. See <www.airliners.net/343436> , <www.airliners.net/494812> , <www.ttdf.mil.tt> and <www.scramble.nl>.
Dov Gutterman, 26 June 2004


Subdivisions

The local government bodies consist of nine Regional Corporations and five municipalities in Trinidad and the Tobago House of Assembly in Tobago. The five towns with municipality status are the Boroughs of Arima, Chaguanas and Point Fortin and the Cities of Port of Spain and San Fernando. The nine Regional Corporations are the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo, Diego Martin, Penal-Debe, Princes Town, Rio Claro-Mayaro, San Juan-Laventille, Sangre Grande, Siparia and the Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporations.
Source: <en.wikipedia.org>.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 1 April 2006