Guyana Flag
Flag of
Guyana
Although it is
situated in the continent of South America, Guyana's history mirrors that
of the smaller islands of the West Indies, in that it was not colonized
by the Spanish or Portuguese, but by the Dutch in 1620. The colony was
seized by the British in 1796, in 1831 being merged with Demerara,
Berbice and Esseouibo to form British Guiana, whose capital was the
former Dutch town of Stabroek, now renamed Georgetown. Following more
than 150 years of colonial rule, British Guiana became independent in
1966, when it adopted the name Guyana, a Native American word meaning
'Land of Waters'.
The flag that Guyana adopted on gaining independence is known as the
'Golden Arrowhead' after the arrowhead that flies across the green field.
It was designed by Whitney Smith to reflect the country's physical
nature, as well as the dynamism of its people. The golden arrowhead
represents Guyana's mineral wealth; the red triangle signifies the
dynamism of nation-building; while the black fimbriation denotes the
endurance that will sustain the forward-thrusting Guyanese people.
Finally, the color green represents the agriculture and forests of the
land, and the white fimbriation denotes its rivers and spectacular
waterfalls (Kaieteur Falls, on the Potaro River, is one of the highest
single-drop waterfalls in the world).
