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British Virgin Islands

BVI

by Martin Grieve, 7 February 2004

Official Name: British Virgin Islands (BVI)
Capital: Road Town
Location: Caribbean
Government Type: Overseas Territory of the UK with Internal Self-Governing
Flag adopted: 15 November 1960
Coat of arms adopted: 15 November 1960
ISO Code: VG

Overview
Vertical Flag

See also:

Overview

I am a British Virgin Islander and as far as I know the shield represents St. Ursula and the lamps of her 11,000 virgin followers during the holy crusades in Europe. That is why Columbus called the islands the Virgin Islands - because the many islands reminded him of St. Ursula and her followers.
Shaina Smith, 7 March 1998

The figure on the badge is St Ursula, a legendary British princess. She is holding one lamp and the other eleven lamps represent the 11,000 virgins who were martyred with her. It is said, probably apocryphally, and certainly scurrilously, that the flag should not be hung vertically.
David Prothero, 23 June 1998

Looking at World Flag Databse by Graham Bartram and if I understood it right, now after the decisions made to make badegs larger and disbaning the white disk entirely, there is a thin white fimbration to be made around the CoA on BVI flag. Is that so? The badge is now somewhat larger, also.
Was there ever used flag with white disk? Possibly, since this flag is so young there was none. But, maybe unofficially, before 1960?
We also have adoption date of 15 November 1960, but on United Kingdom - Colonial Flags it is said that it was adopted (red and blue) in 1956 by Governmnet handout. Can someone elaborate?
Željko Heimer, 10 September 2000

I dont know for sure. But the large-sized CoAs on the fly of a british ensign are a fairily new phenomenon and hence there should be two ensigns: The new one, with a large badge; and the old one, with the badge inscribed on a circle with a diameter of 4/9ths of the flag's height.
Antonio Martins, 13 September 2000