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flag of Seychelles
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flag of Seychelles Flag of Seychelles (1977–96).
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flag of Seychelles

Written by
Whitney Smith
Former Director, Flag Research Center, Winchester, Massachusetts. Author of Flags and Arms Across the World and others.
Whitney Smith
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Britannica Editors
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History
flag of Seychelles
flag of Seychellesnational flag consisting of blue, yellow, red, white, and green rays extending from the lower hoist corner of the flag to its upper and fly edges. The flag's width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2.

Formerly a British colony, Seychelles became independent on June 29, 1976. The flag hoisted at that time had alternating triangles of blue and red, separated by a white diagonal cross. Perhaps not coincidentally, that flag was almost exactly the same as the one used by the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company, whose ships regularly visited the islands in the early 20th century. The flag did not last long: a revolution took place on June 5, 1977, under the leadership of the Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP). The new flag had red-over-green horizontal stripes separated by a wavy white band, which was the same as the SPUP flag except for the omission of a yellow sun in the centre.

Flag of Seychelles (1977–96).
Flag of Seychelles (1977–96).

In 1993 pressure from foreign powers led to democratization of the government. The ruling party lost its monopoly in elections, and the participation of other parties in the government led to a demand for a less partisan national flag. Parliament approved a design incorporating the colours of various parties in a flag that was hoisted on June 18, 1996. The colours of the flag are blue (for sky and sea), yellow (for the life-giving sun), red (for the people and their work for unity and love), white (for social justice and harmony), and green (for the land and natural environment).

Whitney Smith