JAMAICA - This Caribbean flag was hoisted for the first time in 1962 to mark Jamaica’s independence. Symbolically, Britain’s Union Jack was lowered simultaneously. Jamaica’s national flag is rectangular in shape with a gold diagonal cross to represent wealth and the natural beauty of sunlight. The top and bottom triangles are green to represent hope and the country’s fertile land, a tribute to the island’s name which means Land of Wood and Water in Arawakan. This language was spoken by the island’s now-extinct indigenous Taino people. The remaining two triangles are black to symbolize the resilience and creativity of the Jamaican people. Jamaica’s flag is the only national flag in the world without the traditional colors of red, white, and blue. was hoisted for the first time in 1962 to mark Jamaica’s independence.

ANTIGUA and BARBUDA - Known as the Land of 365 Beaches, Antigua and Barbuda hoisted its flag for the first time in 1967. This Caribbean flag is rectangular in shape and composed of an inverted triangle filled with horizontal stripes of black, blue and white on a red background. A rising sun is centered on the black stripe to represent the dawn of a new era, and its seven points stand for the island of Barbuda and Antigua’s six parishes. Black symbolizes the island’s African descendants, blue represents hope and the Caribbean Sea, while the red is for the vibrant energy of the people. The V-shape of the triangle symbolizes victory.

BELIZE - The flag of Belize was adopted on 21 September 1981; the day Belize became independent. It consists of the coat of arms of Belize on a blue field with red stripes at the top and bottom. British Honduras obtained a coat of arms on 28 January 1907, which formed the basis of the badge used on British ensigns. The coat of arms recalls the logging industry that first led to British settlement there. The figures, tools, and mahogany trees represent this industry. The national motto, Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning "Under the Shade I Flourish", is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.

ST. KITTS and NEVIS - Saint Kitts and Nevis raised its current national flag for the first time in 1983 when it received independence. This unique Caribbean flag is rectangular with a green triangle for the fertile land, and a red triangle to symbolize the years of struggle against slavery and colonialism. Running diagonally through the center is a black stripe to represent the people’s African heritage. This stripe is bordered in yellow to reflect the brilliant sunshine. The stripe bears two white stars, one for each island, as symbols of hope and liberty. Like several other islands, this flag was chosen from a design competition held just before the grant of independence.

DOMINICA - Dominica’s flag is complex and full of symbols. It has three vertical and three horizontal stripes of yellow, black, and white. These form a cross on a rectangular green background, a color representing the island’s forests. This cross stands for the Trinity, a testament to the island’s Christian principles. The yellow stripe symbolizes the sunshine, the black stripe represents the country’s African heritage and rich soil, and the white represents the purity of the rivers, waterfalls, and the Dominican people. A red disc which symbolizes Dominica’s commitment to social justice lies at the center of the flag and cross. Within that circle is a Sisserou Parrot, Dominica’s national bird, encircled by ten lime green stars. These stars represent hope and the island’s ten parishes.

GRENADA - Grenada’s national flag was created for its independence from Britain in 1974. This Caribbean flag is rectangular with a diagonally divided background of green representing its vegetation, and yellow for wisdom and the sun. These triangles have a red border as a symbol of harmony and unity. The seven yellow stars represent theisland’s original administrative divisions. The nutmeg at its hoist triangle is symbolic of Grenada’s primary export which explains its nickname — the Spice Island.

ST. LUCIA - Saint Lucia’s flag is rectangular with a cerulean blue background to reflect the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea which surround the island. Two embedded triangles sit at the center which symbolize the Pitons twin volcano cones for which the island is best known. One triangle is white and black to represent harmony of the races living in Saint Lucia; the other one is yellow and represents the year-round sunshine and prosperity. Saint Lucia’s national flag was adopted in 1979 at independence, and last modified in 2002 where the yellow triangle was enlarged and the black and white triangle made narrower.

PANAMA - The flag of Panama was made by María de la Ossa de Amador and was officially adopted by the "ley 48 de 1925". The Panamanian flag day is celebrated on November 4, one day after Panamanian separation from Colombia, and is one of a series of holidays celebrated in November known as the Fiestas Patrias. The first flag proposed in 1903 consisted of thirteen horizontal stripes of alternating red and yellow, with a blue canton containing two golden suns, joined by a narrow line to depict North and South America joined by the Isthmus of Panama. However, this was not accepted by the Panamanian leader, Manuel Amador Guerrero, whose family designed a new flag. The stars and quarters are said to stand for the rival political parties, and the white is said to stand for the peace in which they operate. Blue was the color of the Conservatives and red was the color of the Liberals.

COSTA RICA - The national flag of Costa Rica (Spanish: Bandera de Costa Rica) is based on a design created in 1848 and consists of two blue stripes, two white stripes, and a central red stripe which is twice as wide as each of the other four. The civil flag omits the coat of arms seen on the state flag, since the state variant is only permitted to be used by the government. The flag was officially adopted on 29 September 1848, with the only modifications since then being to the placement and design of the entrenched coat of arms on the state flag. The state variant of the flag has been updated to reflect concurrent modifications to the national coat of arms in 1906, 1964, and 1998.

HAITI - The French Revolution inspired a slave revolt in this former French colony, which led to its Black population declaring their independence. In 1803, Haitians removed the white stripe from France’s tricolor flag to symbolize the expulsion of the island’s White population. The remaining blue and red colors represented the island’s Black and mixed populations. Eventually, those stripes were turned horizontal and a white rectangle with the new coat of arms added to its center. This consists of a palm tree surmounted by a liberty cap and flanked by six flags, a drum, bugles, cannons, cannonballs, and ship anchors, all resting on a green lawn. A ribbon which bears the motto “L’Union fait la force” (Union makes strength) is also included.