The history and meaning behind Bonaire's flags
As a sailor, flags play an important role in my day-to-day operation. I use flags to communicate, for safety, to check in and out of countries, and to display pride for our home port. A flag does not exist without reason or meaning.
Anytime I visit a country, I like to know the meaning behind their flag. Here's what I've uncovered about Bonaire's flag(s) and history.
Bonaire's First Flag
If you've read about the history of Bonaire, then you know the island used to be a part of the Netherlands Antilles which also included Aruba, Curacao, Saba, Sint Maarten, and Statia.
The first flag of the Netherlands Antilles was decreed by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands on Dec. 15, 1959.
The flag incorporated the colors of the Netherlands' national flag. In the center are 6 white stars representing the 6 islands:
It's reported that shortly after Aruba seceded in 1986, the people of Bonaire felt the need to fly a flag of their own. However, the flag as we know it today was instated in 1981...so I don't believe that Bonaire's desire to create a flag of their own had anything to do with Aruba. I believe the creation of the flag was born out of a pride for their country and their people.
It's also been reported that the original designs for the new Bonaire flag included a flamingo, but I could not find any sources that could point to drawings of these inital flag inceptions.
A New Flag for a New Era
The flag as we know it today was instated on December 15th, 1981.
Below is the meaning behind its colors and markings, as quoted by InfoBonaire:
"Our flag contains the colors red, white and blue, representing our respect for the Dutch Kingdom's tricolor.
At the upper end of our flag we have a yellow triangle, which is the bright light of our sun and also the beauty of our nature.
Below we have a blue triangle, and that is the color of our beautiful sea.
You can see the blue triangle as a gigantic wave or a high mountain to remind us of the great heights we have climbed.
In the middle of our flag is the white area symbolizing peace, liberty and tranquility.
In this white area we have a black ring with four points of the navigation-compass. That compass is what our indisputable navigators have used to travel all over the world.
In that ring there is a six-pointed red star. The color symbolizes blood, as the fighting and surviving spirit of the six traditional regions, which form together the people of Bonaire."
Pretty cool, don't you think?
The Flag of Rincon
I was surprised to learn that one of the 2 major cities on Bonaire, Rincon, has it's own flag. When you visit Rincon (and you must!), ask a local about it's meaning. That's your homework assignment while visiting Bonaire. 😎
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