Flag of the Netherlands Antilles

The flag of the Netherlands Antilles was the flag used by the Netherlands Antilles. It was white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center, one-third of the flag's hoist, superimposed on a vertical red stripe of the same width, also centered; six white, five-pointed stars are arranged in a hexagon pattern in the center of the blue band, their points up. It was adopted on 15 December 1959.

Netherlands Antilles

1959–1986
Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	19 November 1959
Relinquished	1 January 1986
Design	White, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center, one-third of the flag's hoist, superimposed on a vertical red stripe of the same width, also centered; six white, five-pointed stars are arranged in a hexagon pattern in the center of the blue band, their points up.
1986–2010
Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	1 January 1986
Relinquished	10 October 2010
Design	White, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center, one-third of the flag's hoist, superimposed on a vertical red stripe of the same width, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in a pentagon pattern in the center of the blue band, their points up.

History

The flag of the Netherlands Antilles was first created as a separate flag for the Netherlands Antilles in 1956 as part of a royal decree by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands on 15 December 1959 to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Netherlands Antilles' autonomy. The six stars represented the six main islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The colors red, white and blue refer to the Dutch flag. On 1 January 1986, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles having been granted status aparte, resulting in the flag being modified to depict only five stars to represent the remaining five islands.

Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles

On 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved into Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the three public bodies of the Caribbean Netherlands. During the dissolution ceremony in Curaçao, attended by then Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, the flag of the Netherlands Antilles was lowered with the flag of Curaçao raised in its place. Each part of the former Netherlands Antilles adopted their own separate flags as a result.

Flag of the governor of the Netherlands Antilles

The governor of the Netherlands Antilles had his own flag.

• Flag of the governor of the Netherlands Antilles (1966–1986)
• Flag of the governor of the Netherlands Antilles (1986–2010)

See also

• Flag of the Netherlands
  • Flag of Aruba
  • Flag of Bonaire
  • Flag of Curaçao
  • Flag of Saba
  • Flag of Sint Eustatius
  • Flag of Sint Maarten