Flag of British Virgin Islands

Flag origins

The British Virgin Islands flag is a blue ensign with the Union Jack and territorial arms, formally adopted on 15 November 1960. The arms show Saint Ursula surrounded by golden oil lamps, recalling the Christian legend of Ursula and eleven thousand virgins. The Latin motto Vigilate means to keep watch or stay awake.

Flag story

The territory competes separately from Britain at the Olympics. Its Olympic committee was founded in 1980 and recognized in 1982; unexpectedly for tropical islands, its first appearance was the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games with speed skater Errol Fraser, followed by the Los Angeles Summer Games. Like Bermuda and Cayman, it received recognition before the IOC's 1996 move toward requiring internationally recognized independent states for new committees.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• British Virgin Islands — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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