Flag Friday XXXI

Flag Friday is a periodic discussion of the world's national flags; the project is explained and indexed here.

These discussions are about graphic design, and perhaps about nationalism and national symbolism in general. They should not be taken as critical of the countries, ideals, cultures, or people that the flags represent.

St. Lucia

Parsons: Says it has the "best corporate logo," which "makes me want to invest money there."  He gives it a "B-", 65/100.

Michael5000: It's a very good corporate logo!  Apparently the nested triangles are supposed to represent the two distinct triangular peaks on the southwest coast of the island.  Who knew?

By the way, does the background seem a little pale to you?  It did to me too.  Apparently they lightened it in 2002, before which it looked more like so:

Personally, I think it was a step in the wrong direction.  The dark blue really sets those striplets off.

Grade (for the new flag): B


Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Parsons: Thinks it's "original," and feels it is a "good effort for a country whose name sounds like a 50s rock'n'roll group."  He gives it a "B-", 65/100.

Michael5000: I like it.  It's original, using very basic shapes to create a proper flag that is immediately recognizable.  In fact, the flag is easier to recognize than the country is.  If I had to list all the countries in the world, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (population 120,000, or roughly equivalent to the Morgantown, West Virginia metro area) is probably the last one I'd come up with.

Say, didn't they do well to change up from the original 1979 - 1985 design?

Grade: A-

Samoa

Parsons: Without comment, it gets a "C+", 60/100.

Michael5000: This is nice.  We've got the Southern Cross motif we've seen on the much busier flags of Australia and Samoa's former colonial overseer, New Zealand, but here it's nicely under control on an otherwise highly simple design.  My only objection, really, is that the white-business in a blue whatsit (I should try to remember the technical flag terms someday) on a red background is stepping pretty darn close to the flag of Taiwan and the former and likely future flag of Burma.

Grade: B


San Marino

Parsons: Citing its "Good Colours," he gives it a "B", 70/100.

Michael5000:   Ack!  Busy!  Busy busy busy!!!  My eyes!  My aesthetic values!

I bet Parsons was looking at the...  ah, yes, it would seem that there's a civil flag.  Let's look at that.

Well, all fine and good -- kind of like the Poland/Indonesia bicolor, except with a much cooler tone.  However, I'm afraid that the evidence here on the internet suggests that San Marino goes with the state flag more than the civil flag.  And even though being San Marino is inherently all about being kind of old school and anachronistic, I just can't give my approval to quite so baroque a flag design.

Grade: C-


Sao Tome and Principe

Parsons: "Black Stars too adolescent," remarks Parsons cryptically, assigning a "B-," 65/100.

Michael5000: Apparently the black stars represent the two islands.  I wish I could see an actual flag of ST&P instead of a flag diagram, because the tennis-ball green looks kind of improbable.  I'd like to check it out against a sky, but on the entire interwebs I can't find a single picture.

In the absence of photographic evidence that it looks cool, I will have to vote with my fears.  I'm giving it a:

Grade: C+ REVISED: B