the Turks and Caicos Islands

The current flag was officially adopted on 7 November 1968. It is a British Blue Ensign reflecting the islands’ status as a British Overseas Territory, with the territorial shield in the fly. The present coat of arms was granted on 28 September 1965 and modified on 25 January 1999. The shield shows a queen conch shell, a Caribbean spiny lobster, and a Turk’s-cap cactus, representing the islands’ marine life, staple foods, and distinctive flora. An earlier colonial flag introduced in 1875 used a seal showing a ship, a man raking sea salt, and salt piles, with a minor alteration in 1889; that design remained in use until 1968.