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.^[1]

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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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.^[3] During the dissolution ceremony in Curacao, attended by then Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, the flag of the Netherlands Antilles was lowered with the flag of Curaçao raised in its place.^[4] Each part of the former Netherlands Antilles adopted their own separate flags as a result.^[5]

Flag of the governor of the Netherlands Antilles

The governor of the Netherlands Antilles had his own flag.^[6]

• 
  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