Flag of South Georgia
A Blue Ensign with the territory's arms in the fly. The shield, with a lion holding a torch, is supported by a seal and a penguin, with a reindeer on the crest.
What the flag means
Roman Klimes, in Symbols of Antarctica, says the lion stands for Britain and the torch for exploration, while the reindeer, seal and penguin are local to the islands. The motto, Leo Terram Propriam Protegat, means 'let the lion protect its own land'.
History
Until 1985 the islands were run as a dependency of the Falkland Islands and used the Falklands flag. The territory was created in 1985, and its arms were granted by royal warrant on 14 February 1992. They were first placed on the Blue Ensign inside a white disc. The disc was dropped in 1999.
The flag flies over the main government settlements on South Georgia and at British Antarctic Survey bases.
Earlier flags of South Georgia
- 1992–1999Blue Ensign with smaller arms on a white disc
Sources
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
