Flag of United States Virgin Islands
A white field with a yellow eagle between the blue letters V and I. The eagle has a shield on its breast and holds a green laurel sprig and three blue arrows.
What the flag means
The three arrows are the three main islands: Saint Croix, Saint Thomas and Saint John. The laurel stands for victory, and V and I for Virgin Islands. The blue of the shield matches the US flag.
History
The islands were the Danish West Indies until 1917. Rear Admiral Sumner Kittelle, sworn in as governor on 26 April 1921, asked for design ideas, and Percival Wilson Sparks, a cartoonist, drew this one. His wife Grace and her sister Blanche Joseph embroidered the first flag on heavy cotton. It was adopted on 17 May 1921.
The eagle holds three arrows, where the US coat of arms has thirteen.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of the United States Virgin Islands
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
