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# Ilha do Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe

##

Last modified: 2026-05-30 by ian macdonald
Keywords: principe |
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image by Ben Cahoon, July 2013

- About the flag
- Reported variants of the flag
- Detail of arms
- Pre-2011 flaglessness
- 1981 rebel flag
- Pre-independence flag

See also:

- São Tomé e Príncipe
- Subnational flags

[⚓]

## About the flag

At last! 16 years after Principe became an autonomous region adopted its flag. From local news sites I understand it was first flown in late April this year (Apr 29, 1995, being the date of autonomy). It’s a vertical triband of green-white-blue with the national coat of arms in the canton and in the middle in the white stripe I believe its the parrot from the national coat of arms.
Paraskevas Renesis, 11 June 2011

The flag is real. Here is one of the news articles.
Valentin Poposki, 12 June 2011

This news story dated 2011.05.03 says that «Príncipe entoou pela primeira vez no último fim-de-semana, o seu hino e hasteou a sua nova bandeira. Símbolos de uma região autónoma, que se confirmou no ano passado com a aprovação do estatuto político e administrativo.» (= "Príncipe sung for the first time this weekend its anthem and hoisted its new flag. Symbols of an autonomous region which got confirmed last year by the approval of its political and administrative status.")
António Martins, 19 June 2011

Here’s a photo of the Legislative Assembly building and 2 flags flying in front. It seems to me that they are the national and the new regional flag.
Paraskevas Renesis, 12 June 2011

First reports online at http://www.egov.st/ were met with distrust: The domain name is `egov.st`, not `something.gov.st`. Anyone can register almost any domain under the tld `.st` (from a German company…) — the government of the country reserves for itself only a few domains, and `principe.st` is where I’d expect to see the flag.
António Martins, 30 June 2011

The controversial site with the flag has "resurfaced": http://www.universalec.com.tw/downpicList.aspx?Dept=home&lang=pt&Cata=downpic. Same contents nothing new!
On a site at http://ribtonimages.com/gallery.html with photos of Peter Ribton we get a photo: http://www.ribtonimages.com/gallery.html?func=viewcategory&catid=32&startpage=5#category of the region's president Cassandra and in the background, out of focus unfortunately, part of (what it seems to be) the regional flag. Obviously the photographer is not very interested in flags. Very nice photo of the president though!
From the same portfolio we get another photo (2nd row 3rd photo) titled Saint Laurent festival: http://www.ribtonimages.com/gallery.html?func=viewcategory&catid=32&startpage=6#category where we can spot the regional flag in front of the regional assembly and the (pink) government building. I have little doubt that the green-white-blue vertical triband is the regional flag but we still need to see the whole "thing"!
Paraskevas Renesis, 5 December 2011

Flag also reported at http://www.telanon.info/sem-categoria/2012/02/10/9701/a-historia-comeca-agora-notas-sobre-historia-e-as-perspectivas-de-futuro-da-ilha-do-principe/ and http://www.telanon.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Sundy.jpg from http://www.telanon.info/sociedade/2011/05/31/7251/principe-celebrou-92-anos-sobre-a-comprovacao-da-teoria-da-relatividade/
Paraskevas Renesis, 26 February 2012

Cursory analysis of the available photographic evidence (mostly linked above) suggests that the shades of green and blue of this flag are light, the green being also a tad yellowish, when contrasted to the regular medium green of the national flag: photo.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 December 2023

I am wondering if the lighter colors are from the flag being displayed outside for a long time and getting sun dyed? The outside photo of the flag seems to show those lighter colors you can see that outside version here (link below). Another thing to note is the tail feathers (reddish) are shown and the more realistic shading of this local bird over all, compared to the versions we have which you can see in this outside version of the flag here:
https://stpdigital.net/ambiente/regiao-autonoma-do-principe-apresenta-projeto-na-cop26
At the bottom of this article, about the swearing in of the regional president in 2020, shows a version of the region flag in the basic colors we have now rather than the lighter suggested colors: https://www.telanon.info/politica/2020/08/18/32372/filipe-nascimento-presidente-do-governo-da-regiao-autonoma-do-principe/ and a few more here at the regional presidency Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presidenciadogovernoregionaldoprincipe/
Ben Cahoon, 30 December 2023

Here are various images of Principe's regional flag:
https://www.facebook.com/256978517819407/photos
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
It seems to me that the flag displayed inside the regional government's offices has a "simplified" image of the bird in silver (grey) , black and red tail feathers:
https://www.facebook.com/photo
https://www.facebook.com/photo
https://www.facebook.com/photo
P. Renesis, 31 December 2023

I wonder if the lighter colors are from the flag being displayed outside for a long time and getting sun dyed? I thought so too, and even the contrast between the two shades of green on the national and regional flags displayed on the same building could be accounted for one of them being newer, but meanwhile we’ve seen photos of actual flags, seemingly brand new and yet in pale colors. (Ex. located by Paraskevas: https://ghostarchive.org/archive/lNOBv)
However, the detailed flat image given at that regional goverment’s Facebook page (and likely elsewhere) as found by Paraskevas shows the same paler shades for both panels (blue and green) — and it also has a 2:3 ratio, which seems to be yet another variation vector.
The bird on the middle of this flag image is shown with its distinctive red tail fanned out behind the feet, while on the pale colors flag shown on the photo found by Ben, the feet are more spread out, along other smaller differences in attitude.
On 2023.12.31 15:09 PM, Paraskevas sent links to the flag images offered by what seem to be *two* concurrent official presences of the regional goverment in Facebook (in their posts these two accounts seem to promote each other’s content). Each of these include further imagery that, while used preeminently in their respective main pages, is contradictory: https://www.facebook.com/presidenciadogovernoregionaldoprincipe
- Flat image used for example for this Facebook account’s user image, with simplified bird (no red tail, no feet), 1:2 ratio, panels in medium green and dark blue: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php.
- Cover image showing photo of the regional government headquarters with clearly pale 1:2 version (bird obscured), maybe the same exact flags as shown in the balcony photo? https://www.facebook.com/photo
https://www.facebook.com/people
- Cover image showing the mentioned flat flag image with pale colors, 2:3 ratio, and detailed bird. (This same image was posted twice: 2014.05.31 and 2023.01.23): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php,
https://www.facebook.com/256978517819407
And both these two non-photographic flag images show different versions concerning details of the central bird, brightness of the blue and green panels, and overall ratio, adding to the known photos of two actual flags in (official) use.
Looks like there is free variation of these details, conceptually and that actual flags in local use have at least 3 different realizations. It also doesn’t seem to be a matter of diachronic variation, with a newer version supplanting older ones. The witnessed variation seems to stem from lack of interest in the details of the flag, not from deep held divergent opinions about design and/or symbolism.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 January 2024

## Reported variants of the flag

With all the material apported also by Ben Cahoon and Paraskevas Renesis, looks like we can settle on the notion that there are at least five versions of the same and only Príncipe regional flag (back in January I said three, but more data and better observation raised this number).
The axis of variation seem to be:
* Shade of green:
Medium bright (as on the national flag) or light green, slightly olive / chatreuse (yellowish). This variation could (originally) be due to sun bleaching.
* Shade of blue:
Either between medium and medium-dark (FIAV B and B+) or more or less “pastel” / greyish. This latter variation could (originally) be due to sun bleaching.
* Ratio: 1:2 or 2:3
* Details of the central bird:
It may present its red tail or not, show its feet or not, and have the wings outstretched outwards or upwards. One thing that doesn’t seems to vary is that the parrot on the middle of the flag is always shown with its head turned to face the hoist side of the flag (i.e., the side of the green stripe).
* Details of the canton coat of arms:
Both the traditional 1975 version and a much more recent version have been used; its size vary between filling up the width of the green stripe or as little as half, offset to the upper hoist.
And these variations vary thus:
* Ex.1: 2:3, pale green, bright blue, red tail, no feet, big traditional coat of arms

images by António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
Photos of actual flags, seemingly brand new and yet in pale colors. (Ex. located by Paraskevas: https://ghostarchive.org/archive/lNOBv). This seems to be a commercially mass produced flag printed on thin nylon, about 120 cm high. On this seemingly recent photo, a brand new copy of the flag held by two uniformed youths parading along with others in camo pants and canteens (paramilitary?) and wearing T-shirts of two NGOs (anti-poverty and environmentalist). Might not be governmental, but seems formal/official enough.
The 2006 (?) photo showing a local government building, with long porch and both flags hoisted, might also be showing this version of the flag.

The perspective on the photo might not make it clear that the flag is 2:3, but when it is deformed into an orthographic perspective and forced in to that ratio, the coat of arms on the canton assumed the proportions of the original artwork — the being the 1970s original (and official) version:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coa_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_%26_Pr%C3%ADncipe.PNG That’s also the version of the national coat-of-arms used on the presidential flag.

The bird on the middle of the Príncipe regional flag is an African grey parrot Psittacus erithacus, it should be said, and is the same as the sinister supporter of the national arms (the dexter one being a hawk). However in some representations of the regional flag the two parrots differ considerably.
* Ex.2: 2:3 (?), bright colors, red tail, no feet, big traditional coat of arms
This can be seen in official use on recent photos, next to Filipe Nascimento, president of the regional government:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=865890865572817&set=pcb.865891108906126
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=865891082239462&set=pcb.865891108906126
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=855644769930760&set=pcb.855645136597390
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=852169930278244&set=pcb.852169953611575
(No details yet to fully create a diagrammatic image of this flag. Might be similar to ex. 1, but in 2:3 with bright green.)
* Ex.3: 2:3, bright colors, red tail, feet +details; small traditional coat of arms
This version of the flag is known from the photo sent by Ben on Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:41:49 -0800, taken from inside a balcony against a foliage background, showing clearly a very detailed bird on the middle panel, with red tail, feet outspread (not overlapping the tail), good feather detail, and wings pointing upwards. Almost certainly 2:3, given the visible proportions of the white stripe, and on the canton very likely the traditional coat of arms, taking around half of the green stripe width - as visible in the less cropped version of the photo sent by Ben. The larger but more tightly cropped photo (which illustrates a 2021.10.31 newsstory but may be older) is still available at https://stpdigital.net/ambiente/regiao-autonoma-do-principe-apresenta-projeto-na-cop26
(No details yet to fully create a diagrammatic image of this flag.)
* Ex.4: 2:3, pale green, greyish blue, feet on red tail, small traditional coat of arms

images by António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
This is one of the two known only as digital images used concurrently by the regional goverment for their online presence: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
This might also be the same design as shown in a newspapaer clipping (showing bits of Portuguese text) with a heavily edited photo of the flag, circulated by Jaume Ollé (if I recall correctly).
Attached as [st-p4.gif] (flag) and [st-p4).gif] (CoA detail).
* Ex.5: 1:2, bright colors, black tail, no feet; small modern coat of arms

images by António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
This is one of the two known only as digital images used concurrently by the regional goverment for their online presence: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=551001390395101&set=ecnf.100064557347763

Witnessed variation seems to stem from lack of interest in the details of the flag, not from deep held divergent opinions about design and/or symbolism. In this Sept. 2022 video, one can see a meeting room of a regional
government facility with both a large indoor flag with medium (dark?) green (00'26") and a tabletop flaglet with pale yellowish green (00'06"): https://www.facebook.com/presidenciadogovernoregionaldoprincipe.

This is one of the two known only as digital images used concurrently by the regional goverment for their online presence, also at (larger image): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=678076284354277&set=pb.100064557347763.-2207520000&type=3
One of these 5 variants (or even yet another!) must be picked to be used as the main image at the top of this page. I agree with Ben that it should be the example 2 above, but we need to get a better view of it.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024

### Pre-2011 flaglessness

I know no reports on a flag of Principe Island.
António Martins, 08 August 1999

I have met today the brother of the Sao Tome defense minister. I obtain from him first hand information on flag use in his country. The man was, 17 years ago, the leader of the Youth organization of Sao Tome, but in this era this organization didn’t have flag of their own. He was president of the delegation of Youth people that traveled to Principe Island but no flags different from the national one were hoisted then.
Jaume Ollé, 03 July 2000

Michel Sicard, former Secretary general of the Societé Française de Vexillologie, said to me that in April of 1995, the Island of Principe acquired an autonomous government. No reports on flag.
Jordi Pérez, 01 October 1997.

### 1981 rebel flag

In the 1981 revolt of the island against the Sao Tome power, a rebel flag was hoisted, but is unknown to me.
Jaume Ollé, 09 November 1996

## Pre-independence flag

image by Sérgio Horta and António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 April 2026

As seen for the cases of almost all Portuguese municipal arms (and flags) in Cabo Verde and of a few cases in metropolitan Portugal, here the name of each municipality is that of its island, but the toponym born on the scroll is that of its seat settlement.
It is otherwise a typical Portuguese municipal flag, with the coat of arms centered on a plain white field. The arms are Sable a depiction of Saint Anthony of Padova and Lisbon Argent flanked by two pelicans in their piety Or. Mural crown Argent with five visible towers (city rank) and scroll Argent reading in black upper case serif letters "Cidade de Santo António". The banner should have silvery and black tassels and cord, and golden staff with a spear finial.
Flag and arms published in the official provincial journal Boletim Oficial de São Tomé e Príncipe: 1.ª série_ *2.º supl.* of 1954.05.25:
"Escudo de negro, a imagem de Santo António de prata, realçada de negro, entre dois pelicanos de ouro. Coroa mural de prata de cinco torres. Listel branco inscrito com caracteres negros: "CIDADE DE SANTO ANTÓNIO". Bandeira - De branco. Cordões e borlas de prata e negro. Haste e lança de ouro."
At https://www.heraldicacivica.pt/stm-principe.html we can see Sérgio Horta's account of these arms and flag, drawn in the same style as contemporary CHAAP artwork; other sources, such as [lgh66], may differ in details.
In the original blazon the pelicans are not specified as in their piety, and the saintly apparition is identified only as Saint Anthony, relying on context for his hagiographic determination.
This municipality comprised the main island of Príncipe and adjoining islets. That's the same territorial consist as the current Autonomous Region of Príncipe which in turn compises one single district: Pagué; – one of the seven that make up the national territory; the other six (Água Grande, Cantagalo, Caué, Lembá, Lobata, and Mé-Zóchi) constitute São Tomé Island. At https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4508349 contour map Autonomous Region of Príncipe in OpenStreetMap.

### Arms

image by Sérgio Horta and António Martins-Tuválkin, 26 April 2026

In this color plate from [lgh66], drawn by Abreu Lima [lim] https://in-libris.com/cdn/shop/products/IMG_20220202_104408_2048x2048.jpg?v=1643838816, the artwork differs in some details from the usual CHAAP style, but it is essentially the same concerning the shape and proportions of the shield; both scrolls and coronets show consistently slight differences; the well known postage stamps with colonial municipal arms issued in the late 1960s use images from this source [lgh66], although notably the coats of arms are cut off from the original flag background and placed on arbitrarily colored backgrounds.