Introduction
The flag of Ascension Island is a British Blue Ensign with the island arms in the fly: a green turtle and a sooty tern flanking a shield, above a wreath and a scroll.
Meaning & Symbolism
Both animals are here because Ascension is where they breed. Green turtles swim more than two thousand kilometres from Brazil to lay their eggs on its beaches. The sooty tern, known locally as the wideawake, nests on the island in enormous colonies.
History of the Ascension Island Flag
Ascension had no flag of its own until 11 May 2013, flying the flag of Saint Helena instead. It is one of the youngest flags of any British territory.
The island has no indigenous population and nobody has the right of abode: everyone there is on a work contract. It is used as an airfield, a satellite tracking station and a signals site.
Curiosities
- Until 2013 Ascension had no flag of its own and flew Saint Helena flag.
- Green turtles swim more than two thousand kilometres from Brazil to nest on its beaches.
- The sooty tern is called the wideawake locally, after the noise the colonies make.
- Nobody has the right of abode on the island: every resident is there on a contract.
- The island was garrisoned in 1815 specifically to stop anyone using it to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Ascension Island in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.