Martinique has no official flag. The flag of France, its parent country, is the only flag flown with official standing. However, the local council flies a flag with its logo on it and several unofficial flags represent the territory.

Local government flag

On 1 August 2016, a design competition for the collectivity's logo was opened to all people of age living in Martinique. Out of 647 eligible proposals, a design by 22-year-old graphic artist Stévy Desbonnes was selected. The logo features a hummingbird whose wings form a stylized map of Martinique. The colour ochre represents the local soil and blue represents the ocean.

In late 2016 the local flag was created, consisting of the new logo on a white background.

Ipséité

In 2018, the local council launched a competition to create a flag to represent Martinique at international sporting and cultural events. The anthem Lorizon and the flag Ipséité ("Selfhood") were chosen by the president of the Martinique Executive Council, Alfred Marie-Jeanne. They were officially presented on May 10, 2019. On November 15, 2021 the flag and anthem were annulled by the local administrative tribunal, as the method of their selection were not deemed within the responsibilities of the assembly. It is still seen as a cultural symbol.

The flag depicts a lambi, an emblematic shell of the Antilles whose conch is used as a traditional musical instrument. Around it, 34 Amerindian stars symbolize the 34 municipalities of Martinique and eight segments evoke eight of the different languages spoken on the island: French, Creole, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese and Arabic. The colour blue refers to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while green recalls the steep hills and nature of the territory.

The flag was first flown in June 2019 by Martinique's national football team during their participation at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Nationalist flag

The rouge-vert-noir ("red-green-black") flag is the preferred symbol of Martiniquais independence activists. It was designed by Guy Cabort-Masson and Alex Ferdinand in 1968 and secretly transferred to Martinique in 1971.

The flag has no official status. In 1995, it was controversially raised in the town of Sainte-Anne by nationalist mayor Garcin Malsa.

Snake flag

The "snake flag" (drapeau aux serpents) features a white cross on a blue field with a white fer-de-lance viper (Bothrops lanceolatus) in each corner. The symbol dates from an edict issued 4 August 1766, specifying that vessels of the French colony of Martinique and Saint Lucia should fly a version of the French ensign—which at the time was a white cross on a blue field—with L-shaped (for Lucia) snakes in each quarter of the cross. The same design was used for the lesser coat of arms.

The snake flag is highly controversial because of its historical use on ships engaged in the Atlantic slave trade. Often presented internationally as the Flag of Martinique, it is strongly rejected by locals and its use is very discouraged. Deputy Jean-Philippe Nilor demanded its withdrawal from public use and even compared it to the Nazi swastika that refers to the Holocaust. In October 2018, the National Gendarmerie stopped using the emblem by order of President Emmanuel Macron.

Before the 21st century, the snake flag was largely unused in Martinique. It was mainly erroneously used as a courtesy ensign by yachters and was not available for sale locally.

The emoji of the flag is sometimes used by the Québécois as a stand in for Quebec's own flag, as there is no Quebec flag available.

Gallery

• Flag of the local government of Martinique

• The Ipséité

• The nationalist rouge-vert-noir flag

• Flag of the Martinican Independence Movement

• Flag of the Martinique delegation at international taekwondo tournaments

• The controversial "snake flag"

• A damaged nationalist Martinique flag

• French tricolours at the mairie of Case-Pilote