Something Different for Guyana

Whitney Smith designed Guyana's national flag when he was 20. The multiracial, developing country in the Northeast corner of South America gained its independence from Britain in 1966, and Dr. Smith wanted something unique. The overlapping triangles are symbols of stability: in engineering, Smith explains, the triangle is very strong and stable. The red stands for the country's struggle for independence; the ``golden arrowhead'' for the thrust forward into a golden future. The arrowhead also hints at the country's native Indian heritage.

Green is for the lush fields and forests that cover nearly 90 percent of Guyana's land.