The flag of the Canary Islands dates back to 1961 and features three vertical stripes of white, blue and yellow. The colors of the flag are intended to be a combination of the colors of the flags of the two provinces that make up the Canary Islands: Tenerife (white and blue) and Las Palmas (blue and yellow). Most likely, however, it goes back to a flag from 1561, created by the magistrate Pedro de Vergara as a sign of the connection with the Spanish monarchy. There are flags of the Canary Islands that show the coat of arms of the islands in the center of the blue stripe. This is an unofficial flag. Since the 2nd of December in 2005, the colors have been precisely defined: Blue = Pantone 3005, yellow = Pantone 7406.
It shows seven silvery mountains on a blue ground and above a golden crown. They stand for the seven big islands of the archipelago. Shield holders are two dogs – a clue for the name of the archipelago. In the motto ribbon above the scutcheon the word "Oceano" → "Ocean".
The Spanish who arrived in the 15th century named the islands of Dog Islands (Islas Canarias), allegedly because of the unusually large dogs that had been kept by the indigenous people who then still lived here.
