The flag of Connecticut was adopted in its present form in 1897. It shows an azure blue field (that's what the law says, but today there are also variants in royal blue) with a lavishly designed white coat of arms in the centre. It dates back to 1711 and shows a white shield with three vines, each with three bunches of red grapes. These represent the three colonies: New Haven, Old Saybrook and Hartford. Below the coat of arms, in a gold-framed band, is the state motto: "Qui Transtulit Sustinet" → "He, who transplanted, sustains". This refers to the successful colonisation by the English from 1630 onwards, which was imagined as the planting and spreading of grapes. The grapes represent happiness, bliss and peace and the vines symbolise strong and lasting friendships.
The name "Connecticut" comes from the Indian word "Quonaktakat", meaning "long river". The Connecticut River has its source in the north, in 600 km away, on the border between Canada and Maine. It flows in New Haven in the Atlantic.
