Seychelles has had three flags since independence, and each one arrived with a change of government. The current design, five bands radiating from one corner, has outlasted both of its predecessors.
Three flags in twenty years
The first flag, introduced at independence in 1976, had green, white, and red horizontal stripes with a white circle in the middle and a red star inside it. It stood for the coalition between the Seychelles Democratic Party and the Seychelles People's United Party.
The coup led by France-Albert René in 1977 brought a new flag: three vertical stripes of red, white, and green, in the colors of the ruling socialist party. That one lasted until 1996, when the return of multi-party politics prompted another redesign.
The current flag was adopted on June 18, 1996. Independence itself had come on June 29, 1976, when Seychelles stopped being a British colony.
Five bands from one corner
The five oblique bands, blue, yellow, red, white, and green, radiate from the bottom corner on the hoist side. The effect is of movement outward, which is the point: the design is meant to read as forward motion after a long colonial period and a turbulent two decades of independence.
Blue is the sky and the Indian Ocean around the islands. Yellow is the sun. Red is the unity of the people. White is social justice. Green is the vegetation and the land, which matter both to the economy and to the country's biodiversity.
Usage
The flag is displayed on government buildings, schools, and other public institutions, and at national events including Independence Day and cultural festivals. Protocol requires it to be handled with respect and kept off the ground. Variants exist for particular bodies, such as the President's standard and military ensigns.
It appears at the Creole Festival and other celebrations, where it stands for a population drawn from African, European, and Asian origins.
Similar flags and influences
Few flags look much like it. The closest comparisons are with other designs built on diagonals, such as the flags of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The palette overlaps with Pan-African symbolism, but the arrangement is Seychelles' own.
The country's earlier flags tracked its politics closely, changing with each shift in who held power, which is a pattern common enough among post-colonial states.
References
[1] Government of Seychelles: The Official Portal of the Republic of Seychelles
[2] Vexillology.org: Seychelles Flag Information