The Madeiran flag design is heavily based on that of the flag of FLAMA, a right-wing terrorist paramilitary organisation from Madeira, whose main goal was to achieve Madeira’s independence from mainland Portugal after the Carnation Revolution.
The FLAMA flag is composed of a blue-yellow-blue vertical triband, and in the yellow sections there are five small shields. The blue represents the environment that characterizes the island and represents nobility and serenity. The yellow mirrors the climate of the Archipelago, a symbol of richness, strength, faith and purity. The five shields, which are also present in the Portuguese flag stand for the five wounds of Christ (Portuguese: Cinco Chagas de Cristo) when crucified.
The blue represents the environment that characterizes insularity and represents nobility, beauty and serenity. The gold mirrors the mildness of the archipelago’s climate and symbolizes wealth, strength, faith, purity and constancy.