Below the shield was located a light blue ribbon with motto "The Land Divided; The World United" spelled in yellow capital letters.

The top of the circle had the text "Seal of the Canal Zone Isthmus of Panama" written in yellow capital letters.

He described the construction of the canal as an endeavor to "join the seas for the benefit of mankind", which later evolved into the motto of the territory, "the land divided; the world united".

[1][2] In 1915, the president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, issued executive order establishing that the Governor of the Panama Canal should have a distinctive flag, bearing the seal, for use in his official capacity.

His executive order gave the first officially published description of the seal: "The seal consists of a shield, showing in base a Spanish galleon of the Fifteenth Century under full sail coming on between two high banks, all purpure, the sky yellow with the glow of sunset; in the chief are the colors of the arms of the United States.