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82-410: The sculpture depicts a man holding a flag on top of a rock, which serves as base for the bronze sculpture. The rock weighs approximately 40 tons. The man holds a flagpole in his proper left hand. In his proper right hand he holds a hat . He stands up straight and is wearing a neckerchief and a long sleeve shirt that is rolled up to his elbows. Four bronze plaques are located on the rock base, two on

164-625: A heraldic device in battle, allowing easier identification of a knight over only the heraldic icon painted on the shield. Already during the high medieval period, and increasingly during the Late Middle Ages , city states and communes such as those of the Old Swiss Confederacy also began to use flags as field signs. Regimental flags for individual units became commonplace during the Early Modern period . During

246-456: A closed beach (in the UK also other dangers), yellow signifies strong current or difficult swimming conditions, and green represents a beach safe for general swimming. In Ireland, a red and yellow flag indicates that it is safe to swim; a red flag that it is unsafe; and no flag indicates that there are no lifeguards on duty. Blue flags may also be used away from the yellow-red lifesaver area to designate

328-783: A general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is challenging (such as the maritime environment , where semaphore is used). Many flags fall into groups of similar designs called flag families . The study of flags is known as " vexillology " from the Latin vexillum , meaning "flag" or " banner ". National flags are patriotic symbols with widely varied interpretations that often include strong military associations because of their original and ongoing use for that purpose. Flags are also used in messaging , advertising , or for decorative purposes. Some military units are called "flags" after their use of flags. A flag (Arabic: لواء )

410-524: A geo-cultural region overlapping with Iran, uses the green-white-red stripes of the Iran flag charged with a yellow sun. The Gran Colombia flag family is made up of flags of countries in the South American former area of Gran Colombia . They have three horizontal stripes of yellow, blue, and red. Venezuelan revolutionary leader Francisco de Miranda personally designed the flag of Gran Colombia ,

492-536: A historic state that included modern Colombia , Ecuador , Panama , Venezuela , and parts of Brazil and Guyana . The flag of Gran Colombia had three colours signifying Hispanic America (yellow), the Atlantic Ocean (blue), and "bloody Spain " (red). Miranda attributed the inspiration for these colors to a late-night conversation with the German writer and color theorist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , who

574-564: A horizontal crossbar from which it is hoisted, either by a vertical pole (no. 5a) or a horizontal one (no. 5b). The topmost stripe on the horizontal version of the flag normally faces to the left. Flags can play many different roles in religion. In Buddhism , prayer flags are used, usually in sets of five differently coloured flags. Several flags and banners including the Black Standard are associated with Islam . Many national flags and other flags include religious symbols such as

656-732: A light green stripe. A tricolor is any flag following the flag of France in its design of three vertical stripes of equal width, each distinct in color. On the eve of the French Revolution , 13 July 1789, red and blue cockades were given to the militia of Paris. Soon afterward, Louis XVI added one to his royal white cockade. These colors, arranged as stripes, became the flag of France in 1794. In this way, vertical tribands of three colors became associated with movements for republicanism and were adopted by many nations transitioning to republican governance. (however, some monarchies also used, and still use, tricolours). Unlike tricolour,

738-577: A military fort, base, station or post and at sea at the stern (rear) or main top mast of a warship, a Naval Jack flag and other maritime flags , pennants and emblems are flown at the bow (front). In times of war waving a white flag is a banner of truce, talks/negotiations or surrender. Four distinctive African flags currently in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Britain were flown in action by Itsekiri ships under

820-495: A military or naval context began with the rise of nationalism by the end of the 18th century, although some flags date back earlier. The flags of countries such as Austria, Denmark or Turkey have legendary origins while many others, including those of Poland and Switzerland, grew out of the heraldic emblems of the Middle Ages. The 17th century saw the birth of several national flags through revolutionary struggle. One of these

902-472: A mystery, the oldest flag discovered is made of bronze: a Derafsh or 'flag-like' Shahdad, which was found in Shahdad , Iran, and dates back to c.  2400 BC . It features a seated man and a kneeling woman facing each other, with a star in between. This iconography was found in other Iranian Bronze Age pieces of art. Flags made of cloth were almost certainly the invention of the ancient peoples of

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984-559: A new national flag of that province , becoming the first additional flag of the family. Building on this, the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America had blue and white stripes, and all of the countries that were once part of that republic retain those stripes in some way in their flags. El Salvador and Nicaragua have also retained the triangular emblem of the former republic; the flag of Costa Rica has an additional red stripe. Argentina's and Uruguay's flags now have

1066-504: A part of three national flags in West Africa, starting with the flag of Ghana designed by Theodosia Okoh . The pan-Arab flag family is a set of flags featuring three or four of the colors red, black, white, and green. The flags have three horizontal stripes, often with an emblem in the center or an overlapping shape in the hoist. According to biographers of Muhammad , he used both flags of white and flags of black . Each color of

1148-508: A red, black, and green flag for his organization, known as the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League . According to Garvey, Red is the color of the blood which men must shed for their redemption and liberty; black is the color of the noble and distinguished race to which we belong; green is the color of the luxuriant vegetation of our Motherland. These three colors were

1230-665: A shared history, culture, or influence. Families do not include flags with coincidental similarities. Flags may be in multiple flag families. Only twelve current national flags existed before the 19th century, when large-scale flag use began. Seven of these flags ( Denmark , France , the Netherlands , Russia , Turkey , the United Kingdom , and the United States ) are the inspiration for more than 130 current national flags and ensigns . A Christian cross flag

1312-602: A star or stars). Early versions of the flag of the United States were based on ensigns of the United Kingdom, with the Union Flag on the canton. Instead of a solid-colored field, they had stripes inspired by the flag of the East India Company . In 1777, the Continental Congress of the United States resolved to replace the Union Flag with thirteen stars. The first nation to adopt a similar flag

1394-480: A zone for surfboarding and other small, non-motorised watercraft. Reasons for closing the beach include: A surf flag exists, divided into four quadrants. The top left and bottom right quadrants are black, and the remaining area is white. Signal flag "India" (a black circle on a yellow square) is frequently used to denote a "blackball" zone where surfboards cannot be used but other water activities are permitted. The United States uses beach warning flags created by

1476-423: Is a vertical form of the standard flag. The flag's design may remain unchanged (No. 2a) or it may change, e.g. by changing horizontal stripes to vertical ones (no. 2b). If the flag carries an emblem, it may remain centred or may be shifted slightly upwards. The vertical flag for hoisting from a beam (German: Auslegerflagge or Galgenflagge ; no. 3) is additionally attached to a horizontal beam, ensuring that it

1558-470: Is any flag with a cross or crosses as a central element of its design (as opposed to flags like those of Malta and Serbia , which use crosses as smaller embellishments). It is the oldest flag family. The first flag purported to have such a cross was the flag of Portugal, beginning in around 1100. The flag design became the most common design for merchant ships across Europe for several centuries. Flags in this family use different types of crosses , including

1640-585: Is composed of flags of Central and South America with blue and white stripes. In 1812, the Argentine revolutionary general Manuel Belgrano raised a flag in Rosario , Argentina, of three horizontal stripes of blue-white-blue. It was formally adopted by the Government of Argentina in 1816. Six years later, commander-general of El Salvador Manuel José Arce took the " Argentine colours of Belgrano " as

1722-403: Is described as saying Yellow is the most warm, noble and closest to light ... blue is that mix of excitement and serenity, a distance that evokes shadows ... red is the exaltation of yellow and blue, the synthesis, the vanishing of light into shadow. The flag of Gran Colombia was first hoisted in 1806. It led to the current designs of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. The Belgrano flag family

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1804-412: Is done on both the state flag of Maryland and the flag of Kiribati . The de jure flag of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi , which consisted of a rectangular field of green, was for a long period the only national flag using a single colour and no design or insignia. However, other historical states have also used flags without designs or insignia, such as the short-lived Soviet Republic of Hungary and

1886-616: Is equivalent to a brigade in Arab countries. In Spain, a flag (Spanish: bandera ) is a battalion -equivalent in the Spanish Legion . The origin of the flag is unknown and it remains unclear when the first flag was raised. Ships with vexilloids were represented on predynastic Egyptian pottery c.  3500 BC . In antiquity, field signs that can be categorised as vexilloid or "flag-like" were used in warfare, originating in ancient Egypt or Assyria . Examples include

1968-409: Is fully displayed even if there is no wind. The vertical flag for hoisting from a horizontal pole (German: Hängeflagge ; no. 4) is hoisted from a horizontal pole, normally attached to a building. The topmost stripe on the horizontal version of the flag faces away from the building. The vertical flag for hoisting from a crossbar or banner (German: Bannerflagge ; no. 5) is firmly attached to

2050-408: Is not symmetric and should be read in the same direction, regardless of whether the hoist is to the viewer's left or right. These cases can be divided into two types: Common designs on flags include crosses, stripes, and divisions of the surface, or field , into bands or quarters—patterns and principles mainly derived from heraldry . A heraldic coat of arms may also be flown as a banner of arms , as

2132-440: Is the location where the bear flag was raised. The plaque that is on the back, which depicts the raising of the bear flag, was originally on the front of the base. It was moved between the years 1914 and 1923. On June 1, 1932, the monument was declared a California Historical Landmark , making it the seventh landmark to become named to the list. The bear flag is raised at the monument at the annual Bear Flag Celebration. The piece

2214-401: Is used to mark the limits of the bathing area on a beach, usually guarded by surf lifesavers . If the beach is closed, the poles of the flags are crossed. The flags are coloured with a red triangle and a yellow triangle making a rectangular flag, or a red rectangle over a yellow rectangle. On many Australian beaches there is a slight variation with beach condition signalling. A red flag signifies

2296-590: The Sonoma Index-Tribune . The sculpture was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution in 1994. It was noted as needing conservation treatment at that time. Flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol , a signalling device, or for decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have evolved into

2378-439: The 5 October 1910 revolution which brought this party to power. Throughout history, monarchs have often had personal flags (including royal standards ), representing the royal person, including in personal union of national monarchies. Flags are often representative of an individual's affinity or allegiance to a country, team or business and can be presented in various ways. A popular trend that has surfaced revolves around

2460-577: The Indian subcontinent or the Zhou dynasty of Ancient China . Chinese flags had iconography such as a red bird, a white tiger, or a blue dragon, and royal flags were to be treated with a level of respect similar to that given to the ruler. Indian flags were often triangular and decorated with attachments such as a yak 's tail and the state umbrella. Silk flags either spread to the Near East from China or it

2542-607: The International Life Saving Federation and endorsed and conditionally approved by the United States Lifesaving Association . Railways use a number of coloured flags. When used as wayside signals they usually use the following meanings (exact meanings are set by the individual railroad company): Flag families Flag families are sets of national flags with similarities in their design, often based on

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2624-505: The Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I . Iran adopted a flag with green, white, and red stripes in the mid-19th century. The flag has undergone changes since, but the three stripes remain. When the newly independent republic of Tajikistan changed its flag from its former Soviet version , it chose to use the same stripes in reverse order as a nod to its close cultural ties with neighbouring Iran . The flag of Kurdistan ,

2706-660: The Russian Revolution , adopting the flag of the Soviet Union upon their victory in 1922. As a result, the color red became more closely associated with communism than socialism. The flag also featured a hammer and sickle and a red star fimbriated by gold, two symbols that also became closely associated with communism. As communism spread during the 20th century, many countries, especially in Asia and Africa, adopted red flags and stars to symbolize their support for

2788-574: The Sassanid battle standard Derafsh Kaviani , and the standards of the Roman legions such as the eagle of Augustus Caesar 's Xth legion and the dragon standard of the Sarmatians ; the latter was allowed to fly freely in the wind, carried by a horseman, but depictions suggest that it bore more similarity to an elongated dragon kite than to a simple flag. While the origin of the flag remains

2870-662: The Sol de Mayo . The red banner flag family is the family of flags that use large red fields or red stars as symbols of communism. The color red became associated with revolution when it was adopted by the Jacobins during the early days of the French Revolution as a symbol of their willingness to shed blood for their cause. After being used by the Paris Commune in 1871, the color became closely associated with socialism . The Bolsheviks used these flags as inspiration during

2952-706: The St. Andrew's saltire of Scotland to form the Union Flag. The Saint Patrick's saltire was added to the flag in 1801. In the mid-19th century, the British government declared the use of a white ensign for use by the Royal Navy , a red ensign for non-government vessels, and a blue ensign for all vessels "belonging to, or permanently in, the service of the Colonies." As the British Empire expanded, so too did

3034-568: The cross , the crescent , or a reference to a patron saint. Flags are also adopted by religious groups and flags such as the Jain flag , Nishan Sahib ( Sikhism ), the Saffron flag ( Hindu ) and the Christian flag are used to represent a whole religion. Because of their ease of signalling and identification, flags are often used in sports . Some countries use diplomatic flags, such as

3116-520: The national flag . Other countries' armed forces (such as those of the United States or Switzerland) use their standard national flag ; in addition, the U.S. has alongside flags and seals designed from long tradition for each of its six uniformed military services/military sub-departments in the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security . The Philippines' armed forces may use their standard national flag , but during times of war

3198-674: The rainbow flag was adopted as a symbol of the LGBT social movements . Its derivatives include the Bisexual pride and Transgender pride flags . Some of these political flags have become national flags, such as the red flag of the Soviet Union and national socialist banners for Nazi Germany . The present Flag of Portugal is based on what had been the political flag of the Portuguese Republican Party previous to

3280-468: The scramble for Africa . Its flag, therefore, was the inspiration for many countries that gained independence after colonization. The modern flags of Bolivia , Lithuania , and Myanmar also use these three colors, but their origins are unrelated to the Ethiopian flag. The Jamaican pan-Africanist leader Marcus Garvey inspired two independent sets of national African flags. In 1917, he proposed

3362-413: The 14th century. These designs often featured a white crescent open toward the top on a solid-colored field. During the 19th century when national flags became common, the Ottoman Empire was the only Muslim state considered a world power . Its flag popularized the crescent design for other Muslim nations when they later adopted flags. Most Muslim crescent flags also have one or more stars near or within

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3444-491: The 14th-century Iraqi poet Safi al-Din al-Hilli : "White are our deeds, black are our battles, green are our ranches, red are our swords." In 1911, members of a Turkish literary club chose these four colors as the colors of the modern Arabic flag. The colors were combined in the flag of the Arab Revolt in 1916, and many countries adopted these colors as the colors of their national flags upon gaining independence from

3526-596: The 1930s, the independent countries within the Trucial State flag family, Bahrain and Qatar , both adopted serrated edges from their earlier straight-edge designs. The flag of Qatar is unique in the Trucial State flag family for having a darker shade of red or maroon, a color made using traditional shell-based dye from the area. The United Nations flag family includes the flag of the United Nations and subsequent flags that borrowed design elements from

3608-472: The Golden West . The casting of the monument cost $ 5,000. The rock base and sculpture were installed onsite days before the dedication. The monument was dedicated on June 14, 1914. Then California governor Hiram Johnson spoke at the dedication. An estimated "1,000 automobiles," and "at least 5,000 visitors" attended the event. At the time, it was stated to be the "greatest crowd Sonoma had ever seen," by

3690-614: The Latin cross (†), the Greek cross (✚), and the Maltese cross (✠). (The Maltese cross does not appear on Malta's national flag, only its civil ensign .) Flags in the Nordic cross family feature crosses stretching the width and length of the flag, with the center offset to hoist . The cross design represents Christianity ; Denmark was the first to adopt this design in the 14th century. As

3772-530: The UN blue, but still retains the UN olive branches from the first design. The flag of Cyprus , adopted 1960, has no UN blue, but has the laurel wreath and a map as the central emblem. Most national flags inspired by the UN's were flags of United Nations trust territories , colonies that transitioned to independence with support and administration from the UN. These include the flag of the Trust Territory of

3854-588: The United Kingdom (see image of the Embassy flag ) and the Kingdom of Thailand (see image of the Embassy flag ). The socialist movement uses red flags to represent their cause. The anarchist movement has a variety of different flags, but the primary flag associated with them is the black flag . In the Spanish Civil War , the anarchists used the red-and-black bisected flag. In the 20th century,

3936-684: The United States. Inspired by the pan-African colors' growing association with post-colonial independence, many countries in the Caribbean and the Guianas with large populations in the African diaspora also adopted pan-African colors. The colors green, yellow, and red have been historically important in Ethiopia since the early 17th century. Along with Liberia, Ethiopia was the only currently existing nation to avoid European colonization during

4018-490: The alphabet. Each flag or pennant has a specific meaning when flown individually. As well, semaphore flags can be used to communicate on an ad hoc basis from ship to ship over short distances. Another category of maritime flag flown by some United States government ships is the distinctive mark . Although the United States Coast Guard has its own service ensign, all other U.S. government ships fly

4100-524: The circle formed by the crescent. The crescent on the flag of Singapore, which is not majority-Muslim (though it has a large Muslim minority and is surrounded by majority-Muslim Malaysia), represents "a young nation on the ascendant". The British Ensign family is composed of flags with the Union Jack in the canton . The Union Flag adopted in 1606 combined the Saint George's Cross of England and

4182-431: The colors red, yellow, green, and black. Some pan-African flags also have white and, less commonly, blue, but these are not considered pan-African colors. The design of flags in this family vary considerably. The colors red, yellow, and green became associated with pan-African colors through the Ethiopian flag . Black was later added by Marcus Garvey , an activist and organizer for the first black unification movement in

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4264-532: The control of Nana Olomu during the conflict in the late 19th century. One is the flag generally known as the Benin Empire flag and one is referred to as Nana Olomu's flag. Among international flags are the United Nations , Europe , Olympic , NATO and Paralympic flags . Flags are particularly important at sea, where they can mean the difference between life and death, and consequently where

4346-399: The design of their own flags. Some prominent examples include: National flag designs are often used to signify nationality in other forms, such as flag patches . A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. The use of civil flags was more common in the past, in order to denote buildings or ships that were not crewed by

4428-399: The face of a foreign warship traditionally indicates a willingness to fight, with cannon , for the right to do so. As of 2009 , this custom is still taken seriously by many naval and port authorities and is readily enforced in many parts of the world by boarding, confiscation and other civil penalties. In some countries yacht ensigns are different from merchant ensigns in order to signal that

4510-516: The first flag of the Netherlands . In the 17th century, the orange was replaced by red. Tsar Peter the Great personally designed a merchant flag of Russia based on the colors of the flag of the Netherlands . The Russian flag, in turn, inspired many flags of countries in the Slavic region . Most retained the white, blue and red, but Bulgaria changed the blue stripe on the flag of Russia into

4592-533: The flag including the colors, symbols, or both. The UN adopted its emblem and flag in 1947. The flag came to represent the neutrality and cooperation of the UN, so similar flags are often adopted for regions in states of conflict or instability. The first such national flag was the flag of Eritrea from 1952 to 1962, which symbolized peace between the Christians and Muslims in the newly formed country. The current Eritrean national flag, adopted in 1993, has less of

4674-400: The flag is turned upside down. Bulgaria's flag is also turned upside down during times of war. These are also considered war flags, though the terminology only applies to the flag's military usage. Large versions of the war flag flown on the warships of countries' navies are known as battle ensigns . In addition, besides flying the national standard or a military services' emblem flag at

4756-564: The friendly Arabs shall carry by land and sea a red flag, with or without letters in it, at their option, and this shall be in a border of white... Instead of borders, most of the states adopted a stripe. Nearly all of these states are now member emirates of the United Arab Emirates . While the flag of the United Arab Emirates is not a Trucial States flag, the flags of the individual member emirates still are. In

4838-1125: The front and one on the back. The lower right front plaque serves as the artist signature and is inscribed with: McQuarrie. The lower left plaque states who the foundry was: L. DE ROME FOUNDERS. The main plaque shows a grizzly bear standing on all fours on top of a shield with flags of the United States and California . The flags are crossed over each other. On the front of the base is inscribed: THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO COMMEMORATE THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG ON THIS SPOT ON JUNE 14 1846 BY THE BEAR FLAG PARTY AND THEIR DECLARATION OF THE FREEDOM OF CALIFORNIA FROM MEXICAN RULE. ON JULY 9 1846 THE BEAR FLAG WAS HAULED DOWN AND THE AMERICAN FLAG HERE RAISED IN ITS PLACE BY LIEUTENANT JOSEPH W. REVERE U.S.A. WHO WAS SENT TO SONOMA FROM SAN FRANCISCO BY COMMANDER JOHN B. MONTGOMERY OF THE U.S. SLOOP OF WAR "PORTSMOUTH FOLLOWING THE RAISING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG AT MONTEREY JULY 7 1846 BY COMMODORE JOHN DRAKE SLOAT. A founder's mark can also be seen on

4920-484: The idea of the 'mobile' flag in which an individual displays their particular flag of choice on their vehicle. These items are commonly referred to as car flags and are usually manufactured from high strength polyester material and are attached to a vehicle via a polypropylene pole and clip window attachment. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Ireland and the United Kingdom, a pair of red-yellow flags

5002-533: The inspiration behind the flag of Kenya , the flag of Malawi , the Flag of South Sudan and other historic flags such as the flag of Biafra . Independently, Marcus Garvey also created the Black Star Line , a shipping company between the United States and West Africa that transported many African-Americans to Africa and vice versa. The eponymous black star of the house flag of the company later became

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5084-565: The military. In some countries the civil flag is the same as the war flag or state flag , but without the coat of arms, such as in the case of Spain , and in others it is an alteration of the war flag. Several countries, including the Royal Air Force , British Army and the Royal Navy ( White Ensign ) of the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union have had unique flags flown by their armed forces separately, rather than

5166-501: The more recent Sultanate of Muscat and Oman , whose flags were both a plain field of red. Colours are normally described with common names, such as "red", but may be further specified using colourimetry . The largest flag flown from a flagpole worldwide, according to Guinness World Records, is the flag of the United Arab Emirates flown in Sharjah . This flag was 2,448.56 m (26,356.1 sq ft). The largest flag ever made

5248-610: The national ensign as their service ensign, following United States Navy practice. To distinguish themselves from ships of the Navy, such ships historically have flown their parent organisation's flag from a forward mast as a distinctive mark. Today, for example, commissioned ships of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fly the NOAA flag as a distinctive mark. Flags are usually rectangular in shape (often in

5330-449: The oldest national flag in continuous use, the flag of Denmark served as inspiration for other Nordic countries as they adopted theirs. Though the design is strongly associated with Nordic countries, cities and territories outside the region use this design. Greenland is the only Nordic region that does not use the Nordic cross. Flags with crescents are recorded as being used in the region of Middle East and North Africa as early as

5412-597: The pan-Arab flags is associated with a caliphate of Islam. White and black flags were used by the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties respectively. Although green is often identified as the color of the Fatimid dynasty by vexillological sources, that is not correct: their dynastic color was white. Green is now considered the color of Islam . Red was the color of the Hashemites . These colors were also described by

5494-437: The peak of the sailing age , beginning in the early 17th century, it was customary (and later a legal requirement) for ships to fly flags designating their nationality; these flags eventually evolved into the national flags and maritime flags of today. Flags also became the preferred means of communications at sea, resulting in various systems of flag signals; see, International maritime signal flags . Use of flags beyond

5576-444: The plaque. The plaque on the rear depicts the actual revolt, with men on horseback and on foot raising the bear flag. It is inscribed: THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG JUNE 14, 1846 The monument is located on the northeastern corner of the Sonoma Plaza . This is the presumed spot where the Bear Flag Revolt took place. Nearby the monument is another monument, a large boulder with a bronze plaque placed on it, that states that it

5658-403: The political movement. Every former Soviet state once flew red banners. All but Belarus, which simply removed the traditional communist hammer and sickle , has adopted a different flag since the fall of the Soviet Union . Similarly, the current flag of Mongolia removed the communist star from its flag in 1992, but kept all of the other elements. Trucial State flags are a flag family from

5740-459: The ratio 2:3, 1:2, or 3:5), but may be of any shape or size that is practical for flying, including square, triangular, or swallow tailed. A more unusual flag shape is that of the flag of Nepal , which is in the shape of two stacked triangles. Other unusually shaped flags include the civil flags of Ohio (a swallowtail ); Tampa, Florida ; and Pike County, Ohio . Many flags are dyed through and through to be inexpensive to manufacture, such that

5822-415: The reverse side is the mirror image of the obverse (front) side, generally the side displayed when, from the observer's point of view, the flag flies from pole-side left to right. This presents two possibilities: Some complex flag designs are not intended to be shown on both sides, requiring separate obverse and reverse sides if made correctly. In these cases there is a design element (usually text) which

5904-412: The rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. A national flag flown at sea is known as an ensign . A courteous, peaceable merchant ship or yacht customarily flies its ensign (in the usual ensign position), together with the flag of whatever nation it is currently visiting at the mast (known as a courtesy flag ). To fly one's ensign alone in foreign waters, a foreign port or in

5986-543: The southern and eastern coasts of the Persian Gulf . They consist of red flags with white stripes, cantons, or borders. Red is a traditional color of the Kharijite Muslims who lived in this region, and they historically used all-red banners. It was the British who added the white to the flags of the region. When the region became a British protectorate in 1820, the treaty drafted by the United Kingdom said

6068-514: The standard horizontal flag in central and eastern Europe, particularly in the German-speaking countries. This practice came about because the relatively brisk wind needed to display horizontal flags is not common in these countries. The standard horizontal flag (no. 1 in the preceding illustration) is nonetheless the form most often used even in these countries. The vertical flag (German: Hochformatflagge or Knatterflagge ; no. 2)

6150-406: The triband design may contain two identical colors, such as flags of Nigeria and Peru. A number of triband flags have a central band that is exactly twice the width of others, a design known as Spanish fess (horizontal) or Canadian pale (vertical). On some flags, this is not the central band, such as for Colombia or Rwanda . Flags in the pan-African family use a combination of some or all of

6232-556: The use of variations of the ensigns, especially the blue ensign. Of the original fifty-three independent nations in the British Commonwealth , all but four had the Union Jack on their flag. Forty-four have removed the Union Jack from their flags. The stars and stripes flag family is composed of flags of alternating stripes with a field in the hoist (often the canton) charged with an emblem (often, but not always,

6314-459: The yacht is not carrying cargo that requires a customs declaration. Carrying commercial cargo on a boat with a yacht ensign is deemed to be smuggling in many jurisdictions. Traditionally, a vessel flying under the courtesy flag of a specific nation, regardless of the vessel's country of registry, is considered to be operating under the law of her 'host' nation. There is a system of international maritime signal flags for numerals and letters of

6396-657: Was acquired by the state of California and the Native Sons of the Golden West as a tribute to the 68th anniversary of the bear flag being raised during the Bear Flag Revolt . Groundbreaking for the site took place on October 30, 1913. It was estimated that 500 members of the Native Sons of the Golden West were in attendance. After the groundbreaking, dinner was served by the Native Daughters of

6478-558: Was just the silk itself, later fashioned by people who had independently conceptualized a rectangular cloth attached to a pole. Flags were probably transmitted to Europe via the Muslim world , where plainly coloured flags were used due to Islamic proscriptions . They are often mentioned in the early history of Islam and may have been copied from India. In Europe, during the High Middle Ages , flags came to be used primarily as

6560-551: Was the Hawaiian Kingdom , and many other nations wanting to express ideals of liberty and democracy followed suit. Dutch and pan-Slavic colors are a family of flags, usually with red, white, and blue stripes, inspired by the Dutch and later Russian flags. The first flag of simple stripes were the livery colors of William I, Prince of Orange , used in the mid-16th century. These stripes of orange, white, and blue became

6642-539: Was the flag of Qatar ; the flag, which measures at 101,978 m (1,097,680 sq ft), was completed in December 2013 in Doha . The general parts of a flag are: canton (the upper inner section of the flag), field or ground (the entire flag except the canton), the hoist (the edge used to attach the flag to the hoist), and the fly (the furthest edge from the hoist end). Vertical flags are sometimes used in lieu of

6724-530: Was the flag of the Netherlands, which appeared during the 80-year Dutch rebellion which began in 1568 against Spanish domination. Political change and social reform, allied with a growing sense of nationhood among ordinary people, led to the creation of new nations and flags all over the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the most popular uses of a flag is to symbolise a nation or country . Some national flags have been particularly inspirational to other nations, countries, or subnational entities in

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