Cyprus

The flag of Cyprus is white with a copper-yellow polygon map of Cyprus, just above the center of the flag. Underneath the map are two green stylized olive branches, crossed.
==Symbolism==
The flag has a copper outline of the nation with a white background, the olive branches, that are native to the island represent peace. The copper color represents the etymology of the name Cyprus. According to one of the versions it comes from an Eteocypriot word for copper. The flag's colors are borrowed from the Cypriot coat of arms.
==History==
Upon gaining independence, Cyprus adopted a new flag designed to have a "neutral design and color," as stipulated by the constitution. This meant avoiding the use of blue or red—the colors of the Greek and Turkish flags—as well as excluding symbols like the cross or crescent.
The initial proposal by the former British colonial administration featured a rust-brown "K" on a white background. However, this design was rejected by President Makarios III and Vice President Fazıl Küçük, who favored a flag designed by İsmet Güney, a Turkish Cypriot artist.
The August 1960 design featured a copper-colored map (Pantone 144-C), olive-green olive branches (Pantone 336-C), and a white background with a 3:5 ratio. In April 2006, the design was updated: the olive branches were slightly reshaped, their color changed to Pantone 574, the map's copper tone adjusted to Pantone 1385, and the flag's ratio revised to 3:2.Flag of Cyprus on presidency.gov.cy
Despite these official specifications, flags produced in Cyprus often deviate in terms of map size and colors. In October 2005, the government announced measures to ensure that only flags meeting official standards would be produced.
Under the Cypriot constitution, the national flag may be flown by state institutions, public corporations, and citizens alike.
==Proposed national flags==
Under the terms of the Annan Plan for Cyprus, a UN proposal to settle the Cyprus dispute, a new national flag (and national anthem) would have been adopted. A competition was announced and the UN collected over 1000 proposals until 17 February 2003. Some of these proposals have been shown on the BBC News website.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2703429.stm
==Trivia==
*The flag of Cyprus is 1 of 3 flags to display a map, the others being Kosovo and the Antarctic Treaty System.
==External link==
*CyprusFlag.net
==References==
Category:White background
Category:Cyprus
Category:Asia
Category:Maps
Category:Proportions 2-3
Category:Europe
Category:United Nations
Category:Orange
Category:Green
Category:Middle East