recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Pajeczanski County

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Pajeczno County is a county in the southern part of Lodz Voivodeship in Central Poland

It consists of the towns of Pajeczno and Dzialoszyn, plus a whole bunch of farmland

For about 150 years, there was a community of 700+ Jews living in Pajeczno. However, as I’m sure you can imagine, this story does not end well. In 1942, nearly all of them were sent to the Chelmno death camp

Former Everton player and Poland international Robert Warzycha comes from Pajeczno County and got his start with Dzialoszyn’s local club

In 2019, a man drunkenly drove a tank through the streets of Pajeczno

## Tournament

As the 489 seed, Pajeczanski County was defeated by Cuba in Round 2 Matchup 57 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Upper Nile.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (536) Upper Nile 6-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (24) Cuba 7-4
Liechtenstein

*"Please don't make me spell this again"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a microstate in the Alps

It speaks German as its primary language

It was formerly used as a tax haven, and it still has one of the world’s highest GDPs

At just 62 square miles, it is the smallest country to border more than one other country

It was declared a sovereign state in the Holy Roman Empire in 1719

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Liechtenstein is an Alpine microstate sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria

Originally, its flag was just a blue-red bicolor, but when the 1936 Olympics happened Liechtensteiners discovered Haiti, whose flag was identical to theirs. In order to avoid a potential Romania-Chad situation, the crown was added a year later

The origin story of the country of Liechtenstein is more complex, since it deals with the ever-straightforward Holy Roman Empire. Originally it was declared as a principality in the HRE, then Napoleon showed up and it was a vassal in the new not-Germany confederation, then a different confederation happened, and then it got independence after breaking off from THAT confederation. I hate Central European history so much, you guys

Liechtenstein holds a grudge against the Czechs and Slovaks due the post-WWII expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia. Diplomatic relations between Liechtenstein and the two countries were not established until 2009; the country also didn't recognize Slovakia until that same year

Despite its reputation for being really really rich, the country was actually almost broke after WWII. It followed the Monaco model (tax haven) to gain a whole lot of wealth, and it is only one of three countries in Europe to not have a tax treaty with the US

There is no maritime law in Liechtenstein since it's landlocked, its neighbors are landlocked, and registering a ship under the Liechtensteiner flag would result in thousands of pages of EU paperwork. That would be a headache, so the country has never bothered. Despite that, you can buy a 100-page book on Liechtenstein Maritime Law that is the above sentence followed by 99 blank pages

## Tournament

Liechtenstein was defeated by Uruguay in Round 1 Matchup 20 of FlagVote. As the 128 seed, it was defeated by Canada in Round 3 Matchup 1 of FlagVote 2. As the 346 seed, it was defeated by Kathmandu in Round 2 Matchup 176 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Berkshire.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (385) West Flanders 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (384) Brunei 5-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (1) Canada 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (679) Berkshire 9-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (167) Kathmandu 7-1
Madison

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Madison is the capital and second largest city in Wisconsin

As is depicted on the flag, the city is located on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona

It’s remarkably similar to Ann Arbor and a really good time to visit. Of course, it is home to and centered around the University of Wisconsin. Its main road is called State Street. Like Ann Arbor, Madison has a ton of parks. In fact, it has the most parks per capita of any large-ish city in America.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright grew up in Madison and went to college at Wisconsin. He designed a whole bunch of buildings in the city

Notable people from Madison include 3-time Stanley Cup winner Phil Kessel, tight end George Kittle, pitcher Pat Neshek, comedian Chris Farley, and the lead singer of 311

## Tournament

As the 136 seed, Madison was defeated by Colorado in Round 4 Matchup 9 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (377) Lara 10-0

**Round 3:** Win over (121) Albanian Navy 9-0

**Round 4:** Loss to (8) Colorado 7-2
Molossia

*"upside down sierra leone"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The "Republic of Molossia" is a "micronation" in Dayton, Nevada

Some guy named Kevin decided his house should be its own "country", even though he still pays "property tax" to the American "government"

For reasons that are hopefully obvious, no existing nation recognizes Molossian "sovereignty"

Molossia claims to be at "war" with East Germany; this war is "ongoing," despite the fact that the Deutsche Demokratische Republik has not existed since 1989

Molossian "currency" is tied to the value of Pillsbury cookie dough

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

The Republic of Molossia is a microstate and former dictatorship

It is founded and owned by Kevin, and its borders correspond with his 11-acre property in northern Nevada. Kevin is the unchallenged president of Molossia. Molossia celebrates President’s Day all through the month of June, culminating in a trip to Olive Garden on June 30th

Molossia claims to be at war with East Germany. This is because Kevin was in the military in his youth and blames the former state for his sleep deprivation. You can buy war bonds for 3 bucks each. Molossia has a navy which consists of five inflatable kayaks

In 2006, Kevin declared war against a country he made up called Mustachistan. He said that Mustachistan claimed the land that Molossia was on. After several imaginary battles, Mustachistan surrendered. I sure hope Kevin is doing alright

Kevin still pays taxes to the US government, claiming it to be foreign aid

You can visit Molossia, but only on certain days and if you email Kevin first

Molossia is not recognized by any member of the United Nations

## Tournament

As the 180 seed, Molossia was defeated by Norway in Round 4 Matchup 13 of FlagVote 2. As the 162 seed, it was defeated by Puerto Rico in Round 3 Matchup 72 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Cojedes.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (333) Soviet Lithuania 4-3

**Round 2:** Win over (77) Algeria 4-3

**Round 3:** Win over (205) Munster 5-2

**Round 4:** Loss to (13) Norway 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (351) Cojedes 8-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (95) Puerto Rico 6-4
Saint Maarten

*"that’s one ugly bird"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Sint Maarten is a Dutch territory in the Caribbean

It comprises the southern 40% of the island of Saint Martin, with the other half belonging to France

Its GDP is three times higher than its French counterpart

It was one of five constituents of the Dutch Antilles, before they broke up in 2010

The island was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017

No major leaguer has ever come from Sint Maarten, but Rafael Skeete reached AA for Baltimore and Milwaukee in the late 1980s

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Sint Maarten is the Dutch part of the island St. Martin, an island in the Lesser Antilles in the northeast Caribbean

The other part of the island is owned by the French government, meaning Sint Maarten technically shares a border with France

Christopher Columbus is believed to have given the island its English/French/Dutch name, only he actually was talking about Nevis when he did it. But since nobody could keep track of which Caribbean island was which, the name ended up making its way north to the island we're talking about now

Even though Dutch is the official language of Sint Maarten, it is only the fifth most commonly spoken language. Most people speak English, but Spanish, French, and Virgin Islands Creole are also more common

Sint Maarten is famous for having a beach very close to a runway on the island's airport. Arriving planes fly very low to this beach, and the strength of jet engine blasts will sometimes push tourists backward into the sea

## Tournament

Sint Maarten was defeated by Taiwan in Round 1 Matchup 106 of FlagVote. As the 338 seed, it was defeated by Sierra Leone in Round 1 Matchup 235 of FlagVote 2. As the 585 seed, it was defeated by Groningen in Round 1 Matchup 56 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (175) Sierra Leone 4-1
Jekabpils

*"Jacob’s Pills is so meh"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Jekabpils is a municipality in southeastern Latvia

Its name translates directly to “Castle of Jacob” after Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland

It is centered around and named after the city of Jekabpils. The neighboring city of Krustpils was absorbed into Jekabpils by the Soviets in 1962, but the two halves of the city retain their distinct character. There had been no bridge between the two until 1936, although a ferry across the water had existed for over 150 years at that point

A legend states that the town was founded when the Duke got lost on a hunting trip and spotted a lynx under a fir tree by the Daugava River. The city flag and coat of arms feature a lynx under a fir tree

The great Latvian poet hails from Jekabpils Municipality.

This flag was abolished in 2021 when the municipality was reorganized and expanded in size. There is currently no flag for the municipality

## Tournament

As the 359 seed, Jekabpils was defeated by Fukuoka in Round 2 Matchup 172 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Saint Barthelemy.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (666) Saint Barthelemy 8-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (154) Fukuoka 6-3
Maryland in the Style of Croatia

*"Holy shit I do not remember that Maryland flag being in the flagpoll but I am in love"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

This is an interpretation of the flag of Maryland stylized to look more Croatian

The flag was posted to the r/vexillology subreddit in August by reddit user u/newsovietunion

The post was upvoted over 500 times and earned widespread praise... as "widespread" as a niche reddit community can be

Where the "crown" in the Croatian flag uses the coat of arms of various Croatian regions, the Croatian Marylander flag uses these spots to display several state symbols

These symbols are, from left to right: state flower (black-eyed susan), state crustacean (blue crab), state insect (Baltimore checkerspot butterfly), and state disappointment (the Baltimore Orioles)

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

This is a flag of Maryland designed in the style of the flag of Croatia

It was designed by Reddit user /u/NewSovietUnion on August 21st 2019 for /r/vexillology. It received 561 upvotes. The top comment said “That actually looks amazing”

On the crown, it features the Maryland state symbols the Black Eyed Susan, the Blue Crab, the Checkerspot Butterfly, and the Baltimore Oriole

/u/NewSovietUnion was a regular Vexillology poster, with posts including flags of search engines, a US-Yugoslavia mashup, and a flag for bees. He has not posted on Reddit since early 2021

The National Federation of Croatians American Cultural Foundation held its 29th annual meeting last year in Baltimore. At the meeting, the inaugural class of the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame was announced, including such members as John Havlicek, Mickey Lolich, Joe Sakic, and Roger Maris Jr’s dad

You can fly roundtrip from Baltimore to Zagreb this November for $594. If that’s too expensive, there’s a Michelin Star Balkan restaurant in DC which gets a 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor

## Tournament

As the 223 seed, this flag was defeated by Trinidad and Tobago in Round 2 Matchup 124 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Bangladesh. As the 194 seed, it was defeated by Västergotland in Round 3 Matchup 67 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Chad.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (290) Bangladesh 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (34) Trinidad and Tobago 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (319) Chad 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (63) Västergotland 6-4
Moca

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Moca is a town in Puerto Rico, due north of Añasco

The name comes from the moca tree, also known as the cabbage tree. It is common in the area. The pink on the flag represents the tree’s flowers

Moca is famous for its brand of decorative handmade Mundillo lace

There have been reports of vampires in Moca since as early as the 1930s. The legend grew in 1975 when there were multiple strange sightings and reports of dead farm animals with bite marks in their necks

1300 homes in the town were destroyed in Hurricane Maria in 2017, and 75% of the town’s 30,000 residents were left without power

## Tournament

As the 534 seed, Moca was defeated by ESwatini in Round 1 Matchup 250 of FlagVote 3.
Soviet Lithuania

*"gotta vote for socialist christmas"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Soviet Lithuania**,** or the Lithuanian SSR, existed from 1940-1990.

In 1939, Lithuania was offered from Germany to the USSR in exchange for Polish territory.

Since 1946, its borders were almost exactly the same as the current Lithuanian borders.

The flag’s green and white stripes represent the country’s forests.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

In 1944 the Soviet Union re-occupied Lithuania, along with the other two Baltic states, as part of its offensive against Nazi Germany. They didn't leave until 1990

Like the other two Baltics, Lithuania had been independent prior to World War II, and as such it considers this five-decade long era to be an unlawful occupation and violation of their independence

Many countries in the Western Bloc also refused to recognize the legality of the Soviet annexation of Lithuania and the other two Baltics, including the United States, and you should too

Incidentally this policy of non-recognition is a major part of why the US has such a good relationship with Lithuania, and I'm sure it's a major factor in why the Lithuanians have strengthened relations with Taiwan in the 2020s

## Tournament

As the 333 seed, Soviet Lithuania was defeated by Molossia in Round 1 Matchup 102 of FlagVote 2. As the 459 seed, it was defeated by Macauin Round 2 Matchup 245 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Grenada.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (566) Grenada 6-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (54) Macau 8-2
Maryland County

*Not to be confused with Maryland*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Maryland County is the southeasternmost of Liberia’s 15 counties

It was originally founded as an independent country by freed slaves from Maryland

Maryland joined Liberia three years later in exchange for aid

The county was terrorized by ritual killings in the 1970s of high ranking public officials

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Maryland County is a county on the southeastern tip of Liberia

It existed independently as the Republic of Maryland for three years before joining the rest of Liberia in 1857

A 2007 documentary called Africa's Maryland focused on the county and its historical ties to the state of Maryland. It was produced by Baltimore's NBC affiliate

William V. S. Tubman, who was from Maryland County, was President of Liberia from 1944 to 1971. Tubman is considered the "father of modern Liberia" for the breadth and depth of socio-economic reforms he introduced to reconcile the Americo-Liberian elite with the nation's indigenous tribes

## Tournament

As the 498 seed, Maryland County was cleanly swept by Kyrgyzstan in Round 1 Matchup 225 of FlagVote 2. As the 740 seed, it was defeated by Meru County in Round 1 Matchup 75 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (285) Meru County 8-2
Jordan Poole

*"Important PSA: Jordan Poole is still the real 🐐"*

*--Max Brill*

**Jordan Poole** was a guard for the Michigan Men's Basketball Team from 2017-2019. In the M-SABR Slack, he was the namesake of a Slackbot command created by Cam Cain on 3-30-18. When someone would say "Poole," Slackbot would reply with a picture of Poole and his Michigan teammates celebrating after his game-winning shot against Houston in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The image would often quickly be deleted so as not to flood the chat, however sometimes it was kept. Its last usage was on 1-13-21 in #gallardocupdraft, when Sully mentioned Poole. It was deleted sometime between then and 3-18-21, when Yuki noticed it was missing.

Max and Theo's Dynasty Baseball team was previously named Jordan Poole.
New Ireland

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

New Ireland is a province in northeastern Papua New Guinea, consisting of the long skinny island of the same name and several smaller surrounding islands

Over its history it was previously known as Nova Hibernia, La Nouvelle France, and Neu-Mecklenburg when it was under British, French, and German control respectively. Australia took control of the island in 1914 and gave it its current name

Japan occupied the island during World War II, but they subsequently went back to Australian control until 1975 when Papua New Guinea declared independence

Malagan is a catch-all term for the ancient culture and practices on the island, including wood carvings, masks, and spiritual ceremonies. The masks are meant to capture the spirits of dead relatives

There are over 20 languages spoken on the island in an area the size of Cyprus

## Tournament

As the 410 seed, New Ireland was defeated by Donetsk Oblast in Round 2 Matchup 171 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Liberia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (615) Liberia 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (103) Donetsk Oblast 6-3
Sami

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This is the flag of the Sami people, the native people of Lapland in northern Scandinavia

They speak a variety of Uralic languages, which are closely related to Finnish

Many Sami people throughout their history have been semi-nomadic reindeer herders

The first mention of the Sami was by Roman scholar Tacitus in 98 AD. He called them Finns. Some centuries later, Swedes started using that term to refer to people from what is now Finland

There are between 60,000 and 110,000 Sami people in the worldThis flag was created in 1986 by Sami artist Astrid Båhl. The circle is a sun/moon image seen on traditional Sami drums

## Tournament

As the 148 seed, the Sami flag was defeated by Belgium in Round 3 Matchup 46 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating St. Asaph.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (365) St. Asaph 6-5
Kathiri

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Kathiri was a South Arabian sultanate in modern-day Yemen and Oman

It was established in the late 14th century, and was a major player in the Hadhramaut region of the Arabian Peninsula for several centuries following that

A British treaty resolving a dispute with the neighboring Qu'ati Sultanate (no relation to today's Kuwait) in 1918 left Kathiri landlocked and mostly toothless

Kathiri would remain a protectorate of Britain without formally joining South Arabia, but ceased to exist in 1967 upon joining the newly independent South Yemen

Mari bin Amude Alkatiri, the first Prime Minister of East Timor, can trace his lineage back to Kathiri immigrants

## Tournament

As the 428 seed, Kathiri was defeated by Uusimaa in Round 1 Matchup 87 of FlagVote 2. As the 533 seed, it was defeated by Pittsburgh in Round 1 Matchup 122 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (492) Pittsburgh 6-3
Ropazi

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

This was the flag of Ropazi Municipality from 2012-2021, and the flag of Ropazi Parish until 2009

Ropazi is a municipality in the northernmost Latvian region Vidzeme. It is home to under 7000 Latvians

The first historical mention of Ropazi was in 1205, when it was mentioned in the Livonian Chronicle of Henry

A neat lil stone castle was built in the town in 1320, but then it got destroyed in the 1600s

In the early 19th century, a professor flew from Riga to Ropazi in a hot air baloon; this flight was documented by a clergyman

## Tournament

As the 609 seed, Ropazi was defeated by Mauritius in Round 1 Matchup 11 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (416) Mauritius 10-1
Norfolk

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Norfolk is a county in eastern England, comprising of the top part of England’s butt

It is seen by the rest of England as a weird rustic hillbilly land with weird accents and lots of inbreeding. Essentially, it’s England’s Alabama

Like Alabama, Norfolk has some nice beaches. The town of Great Yarmouth is a classic seaside village with popular beaches

There’s a town in Norfolk called Fakenham, which is very real. It’s known for its corn

Notable people from Norfolk include singer James Blunt, Queen drummer Roger Taylor, King George VI, Princess Diana, and Olivia Colman

## Tournament

As the 437 seed, Norfolk was defeated by Puerto Rico in Round 1 Matchup 92 of FlagVote 2. As the 643 seed, it was defeated by Iran in Round 2 Matchup 196 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Laser Kiwi.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (76) Puerto Rico 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (382) Laser Kiwi 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (131) Iran 9-1

## Trivia

The flag of Norfolk Island was used as part of FlagVote. Instead of Norfolk Island, this flag was accidentally used in FlagPoll and has been used in all subsequent competitions.
Moldova

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Moldova is a nation in Eastern Europe

For much of its history it was part of the Principality of Moldavia, a satellite state of the Ottoman Empire. It then became part of the Soviet Union, and has basically had a long and complicated process to end up where it is now

It has the lowest GDP and HDI in all of Europe

The primary language in the country is Romanian

The national sport is trânta, a form of wrestling

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Moldova is an Eastern European country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine

It was a part of the recently eliminated Moldavia until being ceded to Russia in the 19th century and becoming known as Bessarabia. Then the Bolsheviks revolted and the region took the opportunity to become a part of Romania

That lasted about as long as the interwar period, because when Stalin allied with Hitler to annex Poland, he also figured he'd re-take Bessarabia while he was at it. That became known as the Moldavian SSR, which took the name Moldova in 1991

Today, Moldova is kinda going through it. They have among the lowest HDIs and GDPs in Europe, there's a permanent installation of Russian troops in the northeast of the country, and a couple months ago the entire Parliament resigned due in part to massive Russian interference operations in the country. They were granted EU candidate status last year so things could be looking up... eventually

There has also recently been a revived discussion of Moldova possibly unifying with Romania, and though the two countries are incredibly close it is unlikely that any unification will happen

Moldova is the country with the highest alcohol consumption per capita in the world. And with wine as good as theirs, it's easy to see why. The incredible fetească neagră grape only grows in Moldova and Romania, and in 2022 a Moldovan wine made from this grape was named the best wine in the world

## Tournament

Moldova was defeated by the United Kingdom in Round 1 Matchup 35 of FlagVote. As the 245 seed, it was defeated by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Round 2 Matchup 48 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating the Gadsden Flag. As the 184 seed, it was defeated by Phoenix in Round 3 Matchup 28 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the German Empire.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (268) Gadsden Flag 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (12) St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (329) German Empire 7-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (73) Phoenix 6-4
North Carolina

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

North Carolina is the 12th American state and the ninth largest by population

The city of Charlotte is the state’s largest. It is home to two major sports teams, several large banks, and Sahil Shah. The state’s second largest metropolitan area is Raleigh-Durham, home of one major sports team plus perhaps the most famous minor league team. It is nicknamed the Research Triangle as it is home to many major universities including UNC and Duke.

North Carolina has very diverse geography, from the Great Smoky Mountains in the west to the Piedmont plateau in the center to the Coastal Plain and Outer Banks in the east. The Ohio-native Wright Brothers chose the Outer Banks to fly the very first airplane due to the high winds and soft sand beaches

For much of its history, the North Carolina economy has revolved around tobacco, and it is still the top tobacco producing state. It is also the second leading producer of Christmas trees behind only Oregon. Michigan ranks third and Wyoming ranks last.

It is nicknamed the Tarheel State after its poor dirty 18th and 19th century laborers who worked producing tar. The name was embraced by the population following the Civil War

481 Major League baseball players come from North Carolina, including Luke Appling, Catfish Hunter, Madison Bumgarner, and the Seager brothers

## Tournament

As the 703 seed, North Carolina was defeated by Guyana in Round 1 Matchup 137 of FlagVote 3.
Jamaica

## Eulogy

Jamaica is a Caribbean island south of Cuba

It was briefly under Spanish rule until the Brits captured the island in the 17th century and controlled it until its independence in 1962

Since 2011, the Jamaican flag is the only national flag to not use red, white, or blue

The religion Rastafarianism originated in Jamaica. Rastafarians use marijuana as sacrament in their gatherings, and many believe that former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie was the Second Coming of Christ

Rastafarianism also deeply influenced the reggae music genre. The lion iconography Bob Marley used calls back to the royal Ethiopian flag

Many of the world's best sprinters are Jamaican, including Usain Bolt, who holds the 100 and 200 meter world records and has never lost an Olympic event, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has more Olympic medals than hyphenated names

Four MLB players have been born in Jamaica, most notably outfielder Devon White and slugger Chili Davis. Patriots strong safety Patrick Chung is Chinese-Jamaican: his mother Sophia George was a reggae artist and he lived in Kingston until age ten

## Tournament

Jamaica was defeated by Canada in Semifinal 1 of FlagVote, a matchup dubbed the CAN-JAM. As the 4 seed, Jamaica was defeated by Norway in Round 6 Matchup 4 of FlagVote 2

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Aruba 4-2

**Round 2:** Win over American Samoa 7-0

**Round 3:** Win over Argentina 7-0

**Round 4:** Win over Germany 5-1

**Round 5:** Win over Wales 5-2

**Quarterfinals:** Win over Mexico 6-1

**Semifinals:** Loss to Canada 5-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (509) River Gee County 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (260) Pearson Pennant 4-2

**Round 3:** Win over (132) Cordoba 6-1

**Round 4:** Win over (61) United Kingdom 5-2

**Round 5:** Win over (29) Yaroslavl Oblast 5-1

**Round 6:** Loss to (13) Norway 6-1
Obwalden

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Obwalden is a canton in the geographical center of Switzerland

For hundreds of years, it was joined with the canton of Niwalden to form the canton of Unterwalden

The canton is broken into two non-contiguous portions, separated by Niwalden.

As a “half-canton,” it has a smaller vote in nationwide matters

The town of Engelberg is home to Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest suspension bridge in Europe.

## Tournament

As the 640 seed, it was defeated by Portugal (old) in Round 1 Matchup 3 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (385) Portugal (old) 6-3
Pittsburgh

*"It's cool looking but it doesn't feel like a flag"*

*--Arby's voter Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

Pittsburgh is a city in Western Pennsylvania

Perhaps the rustiest of the rust belt cities, Pittsburgh is known as Steel City. Steel production began in the city in 1875 and grew rapidly. By 1910 it produced nearly half of the nation’s steel. This all dried up in the 1980s, but Pittsburgh is still doing alright, albeit smaller

The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet in Pittsburgh, combining to form the Ohio river. This normally isn’t how river naming works, but Pittsburgh loves its status as the Three Rivers city. There are 446 bridges in Pittsburgh, many of which are painted bright yellow.

The city’s official colors are black and yellow, as can be seen in the colors of their three professional sports teams. The colors are drawn from the coat of arms of William Pitt, and they can also be seen on this flag

Pittsburgh is a sister city of Gaziantep Turkey and Wuhan China, two cities that have faced large disasters in the past three years. Zagreb better keep its eyes open

Notable people from Pittsburgh, or Yinzers, include Gene Kelly, Gillian Jacobs, Billy Mays, Mac Miller, Dan Marino, Brandon Saad, and Mr. Rogers

## Tournament

As the 417 seed, Pittsburgh was defeated by Manhattan in Round 1 Matchup 12 of FlagVote 2. As the 492 seed, it was defeated by Kazakhstan in Round 2 Matchup 121 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Kathiri.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (533) Kathiri 6-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (21) Kazakhstan 10-1
Rivne Oblast

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Rivne Oblast is a province in Ukraine

It borders the nation of Belarus to its north

The largest city is Rivne, with about 250,000 people

It was originally a part of Poland until it became part of the Soviet Union prior to World War II

It is very rural and has one of the highest birth rates in Ukraine

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Rivnenshchyna, or Rivne Oblast, is a province in northern Ukraine

It was known as Rovno Oblast until 1992 due to the USSR's policy of "Russifying" Ukraine, imposing their language and changing many of their city's names (think Kyiv vs Kiev)

It was annexed by Poland from the Soviet Union after World War I, and then re-annexed by the USSR from Poland in World War II

One of the founders of the Solidarity labor movement in Poland was from Rivne, though it was Polish at the time of her birth and called Równe

The cross in the middle of the flag is the old coat of arms of the historical Volhynia region, which also consisted of parts of Belarus and Poland

## Tournament

As the 244 seed, Rivne Oblast was defeated by Norway in Round 2 Matchup 49 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Srednekolymsk. As the 398 seed, it was defeated by Vanuatu in Round 2 Matchup 211 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Lodz Voivodeship.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (269) Srednekolymsk 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (13) Norway 4-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (627) Lodz Voivodeship 6-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (115) Vanuatu 6-1
MS Paint Mississippi Flag Designs

*"Regretting not spelling it mißißippi"*

*--Andrew Beaudoin*

In early 2020, the state of Mississippi underwent a contest to design a new flag, as they faced pressure to replace the existing one which included Confederate imagery. On February 3rd of that year, #vexillology was making tier lists of state flags. Inspired by both of these things, Andrew decided to design his own Mississippi flag in Microsoft Paint, and Greg and Cam soon followed suit.

## Gallery

Andrew's Mississippi RedesignGreg's Mississippi RedesignCam's Mississippi RedesignAndrew and Cam react to Greg's redesign
South Carolina Navy

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

This was the flag of the South Carolinian Navy during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars

The first South Carolina navy was formed in 1775, when the state purchased and armed ships to help Georgia capture British vessels

Most of the ships that would have flown this flag were lost during the Siege of Charleston. Notably, the frigate South Carolina survived, though it was eventually captured by the Brits before the end of the war

South Carolina the ship was also involved in the capture of the Bahamas in 1782, though Nassau would be recaptured by Loyalists a year later. If that hadn't happened, maybe we'd have the Bahamas as our 51st state, and then we wouldn't have been able to vote on their great flag in FlagVote

South Carolina the state also had its own navy during the Civil War. It was distinct from the Confederate Navy but lost all the same

## Tournament

As the 491 seed, the South Carolina Navy was defeated by Tokyo in Round 1 Matchup 176 of FlagVote 2. As the 765 seed, it was cleanly swept by Peoria in Round 1 Matchup 67 of FlagVote 3.
Lesotho

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Lesotho (pronounced le-SOO-too) is a nation in Southern Africa

It is enclaved entirely within South Africa, 80 miles southeast of Bloemfontein, and it is the only enclaved country outside of Italy

It was a British colony and known as Basutoland until declaring independence in 1966

   Its capital and largest city Maseru is just under a mile high in elevation. Denver is unimpressed

The depiction of Wakanda from Black Panther was inspired by Lesotho according to director Ryan Coogler

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Lesotho is the only enclaved country in the world that isn't located in Italy

Like neighboring South Africa, it was a British colony. It was originally a part of the Cape Colony that would later form the southern tip of South Africa, but that administration was so unpopular that Queen Victoria had to assume direct authority. This is presumably why it's still its own country today

Thabana Ntlenyana, the tallest mountain in southern Africa, is in eastern Lesotho

There is a small annexation movement within the country due to its struggles with weak currency, unemployment, and widespread HIV. The African Union is in favor of an economic union between Lesotho and South Africa but has stopped short of recommending a full political union

The Border Tribe in the Black Panther movies wear Basotho blankets, a traditional and ceremonial covering in the country. As a result the blankets have enjoyed an increase in popularity following the film's release

## Tournament

Lesotho was defeated by Greenland in Round 1 Matchup 2 of FlagVote. As the 238 seed, it was defeated by Thailand (19th Century) in Round 1 Matchup 146 of FlagVote 2. As the 372 seed, it was defeated by Burlington in Round 2 Matchup 84 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Somaliland.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (275) Thailand (19th Century) 5-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (653) Somaliland 7-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (141) Burlington 7-4
Kirkcudbrightshire

*"Kirkcousinshire?"*

*"can't be kirkcousinshire because it won a matchup in primetime"*

-*Zach Betron & Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Kirkcudbrightshire (pronounced kur-KOO-bri-sure) is a historic county in southern Scotland, although it doesn’t have any power now

The name comes from old Celtic and means “shire of the church of St. Cuthbert”

Though it is in the lowlands, the county has many granite hills. The lowlands are mostly glacial

American navy captain and Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones is from Kirkcudbrightshire originally

The flag features St. Cuthbert’s cross and resembles a checkered cloth used by the Lords of Galloway in Kirkcudbrightshire in the Middle Ages

## Tournament

As the 146 seed, Kirkcudbrightshire was defeated by Tocantins in Round 3 Matchup 78 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Kazakh Khanate.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (367) Kazakh Khanate 10-1

**Round 3:** Loss to (111) Tocantins 7-4

## Gallery

Kirkcudbrightshire-Tocantins mashupKirkantins with blue cornerKirkgegcantins for some reason
Khust

*"wait jack cust was on the mariners?"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Khust Raion is a district in Transcarpathian Oblast in Ukraine

It is known for its wooden churches and medieval castles

The region was under Hungarian control until it was annexed by the Soviet Union after World War 2

The city of Khust is Khust’s largest city. The origin of Khust’s name is unknown, although a popular fairy tale states that a demon was walking through the town and fell and landed on his tail. He yelled “Hvust” in pain, which translates to “Tail.” However, another demon misheard “Khust,” and so the town was named. Weird story.

The inventor of the combine harvester was born in Khust Raion

## Tournament

As the 541 seed, Khust was defeated by Choszczenski County in Round 1 Matchup 74 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (484) Choszczenski County 6-4
Melekeok

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Melekeok is a state on the east coast of Palau's Babeldob Island

As of the 2020 census, 318 people live there

Palau's capital, Ngerulmud, is also there. Incidentally, Ngerulmud is the least populous national capital in the world

Lake Ngardok, the only freshwater lake in either Palau or Micronesia, is in Melekeok

The birdy in the flag is known as the Palauan money bird. It is a Palauan symbol that according to legend laid money beads instead of eggs

## Tournament

As the 436 seed, Melekeok was defeated by Midway Islands in Round 2 Matchup 87 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (589) Jewish Autonomous Oblast 9-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (77) Midway Islands 6-5
Nunavut

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Nunavut is the largest, northernmost, and newest territory of Canada

It was split from the Northwest Territories in 1999 and given to the Inuit people for independent government. 85% of the territory’s population is Inuit. Nunavut is one of the least densely populated places in the world. Fewer than 37,000 people live in an area roughly the size of Mexico

The flag depicts a red inuksuk, a traditional Inuit monument and marker. It also shows the North Star.

The town of Alert is the world’s northernmost inhabited place. Since the late 90s there isn’t a permanent population, but there are scientists there year round working in 6-month shifts. It is located on the northern tip of Ellsmere Island, some 82.5 degrees north. It has midnight sun for 5 months of the year and no sunlight for another 5 months

Former Predators forward Jordan Tootoo is the only NHL player from Nunavut, and he was the first Inuk ever to play in the NHL

## Tournament

As the 353 seed, Nunavut was defeated by Tennessee in Round 1 Matchup 14 of FlagVote 2. As the 645 seed, it was defeated by Orlando in Round 2 Matchup 100 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Benin Empire.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (380) Benin Empire 6-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (133) Orlando 8-3
Jewish Autonomous Oblast

*"the jewish autonomous oblast being eliminated on yom kippur feels ironic"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Jewish Autonomous Oblast is an oblast in far eastern Russia bordering China

Per Russia’s constitution, it is Russia’s only autonomous oblast. This means that it does not have any local legislature

The idea was created by Lenin in 1924 as a designated place to put all the Jews in the Soviet Union. Stalin followed through with the idea upon his rise to power and chose this region in hopes of building a larger population in eastern Russia in places being heavily attacked by China

Just shy of 50% of the initial settlers left within the first 6 months after heavy flooding followed by an anthrax outbreak. Despite constant pressure to move there, the Jewish population in the oblast never surpassed 25%, and today just 0.2% of the Jewish Oblast population is actually Jewish

The oblast’s largest city is Birobidzhan, which has an official language of Yiddish despite, again, having a Jewish population smaller than this channel

## Tournament

As the 589 seed, Jewish Autonomous Oblast was defeated by Melekeok in Round 1 of FlagVote 3.
North Macedonia

*Not to be confused with Greek Macedonia or Ethnic Macedonians*

*"Everybody loves Macedonia!" "except greeks. and bulgarians. and albanians. and some serbs." "Almost everyone loves Macedonia!"*

*--Gregory Severin & Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy

The Republic of North Macedonia is a country in the Southeast Balkans

Macedonian history is a sticky topic, as a lot of the national symbols they claim come from Greek, Serbian, or Bulgarian history

A classic example of this was the neoclassical monument of Alexander the Great in Skopje: Alexander is from the Macedonian region of Greece, so the Macedonians couldn't actually name their "Equestrian warrior" after him

Immediately post-independence, the Macedonian flag was a symbol appearing in Ancient Greek art; the Greeks complained, and it was changed to the quite stellar flag it is today

The Greeks also took umbrage to the country's name, insisting that it be referred to as FYR Macedonia instead of "Republic of Macedonia." A July 2019 agreement between the two nations resolved the dispute by changing the name to what it is today

I don't know what else to say here but that Macedonia is a weird place. The wars in the 1990s didn't affect them as badly as the rest of Yugoslavia but it's one of the most nationalist parts of Europe now. If you want to know more, watch Before the Rain or wait until I write my thesis. It's gonna be one hell of a quarterfinal

## Tournament

North Macedonia was defeated by Canada in Quarterfinal 1 of FlagVote. As the 2 seed, it was defeated by Hong Kong in Round 6 Matchup 8 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Ecuador 3-1

**Round 2:** Win over Montenegro 4-3

**Round 3:** Win over Bahamas 4-3

**Round 4:** Win over Morocco 6-1

**Round 5:** Win over Scotland 6-1

**Quarterfinals:** Loss to Canada 4-3

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (511) New Mexico (1915-1925) 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (258) Essex 3-2

**Round 3:** Win over (127) England 7-0

**Round 4:** Win over (63) Germany 4-1

**Round 5:** Win over (31) Kenya 4-2

**Round 6:** Loss to (18) Hong Kong 4-3
Oakland

*"death, taxes, and the oakland a's being inexplicably better than they should"*

--Gregory Severin

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Oakland is the 8th largest city in California and the largest in the East Bay

Many San Francisco residents migrated to Oakland after the earthquake of 1906

Recently, three professional sports teams played in Oakland. But once the Raiders move to Las Vegas only the A’s will be left

   In 2013, something called Movoto named Oakland the most exciting city in America

Several MLB players have come from Oakland, including Curt Flood, Rickey Henderson, Ernie Lombardi, and Frank Robinson

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Oakland is a city in the California Bay Area

The city's original name was Encinar, a Spanish word that literally means "land with oak trees"

The Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland by two students at Merrit College

A 2000 study found that Oakland had the third-highest concentration of same-sex couples in the US, after Seattle and San Francisco

Oakland has been hemorrhaging sports teams in recent years, losing the Warriors to San Francisco and the Raiders (and soon the A's, probably) to Las Vegas in the past couple years. They did just get an ultimate frisbee team though, so things aren't all bad

Notable people from Oakland include pitchers Dennis Eckersley and Dontrelle Willis, director Clint Eastwood, rapper MC Hammer, Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch, and Frank Oz, meaning Miss Piggy and Yoda are technically also from Oakland

## Tournament

As the 477 seed, Oakland was defeated by Åland in Round 1 Matchup 120 of FlagVote 2. As the 674 seed, it was defeated by Cojedes in Round 1 Matchup 145 of FlagVote 3.
Mordovia

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Mordovia is a republic of Russia

About a third of the 800,000 people lives in the city of Saransk, which has a flag worth checking out

The symbol on the flag is supposed to be the sun, with the four divisions representing the four Mordvin tribes

Saransk hosted four games at the 2018 World Cup, including a thrilling 1-1 Portugal - Iran draw in which Iran tied the game on a penalty kick in the 93rd minute

Mordovians have been notoriously good at the sport of race-walking, and they hosted the sport’s world cup in 2012

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Mordovia is a federal republic in eastern Russia

It is named after the Mordvin people. They were under Mongol rule before coming under the Kazan Khanate and later the Russian Empire

The Mordvins traditionally practiced shamanist religions before Russia converted them to orthodox christianity

Mordovia’s largest city is Saransk, with a population over 300,000. Saransk hosted 4 matchups in the 2018 World Cup, including Japan’s shocking upset of Colombia

Mordovia is notorious for having particularly harsh prisons

Mordovia is home to some of the world’s finest racewalkers. Sergey Kirdyapkin and Elena Lashmanova won 2012 gold in the 50km and 20km racewalks respectively. However, both had their medals stripped due to doping violations

## Tournament

As the 172 seed, Mordovia was defeated by Sweden in Round 3 Matchup 22 of FlagVote 2. As the 75 seed, it was defeated by South Carolina in Round 3 Matchup 124 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Baden-Wurttemberg.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (341) Guinea-Bissau 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (85) Uusimaa 4-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (44) Sweden 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (587) Baden-Wurttemberg 7-1

**Round 3:** Loss to (182) South Carolina 7-4