recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Timor Leste

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is an island nation in Southeast Asia

It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, which it shares with Indonesia

It was colonized by Portugal before gaining its independence in 1975. Nine days later it was invaded by Indonesia and became its colony until 2001

It is the only Asian country completely in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of just two that are predominantly Christian, along with the Philippines

It has an exclave on the Indonesian side of the island called Oecusse

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

East Timor, officially known as Timor-Leste, is a Montenegro-sized island nation north of Australia

It comprises the east half of the island of Timor; the western half is part of Indonesia. It also has a small exclave called Oceusse on the eastern half of the island

After achieving independence from Portugal, East Timor was occupied by Indonesia from 1975 until 1999. Under Indonesian rule, the Timorese people were brutally and violently oppressed

It gained independence from Indonesia in 2002, making it the first sovereign state to achieve independence of the 21st century. Current president Jose Ramos-Huerta, who has been president on two non-consecutive occasions, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his work toward ending the conflict

Timor comes from the Malay word Timur meaning east. So East Timor means East East

## Tournament

Timor-Leste was defeated by Amsterdam in Round 1 Matchup 114 of FlagVote. As the 156 seed, it was defeated by Fukuoka in Round 2 Matchup 39 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Mali. As the 126 seed, it was defeated by Iran in Round 3 Matchup 98 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Cabañas.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (357) Mali 7-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (101) Fukuoka 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (387) Cabañas 7-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (131) Iran 6-3
Magdalena

*"i know i’m going down with this ship but i want star^2 to know it’s loved and appreciated"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Magdalena is a department in northern Colombia

The province takes its name from the Magdalena River flowing nearly 1000 miles south to north through Colombia, which in turn takes its name from Mary Magdalene

The northeastern part of the department is dominated by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an absolutely insane mountain range that I can’t believe I’d never heard of. They hit an elevation of 18,700 feet just 26 miles away from the Caribbean Sea, by far the highest mountains anywhere in the tropics. The mountains are completely separate from the Andes and surrounded on all sides by sub-200 meter high land.

The smaller stars forming one larger star symbolize the 30 municipalities forming one Magdalena. I think it’s a lovely sentiment

## Tournament

As the 456 seed, Magdalena was cleanly swept by Denver in Round 1 Matchup 57 of FlagVote 2. As the 711 seed, it was defeated by Prussia in Round 1 Matchup 167 of FlagVote 3.
Upper Nile

*"a swift exit for diet guam"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Upper Nile is the northernmost state in South Sudan

As the name would suggest, the White Nile flows through the state

The Fashoda Incident, an international crisis which effectively ended the Scramble for Africa, took place in what is now the state of Upper Nile. French imperialist forces made an expedition to the region to take it away from British imperialist forces, who were allied with Egypt. The British forces held strong, and treaties were signed between the two countries. The people to whom the land actually belonged could not be reached for comment

Flash floods heavily damaged the state in July of 2007

The region exchanged hands no fewer than 12 times during the Sudanese Civil War

Sayed Abdel Gadir, a boxer who competed for Sudan at the 1960 and 1968 Olympics, comes from the state capital of Malakal

## Tournament

As the 536 seed, Upper Nile was defeated by Pajeczanski County in Round 1 Matchup 58 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (489) Pajeczanski County 6-2
Mapuche

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Mapuche are an indigenous group that lives primarily in southern Chile but also a little bit of Argentina

They have a total population of about 1.9 million and comprise 8% of Chile’s population

This flag specifically is for Mapuche in Argentina. It also represents the Tehuelche people, who were originally nomadic but were influenced by the Mapuche in the 19th century and adopted their lifestyle.

## Tournament

As the 253 seed, this flag was defeated by North Macedonia in Round 3 Matchup 33 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Peoria.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (260) Peoria 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (4) North Macedonia 10-0
Yugoslavia

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia existed from the end of WWII to 1992

It consisted of the modern-day Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia

For over 35 years it was led by the beloved war hero Josip Broz, better known as Tito

Tito's Partisans were the only WWII resistance movement to bash the fascists without help from an Allied Power, granting Tito a substantial degree of independence from Soviet control that other socialist nations could not enjoy

Yugoslavia founded the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, enjoying good relations with both NATO and Warsaw Pact countries

Tito's death in 1980 started a cycle of massive debt and inflation that eventually led to the country's breakup, several bloody wars, and the introduction of the term "ethnic cleansing" into the modern political lexicon

Yugoslavia was succeeded by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which changed its name to the State Union of Serbia & Montenegro in 2003 and broke up in 2006

I'm going to or have already included photos of all these nations, so here's a photo of Tito instead

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Yugoslavia is a former European country in the Balkans

It came into existence as a kingdom after World War I and consisted of a bunch of those countries near Bosnia. Following the second World War, a socialist government was established

It was led for a long time by Tito, who seemed to keep things in check. When he died in 1980, everything quickly fell apart as everyone realized they all hated each other. Several genocides later, the Balkans were Balkanized into a bunch of different countries

During the Cold War, Yugoslavia remained unaligned, which really pissed off Stalin. Unlike the Soviet Union, non-nationalist art and literature flourished in Yugoslavia during the Tito years

One of the main issues throughout Yugoslav history was Serbia trying to use its might and gain more power within Yugoslavia, which other ethnic groups in the country did not like. Serbia responded by trying to rid the world of Bosniaks and Croats. After the nation broke up, modern-day Serbia and Montenegro got to keep the name Yugoslavia for a little while

Yugoslavia twice made the semifinals of the World Cup, and they won a whole host of Olympic medals. 5 NHL players were born in Yugoslavia, most notably Slovenian great Anze Kopitar

## Tournament

As the 170 seed, Yugoslavia was defeated by Indianapolis in Round 2 Matchup 107 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Novosibirsk. As the 198 seed, it was defeated by Slovakanada in Round 3 Matchup 115 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating England.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (343) Novosibirsk 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (87) Indianapolis 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (315) England 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (59) Slovakanada 10-1
Wichita

*"some sort of forced perspective where i'm falling through a cylinder"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Wichita is the largest city in the state of Kansas

It has a population just shy of 400,000

It is a major hub of aircraft manufacturing, so much so that it is known as the Air Capital of the World

For the 2020 season the AAA New Orleans Baby Cakes will be moving to Wichita

24 major leaguers were born in Wichita. Among them, the WAR leader is 1950s-60s infielder Daryl Spencer, who was worth 13.6 WAR

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Wichita is not the capital of Kansas, but it is its largest city

Its nicknames range from "The Air Capital of the World" for all the aircraft companies founded there in the early 20th century to "Cowtown", which I think needs no explanation

Wyatt Earp briefly lived in Wichita, and he spent a year there on the police force. His philandering (he may or may not have been a pimp) and recklessness (he liked to fight with his boss's political rivals) made him no friends in the town and he eventually got the hell out of Dodge. Wait that's not right. He got the hell out of *Wichita*, and *towards* Dodge? That's not how the quote goes

In addition to Wichita State University (which, shocker, has one of the winningest baseball programs in the NCAA since the nineties), the city is also home to Friends University, which I'm assuming is Quaker or something but it's funny to imagine it's a place you go to learn that the TV Guide that comes to Joey's apartment is addressed to Miss Chanandler Bong

The Twins' Double-A affiliate is the Wichita Wind Surge. Originally they were supposed to be the Marlins' Triple-A team but that was in 2020, so plans had to change

Famous people from Wichita include actress/scientologist/masked singer Kirstie Alley, the brothers who invented Pizza Hut, the Koch brothers (who did not invent Pizza Hut but we'd all be better off if they worked in pizza instead of politics), and arguably the greatest running back of all time: Gale Sayers!

I'm sorry Lions fans, I had to make that joke. Barry Sanders is, of course, also from Wichita

## Tournament

As the 301 seed, Wichita was defeated by Finland in Round 2 Matchup 53 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Kurdistan. As the 192 seed, it was defeated by Gloucestershire in Round 3 Matchup 4 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Gambia.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (212) Kurdistan 7-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (45) Finland 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (321) Gambia 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (65) Gloucestershire 8-1
Yemen

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Republic of Yemen is a country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula

The northern part of the country became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1800 while the southern part became part of the British empire. The northern part became a separate kingdom once its colonial overlords ceased to exist, while the Southern part remained British before declaring independence, becoming communist, and eventually uniting with North Yemen in 1990 to become one big Yemen

Yemen has been in constant political crisis since about 2011, and it’s only escalated in recent years. I’d learn more about it, but I’m currently watchin hockee

The northern part of the country is in the volcanic Sarawat Mountains. Jabal Hadhur is the highest peak on the entire Arabian peninsula

Yemen is currently ranked the highest in the Fragile States Index, which i assume is exactly what it sounds like. For those curious, Finland is ranked last, which is best, and the United States is 140th, between Panama and Barbados

Camel jumping is one of Yemen’s most popular sports. In camel jumping, competitors jump over camels, It’s kinda entertaining to watch

## Tournament

Yemen was defeated by New Zealand in Round 1 Matchup 116 of FlagVote. As the 368 seed, it was defeated by the Canary Islands in Round 1 Matchup 19 of FlagVote 2. As the 462 seed, it was defeated by Indianapolis in Round 2 Matchup 213 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Wiltshire.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (145) Canary Islands 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1;** Win over (563) Wiltshire 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (51) Indianapolis 7-1
Volgograd Oblast

*"aw look at her. she's so proud to be russian. look at her big ol sword"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Volgograd Oblast is an oblast in southeastern Russia

It was formerly known as Stalingrad Oblast until 1961, when it was renamed after the Volga River

Due to its location on not just the Volga but also the Don River, lots of shipping goes through Volgograd Oblast. Lots of hydroelectricity is generated on the rivers as well

The city of Volgograd, also formerly Stalingrad, is the largest in the oblast and 16th largest in all of Russia. Evgeni Plushenko, that Draco Malfoy lookin figure skater, grew up there. It is also a sister city of Cleveland.

Volgograd was the site of the World War I Battle of Stalingrad, a 5 month bloodbath which was a major turning point of the War in favor of the Allies.

The lady on the flag is a depiction of the statue The Motherland Calls, designed in 2000 in remembrance of the Battle of Stalingrad. At 279 feet, it is the tallest statue in all of Europe. For reference, it is slightly smaller than the Statue of Liberty if you include the pedestal and over 120 feet taller of a woman than she is

## Tournament

As the 353 seed, Volgograd Oblast was defeated by Anadyr in Round 2 Matchup 12 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Maldives.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (672) Maldives 6-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (160) Anadyr 7-4
Turkmenistan

*"Smh no mention of gurbanguly berdimuhamedov"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Turkmenistan is a sparsely populated country in Central Europe (*sic*)

The former city of Merv was an important stop on the Silk Road

The country provided its citizens free electricity, water, and natural gas from 1993 to 2017

The Darvaza gas crater, also known as the Gates of Hell, is a burning natural gas field in the center of the country. Soviet geologists intentionally burned it in 1971 in order to prevent the release of dangerous gases, but it has been burning continuously ever since

The flag depicts a Turkmen carpet design

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country bordering the Caspian Sea

There exists a debate over whether the Türkmen- prefix means "almost Turks" or "pure Turks," which feels like a pretty important distinction

The Turkmen city of Merv was once the largest in the world in the 1100s or so due to its location on the Silk Road. Then the Mongols came in and ruined it

Outside of being a part of the Seljuk and Achaemenid Empires, Turkmens were the controlling power in the Khiva Khanate, the 19th century contemporary of the Emirate of Bukhara

Since its independence in 1991, Turkmenistan has been locked in the stranglehold of some very weird cults of personality. Saparmyrat Nyyazow, considered the Kim Il-Sung of Turkmenistan, actually held power in the country since before the USSR fell apart. Among the things he did was rename all the months, including naming one after his mother

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow stepped in following Nyyazow's death in 2006, and he continued to be very, very weird. Sully will link the John Oliver video after this eulogy's over, I'm sure. Last year his son Serdar has succeeded him as president, but he still has a substantial amount of power in the country

About 15000 tourists visit Turkmenistan each year, mostly to visit Merv and a few other UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Door to Hell, a gas crater that's been on fire for over 50 years, was another popular tourist destination, but the government decided to close it last year

## Tournament

Turkmenistan was defeated by Eritrea in Round 1 Matchup 38 of FlagVote. As the 367 seed, it was defeated by Namibia in Round 1 Matchup 238 of FlagVote 2. As the 546 seed, it was defeated by the Byzantine Imperial Banner in Round 2 Matchup 141 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Sealand.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (479) Sealand 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (34) Byzantine Imperial Banner 6-5
Les Pyjamasques et Utupë, l'esprit de la forêt

***Les Pyjamasques et Utupë, l'esprit de la forêt*** (англ. The PJ Masks и Utupë, дух леса) — пятая книга *Les Pyjamasques* , опубликованная издательством Éditions Gallimard 25 сентября 2008 года .

## Официальное резюме

*В форме статуэтки Утупе , дух леса, сбегает из музея ! Он хочет вернуться в свой лес с тысячелетними деревьями, на другой конец Земли. Но как идти? Он теряется на улицах Тарабисковиля . К счастью, Les Pyjamasques поможет ему.*

## Персонажи

* Йо Йо
* Бибу
* Глуглу
* Утупэ (первое появление)
* Агент Пин (дебют)
* Агент Пон (дебют)
* Лилифе (краткое появление)

## Мелочи

* Выясняется, что город, в котором живут Les Pyjamasques, известен как Tarabiscoville, хотя в мультсериале PJ *Masks ему не дали этого названия.*
* Это второе появление Ile Imaginaire .
* Несмотря на то, что серия книг предназначена для детей, эта книга содержит ссылки на насилие и смерть, такие как агент Пин и агент Пон, угрожающие застрелить Леса Пижамаска «без предупреждения», и Ле Пижамаск, думающий, что Утупэ предположительно мертв после того, как сбежал из грузовика, который пытался раздавить их.
	+ В сериале также упоминаются обе темы в « Горном узнике » и « Маскировке Ромео » соответственно.
* Выясняется, что книга ломает четвертую стену, поскольку на одной странице книги изображены агент Пин и агент Пон возле здания библиотеки, где хранятся книги *Les Pyjamasques au zoo* и *Les Pyjamasques et Lilifée* , которые видны в неясном виде.
	+ Мало того, что это ломает четвертую стену, но есть вероятность того, что во вселенной книжки с картинками будет больше людей, знающих о Les Pyjamasques, чем о PJ Masks .
Western Sahara

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Western Sahara is a territory in Northern Africa

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is the name of the self-declared state, although Morocco claims it as a territory

It declared itself a republic in 1976, although only 42 countries recognize it

It is not an official UN state, but it is a member of the African Union

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Western Sahara is a disputed territory in the western Mahgreb region

It is mostly controlled by Morocco, but claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, who use this flag. At present, the SADR controls about a quarter of Western Sahara

The territory was occupied by Spain as "Spanish Sahara" until 1976, when it was relinquished into the joint control of Mauritania and Morocco. One day after the Spanish left, the SADR was proclaimed and a lil war broke out between it and Morocco

About 45 countries recognize the SADR, most of them in Africa or Latin America. South Ossetia also recognizes the SADR, but that recognition is practically worthless

No country formally recognized Moroccan control over Western Sahara until 2020, when the US did so in exchange for Morocco normalizing its relations with Israel. That makes this vote the second serious setback Israel has given Western Sahara in three years

## Tournament

Western Sahara was defeated by India in Round 1 Matchup 63 of FlagVote. As the 362 seed, it was defeated by Austria in Round 1 Matchup 211 of FlagVote 2. As the 413 seed, it was defeated by Israel in Round 2 Matchup 75 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Catalonia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (612) Catalonia 9-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (100) Israel 9-1
La Légende des Pyjamasques (легенда)

**La Légende des Pyjamasques** — это легенда происхождения, рассказанная в одноименной книге.

## История

Легенда сосредоточена на самих Les Pyjamasques и на том, как они восстановили свою легенду из Sorceline.

Согласно одноименной книге, легенда повествует о том, что каждый ребенок связан с тотемом -животным и что по ночам эти животные являются детям во сне, чтобы подарить им волшебные дары. Однажды колдунья Сорселина решила завладеть их силами. Она захватила в густом облаке насекомых всех животных-тотемов. Дети закончили тем, что забыли их до тех пор, пока не перестали видеть сны.

Однако однажды ночью из тучи насекомых вырвались три животных-тотема! Обещали вернуться с «отважными героями», чтобы всех освободить. Колдунья в ярости поразила их своей молнией. Они успели сбежать на Землю и упали «сегодня» на троих малолетних детей! Ни самый сильный, ни самый храбрый, может быть, даже самый неуклюжий, но уж точно самый дружелюбный.

Легенда может быть возрождена, если им удастся освободить тотемы животных, чтобы позволить детям снова мечтать и заманить Колдунью и ее густое облако насекомых в ее волшебный мешок .
Zanzibar

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Zanzibar is an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania

It was colonized by the Portuguese in 1498 but 200 years later came under the rule of the Sultanate of Oman. In the mid 1800s, the Sultan moved Oman’s capital from mainland Oman to Zanzibar for some reason. Upon his death, the kingdom was split in two. It soon came under British rule.

In 1964, Zanzibar merged with the mainland African country of Tanganyika to form the new nation of Tanzania.

To this day, Zanzibar is 99% Muslim, while mainland Tanzania is majority Christian.

Famed musician Farrokh Bulsara was born in Zanzibar. You may better know him by the name Freddie Mercury

## Tournament

As the 457 seed, Zanzibar was defeated by Denmark in Round 1 Matchup 40 of FlagVote 2. As the 724 seed, it was defeated by Mauritania in Round 1 Matchup 95 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (301) Mauritania 8-3
Tocantins

*"more like toCANins"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Tocantins is a state in central Brazil

It is the newest of the 26 Brazilian states, having been formed in 1988

Tocantins' numerous rivers, national parks, and pastures have made it a hotbed for ecotourism

In 2009, the popular reality show Survivor aired Survivor: Tocantins . Winner JT Thomas won the game in a unanimous jury vote, without having had any vote cast against him in the entire season. This feat has become known as the first "perfect game" in the Survivor fandom, which apparently exists

Its capital of Palmas is a sister city of Colorado Springs and was chosen as the first host city of the World Indigenous Games in 2014

## Tournament

As the 75 seed, Tocantins was defeated by Angola in Round 3 Matchup 42 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (438) Vermont Republic 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (182) Jayuya 4-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (54) Angola 4-2

## Mashups

Since Flagpoll 2, the flag of Tocantins has become somewhat of a meme in the #vexillology channel. Voters expressed disappointment that the bottom right stripe was the same color as the star in the middle. Cam and Greg decided to "fix" this issue by redesigning the flag in various ways. This culminated in Tocantinsvote, where 16 redesigns faced off in a tournament. Redesigns quickly became more avant garde. In FlagVote 3, Cam and Greg made mashups of the Tocantins flag with several other flags, including Zarumilla, Roraima, and Azad Kashmir.
West Papua

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

West Papua is a proposed breakaway state consisting of the western part of the island of New Guinea, currently part of Indonesia

This flag, known as the Morning Star Flag, has existed since 1961 in West Papua independence movements.

Indonesian authorities do not take kindly to this flag. Over 30 people were arrested in 2019 for planning a Papuan Flag Day

The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are big proponents of Papuan independence, with Vanuatu passing a bill in 2010 stating that their official policy is to support it.

But wait! They might not be the good guys after all! The Free Papua Movement has been trained in terrorism by Australian right wing militias. They have attacked and taken airplanes hostage as recently as… four days ago. Yup. On February 7th they kidnapped a pilot and set a New Zealand airplane on fire, claiming they’d target all foreigners. In March of 2022, the group’s spokesperson supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, claiming that Ukraine was committing a genocide in Russia much like Indonesia was in West Papua, with Ukraine and Indonesia being puppets of the United States. Yeah

## Tournament

As the 377 seed, West Papua was defeated by Uruguay in Round 1 Matchup 62 of FlagVote 2. As the 397 seed, it was defeated by Djibouti in Round 2 Matchup 83 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Ciales.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (628) Ciales 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (116) Djibouti 9-0
Vermont Republic

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Vermont Republic was a short-lived independent nation from 1777-1791

This flag was also used by the Green Mountain Boys militia group, led by Revolutionary War hero and furniture namesake Ethan Allen

The militia originally fought against the British before taking a more neutral stance, at one point negotiating for the nation to join Quebec

Vermont eventually joined the union as the 14th state in 1791

A modern day secessionist movement known as the Second Vermont Republic currently uses this flag. It is also used as a statewide symbol since it is clearly superior to the actual flag

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

This was the flag of the Vermont Republic, an independent state that declared its independence in 1777

It existed without recognition from any foreign power until becoming the 14th state in 1791, with its constitution and laws remaining intact

The people of Vermont declared independence after territorial disputes with other colonies and states

They had originally planned to be incorporated into Quebec, but the Revolutionary War kinda sorta made them change their minds

Vermont's modern-day motto, stella quarta decima fulgeat ("May the fourteenth star shine bright"), has its origins in the Vermont Republic, where the Latin phrase stella quarta decima ("The Fourteenth Star") was printed on their coins to express their desire to join the United States

The Vermont Republic is notable for having abolished slavery before any American state

## Tournament

As the 438 seed, Vermont Republic was defeated by Tocantins in Round 1 Matchup 165 of FlagVote 2. As the 665 seed, it was cleanly swept by Otago in Round 1 Matchup 44 of FlagVote 3.
Warwickshire

*"if that bear was any less doofy looking i would have voted for it but i just couldn’t do it"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Warwickshire is an English county in the West Midlands region

Much of the region is in a ‘green belt’, an intentionally planned ring of countryside in areas of England

The county was the birthplace of William Shakespeare, who was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon

Historic boundaries of Warwickshire include Birmingham, England’s second largest city

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Warwickshire is a county in central England

Really the only important thing to know about it is that William Shakespeare is from one of its towns. You may remember Shakespeare as the guy who wrote the source material for *10 Things I Hate About You*

The design on the Warwickshire flag is an emblem that has been used by the Earl of Warwick since the Middle Ages. The ragged staff is believed to refer to a legend where an early Earl of Warwick killed a giant with a tree

Other notable people from Warwickshire include actress Sophie Turner, who was a passable Sansa Stark and a terrible Jean Grey, and occultist Aleister Crowley, who was a weird little man

Apparently Sophie Turner married a Jonas Brother. Not sure how that relates to Warwickshire but that was an unexpected discovery

## Tournament

As the 406 seed, Warwickshire was defeated by Chuvashia in Round 1 Matchup 173 of FlagVote 2. As the 502 seed, it was defeated by New Zealand in Round 1 Matchup 242 of FlagVote 3. As the 12 seed, it was defeated by Key Bear in Round 1 Matchup 4 of BearFlagVote.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (523) New Zealand 6-5
Sverdlovsk Oblast

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Sverdlovsk is a Russian oblast in the eastern Urals, on the border between Europe and Asia

Its administrative center is Yekaterinburg, which also used to be named Sverdlovsk. The Romanov family was executed in Yekaterinburg, and both city and Oblast were later renamed after the man believed to have given the execution order

Yekaterinburg itself was not, in fact, named after Catherine the Great. It was instead named after a different Empress Catherine, this one being the wife of Peter the Great

In 1993, the governor of Sverdlovsk Oblast declared a Ural Republic, arguing that the oblasts in the region should be reconfigured to have as much power as some of the ethnic republics in Russia. President Boris Yeltsin ignored this argument and dissolved the republic after 10 days

Notable people from Sverdlovsk Oblast include former Russian president Boris Yeltsin and hockey legend Pavel Datsyuk

## Tournament

As the 393 seed, Sverdlovsk Oblast was defeated by Belgium in Round 1 Matchup 36 of FlagVote 2. As the 604 seed, it was defeated by Alabama in Round 1 Matchup 112 of FlagVote 3.
Lower Silesia

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Lower Silesia is the lower part of the Central European region of Silesia

Much of Lower Silesia is located in modern-day Poland; however, some of it crosses the Polish-Czech border and almost reaches Slovakia

The region has been controlled by the Kingdom of Poland, Habsburg Monarchy, and German Empire, among others. Welcome to Central Europe, where the borders are made up and the local duchy administrators don't mattee

Lower Silesia is known for its large amount of castles and Baroque architecture, making it one of the most-visited places in Poland

The region's most popular association football club is something called a Śląsk Wrocław, which is presumably pronounced by speaking into a blender

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Lower Silesia is a voivodeship (province) in southwestern Poland

The land was long part of Prussia before being annexed by Germany and later ceded to Poland following World War II

It takes its name from a historical region which roughly aligned with this voivodeship and Opole voivodeship

It is one of the country’s most populous regions due to its large copper deposits. It also is home to many mineral springs

The largest city is Wroclaw, the third largest in all of Poland. The University of Wroclaw, whose logo features the bird on this flag, is one of Poland’s finest and has graduated nine Nobel laureates

The world’s largest Chopin festival is held annually in the town of Duzniki-Zdroj

## Tournament

As the 69 seed, Lower Silesia was defeated by Donetsk Oblast in Round 3 Matchup 18 of FlagVote 2. As the 128 seed, it was defeated by Barbados in Round 4 Matchup 1 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (444) South Carolina Secession 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (188) Tbilisi 5-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (60) Donetsk Oblast 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (385) Portugal (old) 6-3

**Round 3:** Win over (129) Free France 6-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (1) Barbados 11-0
Tuvalu

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Tuvalu is an island nation in the region of Polynesia

It was named Ellice Islands by English settlers

The land area of the islands is 10 square miles, less than half the size of Ann Arbor

Tuvalu became independent in 1978 and joined the UN in 2000

The coconut is a major staple in Tuvalu

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Tuvalu is a microstate consisting of three islands and six atolls in Polynesia

It, along with the Gilbert Islands of modern-day Kiribati, was ruled as a colony of the UK from 1892 to 1976

Instead of making its capital a village, the entire Funafuti Atoll serves as the capital of Tuvalu

Tuvalu was a critical part of the Allied "island hopping" campaign in the Pacific Theater. Today's Funafuti International Airport (IATA airline code: FUN), the only airport in the country, was developed from airstrips built on the atoll in 1943

## Tournament

Tuvalu was defeated by the Faroe Islands in Round 1 Matchup 95 of FlagVote. As the 447 seed, it was defeated by Serbia in Round 1 Matchup 252 of FlagVote 2. As the 718 seed, it was defeated by Skåne in Round 1 Matchup 215 of FlagVote 3.
Turkey

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Republic of Turkey is a country on the Eastern Mediterranean

It is a transcontinental country, straddling Europe and Asia

Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, is a major global cultural center and was the capital of two major empires: the Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I led to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk taking control of Asia Minor, implementing many secular reforms, and creating the Turkey as we know it today

Recently Turkey has suffered some democratic backsliding under Erdogan, and a failed coup d'état in 2016 may have helped him consolidate his power

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

The Republic of Türkiye is a nation in Europe and Asia

The land was first conquered by Alexander the Great as part of the Greek Empire before becoming the Western Roman Empire and eventually the Byzantine Empire. Once that dissolved, the Ottoman Empire took its place and debuted this flag

Following World War I, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish Republic and united the nation. Unfortunately, his version of uniting the nation included genociding minorities, most notably Armenians. He did, however, receive international praise for his secular and progressive policies, particularly in terms of women’s rights

From what I gather, the two political options in Turkey are brutal authoritarianism and Islamic fundamentalism. Current president Erdogan is the former

Turkey has a massive diversity of wildlife and scenery. Eastern Turkey is very mountainous, and the Central Turkish region of Cappadocia has a gorgeous landscape reminiscent of the American Southwest. They’ve even got their own hot air balloon festival like in Albuquerque

Turkey’s national soccer team finished third in the 2002 World Cup, one of only two times they’ve qualified for the tournament. They also finished third in the European championships in 2008. Basketball is also huge in Turkey, as 10 Turks have played in the NBA including Mehmet Okur and Hedo Turkoglu

## Tournament

Turkey was defeated by Norway in Round 1 Matchup 88 of FlagVote. As the 168 seed, Turkey was defeated by Hokkaido in Round 4 Matchup 7 of FlagVote 2. As the 112 seed, it was defeated by Quebec in Round 4 Matchup 7 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (345) Burkina Faso 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (89) Anadyr 4-2

**Round 3:** Win over (40) Croatia 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (25) Hokkaido 5-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (401) Tyumen Oblast 9-2

**Round 3:** Win over (145) Byzantine Eagle 6-4

**Round 4:** Loss to (17) Quebec 6-5
Tokushima

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Tokushima is a prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku, which is the small one tucked under Honshu

The capital of the prefecture is the eponymous Tokushima. It’s a sister city of Saginaw

There’s a city in Tokushima Prefecture called Naruto. Naruto is famous for its large tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait connecting the Inland Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The strait has the fourth fastest currents in the world (the top two are in Norway and the third fastest is in New Brunswick.) The whirlpools inspired the name of the popular seafood product Naruto, which in turn inspired the name of the anime character.

The Iya Valley in Tokushima is a famous tourist spot for its dramatic valleys, vine bridges, and its traditional culture

Former Braves pitcher Kenshin Kawakami is the only major leaguer to be from the prefecture

## Tournament

As the 269 seed, Tokushima was defeated by Kyrgyzstan in Round 3 Matchup 41 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (756) Nimba County 11-0

**Round 2:** Win over (244) Hamburg 9-2

**Round 3:** Loss to (13) Kyrgyzstan 8-1
Sussex

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Sussex is a historic county in southern England

It takes its name from the kingdom of Sussex, founded in the year 477

The largest city is Brighton and Hove, the most populous seaside resort in England. Its Premier League team Brighton and Hove Albion has a cartoon birdy in their logo

The county’s South Downs National Park is the newest National Park in Britain

Popular band The Cure originated in Crawley in Sussex

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Sussex is a historic county in southeast England

After the Romans left Britain in the fifth century, a bunch of Saxons with funky Germanic names established a kingdom there

Sussex was also the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conqueror killed Harold Godwinsson and became the first Norman king of England

The county subdivisions in Sussex are called rapes. I'm not making this up. Apparently it comes from the Old English word meaning "rope"

The oldest depiction of a human in Europe is the Long Man of Wilmington, a fellow who's carved into a hill much like the Pewsey White Horse

Paul McCartney has lived in Sussex since the seventies. Other notable people from Sussex include Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne, former British PM Theresa May, and the man who invented the Pink Lady apple

## Tournament

As the 372 seed, Sussex was defeated by Burlington in Round 2 Matchup 50 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating the United States. As the 554 seed, it was defeated by Franco-Albertans in Round 1 Matchup 190 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (141) United States 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (116) Burlington 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (471) Franco-Albertans 7-3
Sri Lanka

*"his tongue is out"*

*--Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Sri Lanka is an island nation south of India

Its capital is in the process of being moved from Colombo to the nearby city of ஶ்ரீ ஜெயவர்த்தனபுர கோட்டே

Under British rule, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon. It gained independence in 1948 and changed the name 24 years later

Buddhism is the country’s most common religion

   The national cricket team won the World Cup in 1996. They have also finished runners-up twice

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Sri Lanka is an island country in the Indian Ocean

The two major ethnic groups in the country are the Sinhala and the Tamil, though it is also home to significant populations of Moors, Malays, Chinese, and Burghers

It was a part of the Portuguese, and then the Dutch, spice trading empires from the late 16th century up until the early 19th century, at which point the British arrived, took over, and renamed the island Ceylon

The country declared independence in 1948, and after some attempted coups and at least one Marxist insurrection it became the Republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. This was shortly followed by a civil war against the separatist Tamil Tigers, who were upset about the Tamil's poor treatment in the country, that only ended in 2006

Sri Lanka made headlines last summer when its economy collapsed, and protestors stormed the President's house calling for his resignation

The lion standard on the Sri Lankan flag has been around for a while. The Kingdom of Kandy, which ruled Sri Lanka during the Portuguese and Dutch period, used it as its banner. Then the British arrived and made the flag much worse, as they usually do. Today the lion has made its triumphant return, surrounded by neat colors that represent all of the different ethnicities in the country

Sri Lanka's national sport is volleyball, but they're even better at cricket. They shocked the world by winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup, and since then have had some real stars on their team. At one point, Sri Lanka had the highest team score in all three formats of cricket. I don't know what those formats are, but it sounds impressive

## Tournament

Sri Lanka was eliminated from FlagVote by Botswana in Round 2, Matchup 52 after previously defeating Puerto Rico in Round 1. Despite this, all seven voters would go on to give Puerto Rico a higher score in Flagpoll. As the 387 seed in FlagVote 2, Sri Lanka was eliminated in Round 1, Matchup 132 against Israel. As the 515 seed, it was defeated by Canada in Round 2 Matchup 193 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Federated Malay States.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Puerto Rico 5-4

**Round 2:** Loss to Botswana 5-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (510) Federated Malay States 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (3) Canada 9-1
Weert

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Weert is a city in the southeastern Netherlands

It is located in the province of Limburg, whose flag beat Jordan earlier in the tournament

It is known for its large indoor shopping center De Munt

The city population is roughly 50,000

The three horns on the flag come from the city’s coat of arms

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Weert is a city in the Netherlands near the Belgian border

Aside from Dutch the city speaks Limburgish, a distinct language in parts of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands

The English Wikipedia entry for the Weert dialect of Limburgish is longer than the entry for Weert itself

Rower Lisa Scheenaard, a rower who won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics and who is exactly ten years older than I am, is from Weert

## Tournament

As the 418 seed, Weert was defeated by the People's Flag in Round 1 Matchup 245 of FlagVote 2. As the 669 seed, it was defeated by the flag of Alex in Round 1 Matchup 77 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (X) People's Flag 5-1
Uruguay

*"Uruguay is very cool. It has a sun on it"*

*--Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America

Over half of the population lives in and around the capital city of Montevideo

It is first in Latin America in a number of rankings such as peace and lack of corruption

10% of the country’s exports are bovine carcasses

The national soccer team hosted and won the first ever World Cup in 1930. They also won in 1950 and have made the semifinals on three other occasions

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Uruguay is this little country nestled between Argentina and Brazil

It became independent in the early 1800s after a four-way power struggle between the Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilians, and Argentinians. Also it was briefly occupied by the British in 1907 because why not?

Uruguay's capital is Montevideo, which since 2005 has been ranked the Latin American city with the highest quality of life. Montevideo is also the seat of several Latin American trade blocs, and as a result it has drawn comparisons to my home city of Brussels

Other cool things that happened in Montevideo include: a convention on statehood at which the first woman to represent the US at an international conference was present, two doctors invented a way to monitor a mother-to-be's labor, and the entirety of the 1930 World Cup

Uruguay has a pretty developed economy, and as a matter of fact it was the only country in the Americas to not experience a recession from 2007-2009

Surprise! A lot of Argentinian national symbols are actually shared with Uruguay; these include gauchos, tango, and being good at soccer. In fact, Uruguay won the first-ever World Cup in 1930, and upset the Brazilians on their home turf to win a second title 20 years later

Notable Uruguayans include director Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe, the Evil Dead remake, and apparently they're making ANOTHER Alien movie? Don't they know they should have stopped at two?), several members of the tango/house fusion band Bajofondo (check their stuff out, they're great), and Jorge Drexler, a doctor who became the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award when he wrote an original song for *The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)*

## Tournament

Uruguay was defeated by the Soviet Union in Round 2 Matchup 10 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Liechtenstein. As the 136 seed [CHECK WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WE GET A NEW TRIAL. SHEET SHOWS URUGUAY DEFEATING BOTSWANA BUT BOTSWANA ADVANCING]. As the 193 seed, it was defeated by Sierra Leone in Round 3 Matchup 3 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Lincolnshire.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Loss to Soviet Union 5-4

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (377) West Papua 6-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (121) Botswana 3-4

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (320) Lincolnshire 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (64) Sierra Leone 6-4
Zealand

*Not to be confused with Zeeland or Sealand*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Zealand, or Sjælland, is the most populous region in Denmark and the largest island excluding Greenland

It is located across the Öresund from Skåne, the southern part of Sweden

Denmark’s capital Copenhagen is located in Zealand

The origin of the name is highly disputed. Some believe Sjælland comes from the Danish sæ meaning sea. Others believe it comes from an Old Danish word meaning seal. Either way, New Zealand is named after Zeeland in the Netherlands and not this place.

Norse mythology says the island was created by the goddes (sic) Gefjun after she removed a piece of Sweden and moved it here.

Kronborg Castle in Helsingör is the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. You can see it if you take the ferry out of Denmark into Helsingborg, Sweden, where you’ll have a much better time

## Tournament

As the 376 seed, Zealand was defeated by Faroe Islands in Round 2 Matchup 52 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Ostrowski County.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (649) Ostrowski County 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (137) Faroe Islands 9-2
Tayshet

*"More like Tayshit"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

**Tayshet** is a town in Irkutsk Oblast of eastern Russia, which has a pretty interesting flag in its own right

Tayshet translates to “Cold River” in Ket, which is a near-extinct native Siberian language

The town was founded in 1897 as a stop on the Trans-Siberian Railroad

   Tayshet was a center to gulag camps and many German POWs from the 30s to 50s

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Tayshet is a town in southeast Siberia

It is the capital of the Tayshetsky District in Irkutsk Oblast

Before the 1600s, when the Russian presence in the area started, the region was inhabited by a number of Mongol states and Khaganates

Much of the Irkutsk region was heavily developed after the arrival of the Trans-Siberian railway by the turn of the 19th century, and Tayshet is no different: it was originally founded as a station along the railway

From the 1930s to the 1950s, Tayshet was the center of administration for nearby gulag labor camps; the notes of imprisoned actress Hava Volovich, who was imprisoned in one of these camps, have been compared to the Diary of Anne Frank

## Tournament

As the 452 seed, Tayshet was defeated by United Kingdom in Round 1 Matchup 121 of FlagVote 2. As the 688 seed, it was defeated by Baltimore in Round 1 Matchup 32 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (61) United Kingdom 6-1
Zhmernyka

*"someone call george harrison because here comes the sun (to round 2)"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Zhmerynka Raion is a district in western Ukraine

It is named for the city Zhmerynka, though the city is itself not a part of the district

During World War II, it was occupied by Romanians and incorporated into Transnistria - not the breakaway state but instead what they called the Romanian occupied territory in today's Moldova and Ukraine

Supposedly, the name for the raion (and the city) comes from Polish words for "handshake"

## Tournament

As the 681 seed, Zhmernyka was defeated by Switzerland in Round 2 Matchup 64 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating El Salvador in the biggest upset of Round 1.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (344) El Salvador 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (169) Switzerland 7-3