recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Orange Free State

*"Please tell me that orange free state is a state where all oranges have been banished"*

*--Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Orange Free State was a self-governing republic under British supervision in the late 1800s

From what I can tell it was sort of northwest of Lesotho. Its capital was Bloemfontein so those of you who know where that is (Cam) will know where the Orange Free State is

It was governed by the Boers, white Dutch-speaking farmers who lived in southern Africa when it was under control of the Dutch East India company

The Boer War, which was fought at the turn of the twentieth century, was fought in the Orange Free State and its neighboring South African Republic (not to be confused with today's Republic of South Africa) after the Boers got fed up with the influx of British settlers looking for gold in their backyard

After the Boer War ended (fun fact, Gandhi, Churchill, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle all helped the British war effort at this time), all the Boer republics were consolidated directly into one directly administered colony, which would later become today's South Africa

## Tournament

As the 722 seed, Orange Free State was defeated by Rennell and Bellona in Round 1 Matchup 159 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (303) Rennell and Bellona 7-1
Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug is a division of Irkutsk Oblast in eastern Russia

It takes its name from the capital and rural municipality of Ust-Ordynsky and from the Buryat people, a Mongol group from Siberia

It was autonomous until 2006 before losing its autonomy and becoming part of the oblast. 99.51% of residents voted in the referendum to merge into the oblast and 97.79% voted in favor

The symbol on the flag is an arbagar sun which represents infinite life

## Tournament

As the 235 seed, Ust-Orda was defeated by Dr. Congo in Round 3 Matchup 125 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Miyazaki.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (278) Miyazaki 7-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (22) Dr. Congo 6-5
Sao Paulo

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Sao Paulo is the most populous state in Brazil

The state capital is the titular Sao Paulo, which is the largest city in the entire western hemisphere and 12th largest in the world

It is also the richest state in the country thanks to its major industriality

The soccer club Corinthians, the most valuable club in the country, has used the state flag in its logo since 1919

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

São Paulo is a state in southeast Brazil

The state on its own is wealthier than Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina... combined

Its capital, also named São Paulo, is a megacity that the UN classifies as the 4th largest city proper in the world

The city holds substantial cultural and economic influence internationally, and it is home to substantial Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Arab diasporas

Catcher Yan Gomes and MMA champion Anderson Silva are both from São Paulo

## Tournament

As the 459 seed, Sao Paulo was defeated by Angola in Round 1 Matchup 168 of FlagVote 2. As the 701 seed, it was defeated by Sliema in Round 1 Matchup 73 of FlagVote 3.
Penang

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Penang is a Malaysian state on the western Malay Peninsula

It consists of Penang Island, which is directly off the peninsula's western coast, and the mainland city of Seberang Perai, which is the second-largest city in Malaysia

The name Penang is derived from a Malay phrase meaning "acrea nut island"; correspondingly, an acrea nut palm tree defaces the Penang flag

Penang was established by the British in the colonial era as a port to entice traders away from Dutch trading posts, and its capital George Town was the financial center of British Malaysia

George Town was also the first city in British Malaya liberated from Japanese occupation in 1954

Recently, the Penang city Bayan Lepas has become considered the Silicon Valley of the East due to its significant manufacturing sector and the presence of several multinational firms

## Tournament

As the 588 seed, Penang was defeated by Vancouver in Round 1 Matchup 120 of FlagVote 3.
Puerto Rico

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and territory of the United States

It was originally populated by the Taino before being colonized by Columbus and Spain in 1493

Since 1917, Puerto Ricans have been given full US citizenship

In 2017 Hurricane Maria caused the largest power outage in US history

Four Hall of Famers were born in Puerto Rico: Roberto Clemente, Ivan Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, and Orlando Cepeda

## Tournament

Puerto Rico was defeated by Sri Lanka in Round 1 Matchup 103 of FlagVote. As the 76 seed, it was defeated by New Orleans in Round 2 Matchup 46 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Norfolk.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (437) Norfolk 7-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (181) New Orleans 4-3
Kuwait

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Kuwait is a little country on the Persian Gulf sandwiched between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

It has the highest-valued currency in the world right now, probably thanks to its massive oil reserves. One Kuwaiti dinar is worth $3.32 USD

Kuwait is technically an emirate, though much like the UK power is centered in a Prime Minister. Unlike the UK, many Kuwaiti government appointees are members of the royal family

There was a whole big thing in the nineties when some guy from Iraq named Saddam invaded Kuwait. GHW Bush said "not on my watch" and unlike his son's invasion some 10 years later, most of the world agreed this time

Kuwait has come under criticism recently for its treatment of Bedoon, stateless individuals whom several human rights organizations believe are being systematically discriminated against

Kuwait also has a long history with the arts. It was the first Gulf country to grant arts scholarships, is the only Gulf country with any tradition in theatre, and apparently Kuwaiti soap operas are quite popular across the Arab world

## Tournament

Kuwait was defeated by Sierra Leone in Round 1 Matchup 115 of FlagVote. As the 392 seed, it was cleanly swept by Botswana in Round 1 Matchup 61 of FlagVote 2. As the 608 seed, it was cleanly swept by Suriname in Round 2 Matchup 15 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Elblag.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (417) Elblag 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (96) Suriname 11-0
Poltava Raion

*Not to be confused with Poltava Oblast*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Poltava Raion is a district in Poltava Oblast, located in North-Central Ukraine

The district lies just north of the Dneiper River

The city of Poltava itself is not a part of Poltava Raion, meaning there isn't a whole lot of fun information about the district itself

Hope they're doing all right with the invasion and all. There hasn't been much fighting on the territory proper but the Russians did destroy an oil refinery in the region a few months ago

## Tournament

As the 664 seed, Poltava Raion was defeated by Cusco in Round 1 Matchup 61 of FlagVote 3.
Isla

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

L-Isla, more commonly known as Senglea, is a city in eastern Malta

It is the country’s smallest town by area but second most densely populated, following only Sliema

The city was a stronghold during the failed Ottoman siege of Malta in 1565, and it was granted the title Civitas Invicta, or Unconquered City

The city was devastated by Luftwaffe bombing in 1943, but again it remained unconquered

Comic actor Charles Clews, who was very popular in Malta and for some reason Australia from the 1940s-80s, is from Isla and has a bust prominently displayed in town

In 2010, the city won the European Destinations of Excellence award for Aquatic Tourism for its maritime festival

## Tournament

As the 550 seed, Isla was defeated by Iceland in Round 2 Matchup 237 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Rondonia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (475) Rondonia 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (38) Iceland 9-0
Sutherland

*"flag of the astros 2017 world series title"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Sutherland is a county in the North of Scotland

It is called Sutherland as it is south of the area controlled by the Vikings, who had also controlled Sutherland

The landscape is rugged and sparsely populated

The flag was chosen in late 2018 after a referendum that included three other options. It represents the Scottish and Nordic influences on the county

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Sutherland is a county in the northern Scottish Highlands

Despite being one of Scotland’s largest counties, it has fewer than 13,000 people

Sutherland is very rugged and mountainous. It is home to Ben Hope, who is not a person but rather the northermost mountain in Great Britain

It was first inhabited by the Vikings, hence the nordic-ish cross on the flag. It was named “southern land” due to its proximity to Orkney

It’s got a town called Tongue. Tongue has a bridge called Kyle of Tongue

Joe Strummer’s mom is from Sutherland, and John Lennon was a frequent visitor (of Sutherland, not of Joe Strummer’s mom)

## Tournament

As the 257 seed, Sutherland was cleanly swept by Canada in Round 2 Matchup 1 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Mato Grosso do Sul. As the 327 seed, it was defeated by Östergotland in Round 3 Matchup 84 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (256) Mato Grosso 5-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (1) Canada 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (698) Johnston Atoll 8-3

**Round 2:** Win over (186) Zaire 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (71) Östergotland 10-1
Provo (old)

*That Provo flag looked like a $20 flag that a paint store made for themselves*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Provo is the third largest city in the state of Utah

It was originally founded in 1849 by Mormon settlers as Fort Utah

Provo is home to Brigham Young University, and 89% of the city’s population is Mormon

The rainbow on the city flag was intended to represent the “eclectic and diverse nature” of the city. It drew comparisons to the Centrum logo and was ranked the 8th worst US City flag. It was finally changed in 2015

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Provo is a city in central Utah

It's home to BYU and has seen sustained job growth over the 2010s, making it supposedly a nice place to start a career as long as you don't mind all the Mormons

Provo's Peaks Ice Arena, today the home of the BYU Cougars hockey team, was the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics' ice hockey games and practices

This is actually the second of three Provo flags. It replaced the first flag, which looked like a small-town gasoline logo, in 1989, and was replaced by a decent, inoffensive flag in 2015

Several famous people have called Provo home, most of them Mormons. These include techno violinist Lindsey Stirling, Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, all of the Osmond family, baseball players Vern and Vance Law, and not one but three of the pro dancers on Dancing with the Stars

## Tournament

As the 502 seed, this flag was cleanly swept by Kazakhstan in Round 1 Matchup 161 of FlagVote 2. As the 760 seed, it was defeated by Tokelau in Round 1 Matchup 50 of FlagVote 3.
Rabat

*"I really like Rabat i wish it didn’t have such a tough draw"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Rabat is a town on Malta’s west coast

It is home to Malta’s Vatican embassy, or its Apostolic Nunciature to the Holy See, because the Vatican is weird.

It includes the ancient city of Mdina, which was Malta’s capital until 1530

The name Rabat comes from an Arabic word meaning suburb or fortified town. Morocco’s capital’s name has the same origin, as do towns in Iran, Pakistan, and France

St. Paul, as in *the* St. Paul, is buried in the catacombs in Rabat.

Stephen Spielberg’s film Munich (2005) was partially filmed in Rabat. The parts that weren’t filmed in Munich, one presumes

## Tournament

As the 520 seed, Rabat was defeated by Colorado in Round 2 Matchup 33 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Freetown Christiania.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (505) Freetown Christiania 7-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (8) Colorado 9-1
Una-Sana

*"one sana, please"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Una-Sana is a canton in the northwest corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, bordering Croatia on three sides

It is named after the Una and the Sana rivers, the latter being the longest tributary of the former

In 1950, the Cazin Uprising took place in the canton and was the only peasant rebellion in Cold War Europe. Following a drought, farmers took up arms and rebelled against Yugoslav government-mandated production quotas and collective farms

There was a short-lived Nazi concentration camp at Garavice in Una-Sana. In a period of 3 months, 15,000 Serbs and Jews were killed there until the blood started to contaminate the local water supply

In lighter news, former Brooklyn Nets first rounder Dzanan Musa is from here

The town of Buzim has a weirdly long section on its Wikipedia about the various types of agriculture there, including a whole paragraph about beekeeping which basically says there isn’t any

## Tournament

As the 289 seed, Una-Sana was defeated by Denver in Round 3 Matchup 7 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (736) Georgia (old) 11-0

**Round 2:** Win over (224) Cross of Burgundy 6-5

**Round 3:** Loss to (33) Denver 7-0
Santa Venera

*"casting my vote for quebecois austria"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Santa Venera is a town in central Malta

It is named after a church which was built in the town in 1473, which itself is dedicated to Saint Venera

There was a 7 Up factory in Santa Venera until 2002. It is now apartments

The flag comes from the coat of arms of Grandmaster Alof de Wignacourt, who ruled Malta at the beginning of the 17th century and financed an aqueduct that passes through the town

Maltese singer Lynn Chircop comes from Santa Venera. She competed in Eurovison 2003, and her song “To Dream Again” finished 25th out of 26th, finishing ahead of only the British entry

## Tournament

As the 257 seed, Santa Venera was defeated by Barbados in Round 3 Matchup 1 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (768) Bienville Parish 9-0

**Round 2:** Win over (256) Herzegovina-Neretva 8-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (1) Barbados 10-0
Richmond

*"letters from iwo jima: the flag"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Richmond is the capital city of Virginia

It was the site of Patrick Henry's "Give me Liberty or give me Death" speech, which up until now I thought took place in Massachusetts

During the American Civil War, Richmond was the rebels' capital city from 1861 until the war's end

The San Francisco Giants' Double-A affiliate, the Flying Squirrels, have played in Richmond since 2010

Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is from Richmond, as is tennis legend Arthur Ashe

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Richmond is the capital and 4th largest city in Virginia

It was first settled by Europeans in 1611, making it one of the oldest cities in America. It later served as the capital of the Confederacy. Richmond used to have a lot of confederate statues. People were really upset in the 90s when a statue of Richmond native Arthur Ashe was built near the confederate statues. Over the last 3 years, all the confederate statues were removed, but Arthur Ashe still stands

It was also the site of Patrick Henry’s ‘Liberty or Death’ speech, which rallied the Virginia colony into joining the revolution

Richmond has a hip neighborhood called Scott’s Addition, which is so named because Mr. Scott added it to the city limits

People from Richmond include Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, actress Constance Wu, singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, and Ravens offensive lineman Morgan Moses

This flag depicts “The Headman”, a statue in Richmond. It was designed in 1993 to replace one that had the Confederate Flag on it

## Tournament

As the 48 seed, Richmond was defeated by Saga in Round 5 Matchup 2 of FlagVote 2. As the 326 seed, it was defeated by Greece in Round 3 Matchup 116 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (465) Sicily 6-1

**Round 2:** Win over (304) Dominican Republic 4-3

**Round 3:** Win over (176) Herzeg-Bosnia 4-3

**Round 4:** Win over (17) Argentina 4-3

**Round 5:** Loss to (49) Saga 4-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (699) US Virgin Islands 8-2

**Round 2:** Win over (187) Saudi Arabia 7-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (70) Greece 8-3
Yukon Territory

*"Please vote for the sweet dog"*

*--Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Yukon, formerly known as ~~Yuki~~ Yukon Territory, is a Canadian Territory bordering Alaska. Unlike neighboring Northwest Territories, it is in the Northwest corner of Canada

It is named after the 1980-mile long Yukon River, which in turn comes from a Gwich’in word meaning white water river

Mount Logan, the highest peak in Canada and second highest in North America, is located in the bottom corner of Yukon. It is also the 6th most prominent peak in the world. It was first ascended in 1925 by a team of Canadian, American, and British climbers. It took 65 days and a lot of them got severe frostbite, but all six climbers made it

The coldest recorded temperature in North America was in the ghost town of Snag. On February 3rd 1947, it hit -81.4 degrees Fahrenheit

Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens comes from the Yukon capital of Whitehorse and has been nicknamed the “Workhorse from Whitehorse” according to Wikipedia.

The Yukon is so cool. The river cuts through the mountains

## Tournament

As the 300 seed, Yukon was defeated by New Orleans in Round 2 Matchup 126 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Azad Kashmir.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (725) Azad Kashmir 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (213) New Orleans 6-4
United States

*"We are all unpatriotic heathens"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The United States of America is a political union consisting of fifty states in... you guessed it... (North) America

It used to be a loose association of thirteen British colonies until the Brits raised taxes so fuckin hard that a bunch of people in Massachusetts said "fuck it let's make our own country." So they did. We like to say our nation was founded on the principles of government by the people, for the people; but really it was mostly tax evasion

Anyway after they kicked the British out with a little help from France these plucky colonies founded the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Then they decided to manifest our destiny all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and also some islands here and there and also Alaska

Being an ocean away from the major warring powers has helped the American economy develop into one of the strongest in the world. It has also helped protect national borders from invasion; barring a small incursion into the Aleutian Islands in the forties, the US hasn't been invaded since 1812

And speaking of war: The US is a founding member of the UN and permanent member of the Security Council thanks to having been an Allied Power in World War II, after which it emerged as the leading economic and military power of the non-Socialist bloc. Mostly this involved meddling in other countries' affairs to make sure their leaders weren't communist, which they achieved to mixed results

Washington DC, the American capital, is technically not a part of any state; though originally the land was a part of Maryland, the Constitution mandates that the national capital be on federal land administered by Congress

After the end of World War II, the US was the only country allowed to use the gold standard as the backing for its currency

Notable people from the United States include actor Will Smith, LA Dodgers catcher Will Smith, MLB relief pitcher Will Smith, Boston College hockey commit Will Smith, each and every one of us in this channel, and former NFL quarterback Vinny Testaverde

## Tournament

The United States was defeated by the Bahamas in Round 2 Matchup 4 of FlagVote after previously defeating Togo. As the 141 seed, it was defeated by Sussex in Round 1 Matchup 99 of FlagVote 2. As the 425 seed, the United States was defeated by Riverside in Round 2 Matchup 63 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bremen.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Togo 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to Bahamas 5-4

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (600) Bremen 8-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (88) Riverside 8-2
Ñeembucu

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Ñeembucu is a region in the southwest corner of Paraguay, bordering Argentina

It mostly consists of flat rural fields

Many battles of the Paraguayan War were fought here, and people travel to see ruins and things. At the end of the war, Paraguay was forced to cede territory to its neighbors

Ñeembucu’s largest city is Pilar, one of the safest and cleanest cities in the country

Each January, over 20,000 people visit Ñeembucu’s Fiesta Hawaiana and hang out on the beach

## Tournament

As the 379 seed, Ñeembucu was defeated by Manhattan in Round 3 Matchup 114 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (646) Havana 6-3

**Round 2:** Win over (134) Mongolia 8-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (123) Manhattan 7-3
Swieqi

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Swieqi is a residential town in northern Malta

Its name translates to “water channels"

Swieqi celebrates Swieqi Day on September 9th, in celebration of the town kicking out an illegal squatter, and by doing so working together as a community and forming means of government for the first time

It's population has nearly doubled to 15,000 in the past 20 years

The red and yellow zig zag represents the hills, and the blue waves represent the water from which the town takes its name

## Tournament

As the 737 seed, Swieqi was defeated by Uusimaa in Round 1 Matchup 10 of FlagVote 3.
Tanzania

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Tanzania is a country in East Africa

It borders both Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, the latter of which it was named after during British rule

The Zanzibar Archipelago is an autonomous region of Tanzania. Zanzibar was the site of the shortest war ever fought; it lasted about forty minutes

Some of the oldest hominid fossils have been found in Tanzania

Former Houston Rocket and Memphis Grizzly Hasheem Thabeet is the only Tanzanian to have played in the NBA. Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar, but that was before it was incorporated into Tanzania

## Tournament

Tanzania was defeated by the Czech Republic in Round 2 Matchup 55 of FlagVote after previously defeating Wallis and Futuna. As the 53 seed, it was defeated by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Round 4 Matchup 12 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Wallis and Futuna 7-0

**Round 2:** Loss to Czech Republic 4-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (460) Rapa Nui 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (204) Ohio 6-0

**Round 3:** Win over (181) New Orleans 4-2

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

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Transnistria is a partially-recognized pro-Soviet state, similar to Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Artsakh

It is one of only four current flags in the world to still feature the hammer and sickle.

It is a narrow strip of land between Ukraine and Moldova, and it is internationally recognized as being part of the latter.

Tiraspol, the second largest city in Moldova, is within the boundaries of Transnistria

Transnistria separated from Moldova in the late 1980s, but after a cease fire in 1992, it is still under dispute

Sergey Stepanov, also known as Epic Sax Guy, comes from Tiraspol and served in the Transnistrian army

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Transnistria is a teensy strip of land in between Moldova and Ukraine that doesn't want to be a part of either. Its name literally means "Across the Dniester", and you'll never guess what river forms its boundary with Moldova

It's one of those pesky Soviet breakaway states you hear about from time to time, alongside South Ossetia and Abkhazia and apparently now Donetsk and Luhansk, except not even Russia and its cronies recognize it - its existence is only validated by its frozen conflict buddies

Transnistria as we know it was created when Russia invented Moldova in 1940. Essentially, it took part of the Ukrainian SSR and grafted it onto the bit of Bessarabia they annexed from Romania at the start of World War II

In 1990, Transnistria declared independence from Moldova. Gorbachev tried to do something about it but he was too busy getting kidnapped by his own party. There was a war, but then there wasn't, and now it just sort of hangs around not doing anything

Over 1500 Russian soldiers are stationed in Transnistria, and when the Ukraine war started people were worried those troops would open another front in Ukraine or even be used to invade Moldova. However, to date they've just sort of been hanging around not doing anything

Did you know that the second-largest city in Transnistria is called Bender? Shut up baby, I know it

## Tournament

As the 399 seed, Transnistria was defeated by Moldavia in Round 1 Matchup 228 of FlagVote 2. As the 454 seed, it was defeated by China (old) in Round 1 Matchup 230 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (571) China (old) 7-2
Zarumilla

*"How is Zarumilla not in like the 700s in terms of rank that’s disgusting"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Zarumilla is a city in the northwestern tip of Peru, within the Tumbes region

The city is located less than a kilometer from the Ecuador border, although the community of Aguas Verdes lies between Zarumilla and the border

The city was the site of the Battle of Zarumilla in July 1941 during the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War, the most important war happening at that time.

In this battle, Peru became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to use paratroopers. At the end of the conflict, Peru had occupied the Ecuadorian province of El Oro, a claim they gave up in early 1942. Peru and Ecuador would continue to fight over various territories until 1995

Zarumilla is surrounded by large mangrove forests

## Tournament

As the 637 seed, Zarumilla was defeated by Mato Grosso in Round 1 Matchup 68 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (388) Mato Grosso 6-3

## Gallery

Zarumilla mashup with TocantinsZarumilla mashup with Isle of Skye
New Caledonia

*"fuck it i'll vote for the kebab"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

New Caledonia is a French territory east of Australia

It was named by James Cook, the first European to encounter the archipelago, because it reminded him of Scotland(?)

Cannibalism was common on the islands, and in 1849 the crew of the American ship Cutter were killed and eaten by the indigenous Pouma clan

The French claimed the islands in the mid-19th century, and set up a penal colony there that housed some political exiles

The New Caledonian flag, often called the Kanak flag after the indigenous people on the islands, was designed by the Kanak & Socialist Liberation National Front, which supports New Caledonian independence. An unofficial vote to fly the Kanak flag alongside the French flag was criticized by anti-independence politicians, one of whom said it was akin to flying the Palestinian flag over the Israeli Parliament. These people were ignored, though, and the French Prime Minister himself was present for the Kanak flag's first raising over the capital's town hall in 2010

Three independence referenda have been held in New Caledonia in the past five years. All have failed (obviously). The most recent referendum, held December 2021, was boycotted by pro-independence factions that wanted to delay it due to the pandemic; when that failed, they called for a boycott, causing 96% of voters to choose staying with France

## Tournament

New Caledonia was defeated by Canada in Round 2 Matchup 9 of FlagVote after previously defeating Lithuania. As the 216 seed, it was defeated by Belarus in Round 1 Matchup 42 of FlagVote 2. As the 562 seed, it was defeated by the African Union in Round 2 Matchup 149 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Novohrad-Volynskyi.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Lithuania 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to Canada 7-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (463) Novohrad-Volynskyi 6-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (50) African Union 9-1
Zagubica

*"Are you all really voting for an envelope?"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Žagubica is a village in eastern Serbia

It is also the name of a municipality of about 12,000 people. This includes the town of Žagubica and a bunch of other rural villages

In the 19th century it was a prosperous town with a ton of craft and trade shops

The Trška Monastery, a 13th century Orthodox monastery, is one of the oldest Orthodox monuments in Serbia

Žagubica is also home to many festivals, celebrating a range of things from cheese and proja (which is kind of like a Serbian cornbread) to saxophones

## Tournament

As the 391 seed, Zagubica was defeated by Ukraine in Round 2 Matchup 163 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Soviet Georgia.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (634) Soviet Georgia 11-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (122) Ukraine 6-5
Wensleydale

*"Cheese Legend Wensleydale can be had"*

*--Sahil Shah*

**Wensleydale** is an M-SABR Slack joke in which Joey Wendle is referred to as "Joey Wensleydale." It originated on 9-11-20 in a private chat between Cam and Sahil where Cam's phone autocorrected and said "Wensleydale" instead of "Wendle." It was later discovered that Wensleydale is a variety of English cheese from the town of Wensleydale, Yorkshire. Frequency of usage picked up throughout the remainder of the month. On 10-7-20, Yuki became the first person besides Cam or Sahil to use the word Wensleydale in the Slack. Since then, it has also been used by Zane and Anthony.

## Gallery

First usage of WensleydaleWensleydale accompanied by cheese emojiYuki says Wensleydale
Vancouver

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Vancouver is the third largest and most densely populated city in Canada. It is the fourth densest large city in [North] America, following New York, San Francisco, and Mexico City

It is part of the greater Cascadia region, which includes the US states of Washington and Oregon. It is culturally similar to Seattle and Portland, and it plans to be the “greenest city in the world.”

The original name of the city was Gastown, named after a seaman named Gassy Jack Deighton who opened the first bar in the area. His nickname came from the fact that he was very gassy, which is 1860s slang meaning he liked to talk people’s ears off. Gastown still exists as a hip neighborhood in modern Vancouver. There was a statue of Gassy Jack, but it was toppled by protestors in 2022 when they discovered that he had married a 12-year old native girl when he was 40

Vancouver has been named Hollywood North due to the number of films produced there and in its suburb of Burnaby. Films made in Vancouver include the Deadpool franchise, the Air Bud franchise, the Final Destination franchise, the Look Who’s Talking franchise, and Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. Also Nathan Fielder is from there

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were held in Vancouver, although many events were held some 125 kilometers north in the resort town of Whistler

Vancouver has a hockey team whose fans once burned the city down because they got Tim Thomas’d. Being a large Canadian city, plenty of famous hockey players come from there. The list includes Paul Kariya, Glenn Anderson, Morgan Rielly, and Milan Lucic, who scored twice in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. Fewer baseball players come from there, but the best is probably former NL Rookie of the Year 6th place finisher Jeff Francis

## Tournament

As the 469 seed, Vancouver was defeated by Sweden in Round 1 Matchup 88 of FlagVote 2. As the 437 seed, it was defeated by the Qing Dynasty in Round 2 Matchup 119 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Penang.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (588) Penang 7-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (76) Qing Dynasty 10-1
Milne Bay

*"I'd really like the Milne Bay flag if it was all red instead of red and blue on the right"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

Milne Bay is a province in eastern Papua New Guinea

It is located at the eastern tip of the island of New Guinea, and it includes over 600 islands, roughly 160 of which are inhabited

The World War II Battle of Milne Bay took place in the province during 1942 between Japanese marines and an Australian militia. The militia vastly overpowered the Japanese, and the battle is viewed as the first decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific Theatre

The bay itself is known for their incredibly biodiverse coral reefs (reeves?)

Woodcarving is very important to the people of Milne Bay, particularly the carving of impressive canoes called Waga

## Tournament

As the 673 seed, Milne Bay was defeated by Opole in Round 1 Matchup 16 of FlagVote 3.
Syrian Opposition

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

This flag represents the opposition group in Syria that rose up in 2011

It’s another one that’s too hard to eulogize

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Syrian Opposition is the coalition of people in Syria who do not want Assad to be in charge

It formed in 2011 in response to the Arab Spring uprising in Syria, which has since escalated into a decade-long civil war

The flag is a modified version of the one the Syrian Republic used unofficially in the thirties, and officially from 1946-1958

The opposition is considered terrorists by Iran, Russia, and Syria, and has broad support from basically the rest of the international community. The US, UK, and France all recognize the Syrian National Council, one of the opposition's largest groups, as the legitimate representative of Syria as a whole

## Tournament

As the 199 seed, the Syrian Opposition was defeated by Washington DC in Round 2 Matchup 100 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Vatican City. As the 271 seed, it was defeated by Somalia in Round 2 Matchup 146 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating British Columbia.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (314) Vatican City 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (58) Washington DC 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (754) British Columbia 8-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (242) Somalia 9-2
Tierra del Fuego

*"Wait that’s a seagull?"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Tierra del Fuego is a province in Argentina

It includes the Argentine portion of the peninsula Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America, as well as Argentina’s claims on Antarctica and the disputed claim of the Falkland Islands

There was a Gold Rush at the end of the 19th century that killed most of the native population

In 1982, Argentina occupied the British-controlled Falklands. The UK responded by cutting off diplomatic ties and sending forces to the islands. After a 10-week war, Argentine forces surrendered. Argentina renewed its claim over the territory in 2006 despite overwhelming votes from the islanders to remain British.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Tierra del Fuego is the southernmost bit in South America

It is also a province in Argentina, and that is what this flag represents

There are a lot of sheep in Tierra del Fuego

The Argentine territory of Tierra del Fuego incorporates more territory that isn't a part of Argentina than territory that is a part of Argentina. Lookin at you, Falkland Islands and that one sliver of Antarctica

Like, I could explain the Falklands War here, but all you really need to know was that a military junta tried to play with Maggie Thatcher and she said lmao nope. Based Thatcher???

Apparently there's also a Staten Island in Tierra del Fuego. Pete Davidson in shambles

Fun Pete Davidson fact, he grew up as buddies with Matt Festa of the Mariners. This is the only thing scientists have discovered about Pete Davidson that can be considered fun

## Tournament

As the 247 seed, Tierra del Fuego was defeated by Cyprus in Round 1 Matchup 223 of FlagVote 2. As the 447 seed, it was defeated by Kennebunkport in Round 2 Matchup 135 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Calgary.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (578) Calgary 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (66) Kennebunkport 6-5
St. Pierre and Miquelon

*"hehe i like silly boat"*

*--Zane Harding*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

St. Pierre and Miquelon is a French territory in North America located just south of Newfoundland

Geologically, the islands are part of the Appalachian mountain range. It is comprised of eight islands, although only two of them are inhabited. I’ll give you one guess as to the names of those two islands

There was no permanent indigenous population on the islands, although they were occasionally visited by various indigenous peoples. The first European to visit was a Portuguese explorer in 1520 who named them, wait for it, Eleven Thousand Virgins. Thankfully, that name didn’t stick, and the French took over 16 years later. The first permanent population showed up a sesquicentury later

France and Canada have naturally had various disputes over the water surrounding these islands. An arbitration panel had to be brought in in 1992 to determine maritime borders

Wikipedia says that processed crustaceans account for 76.1% of St. Pierre’s economy. Fish of other types account for another ten percent

The flag features the Basque, Breton, and Norman flags, representing the ethnicities of most inhabitants of the islands

## Tournament

St. Pierre and Miquelon was defeated by Trinidad and Tobago in Round 1 Matchup 85 of FlagVote. As the 486 seed, it was defeated by Phoenix in Round 1 Matchup 177 of FlagVote 2. As the 723 seed, it was defeated by Ingushetia in Round 1 Matchup 223 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Loss to Trinidad and Tobago 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (302) Ingushetia 8-2
Poland

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Poland is a Central European country

The invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939 began World War II

The name Poland has been in use since the 10th century

The Polish national team came third in the 1974 and 1982 World Cups

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Poland is a country that has intermittently disappeared and reappeared on the world map

For a while it was married to Lithuania, until the 18th century when its neighbors decided it would be fun to eat it for brunch. Before that, though, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had the first modern constitution in Europe

Anyway it came back when the German Empire broke after WWI, started WWII when it got invaded by both Russia and Germany, and had to deal with Iron Curtain stuff until 1989, when a former labor union turned political party won every seat but one in the first free election since the Second World War

One of the people who fought for Poland in World War II was a brown bear named Wojtek, who rose to the rank of corporal and would help load ammunition crates onto trucks

Poland and Hungary are perhaps the best buddies in Central Europe. They were in a state union for a while in medieval times, and together they share similar histories, strong cultural ties, and leaders who are slowly descending into right-wing authoritarianism

Poland also has a long and illustrious cinema culture. The film camera was invented here in 1894, and several fantastic directors and cinematographers have come from Poland since then. Roman Polanski is probably and undeservedly the most recognizable guy here, but don't forget about Krzysztof Kieslowski (Three Colors trilogy), Agnieska Holland (Europa Europa), or Hirsz, Aaron, Szmuel, and Jacob Wonsal, who Americanized their names and became the Warner Brothers

Other notable Poles include two people for whom elements are named (copernicium and radium), Pope John Paul II, pianist Frederic Chopin, author Joseph Conrad, Bond Girl Izabella Scorupco, and the legend himself: Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz

## Tournament

Poland was defeated by Czech Republic in Round 1 Matchup 109 of FlagVote. As the 394 seed, it was defeated by Yamaguchi in Round 1 Matchup 221 of FlagVote 2. As the 464 seed, it was defeated by Åland in Round 2 Matchup 21 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Qrendi.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (561) Qrendi 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (49) Åland 9-1
US Virgin Islands

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The US Virgin Islands are the Virgin Islands islands owned by the US. This includes the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, as well as 50 other minor islands

These islands were formerly owned by Denmark. The US purchased them in 1917 for $25 million.

The very Danish-named town of Frederiksted on St. Croix is also known as Freedom Town, as it was the site of the 1848 emancipation of the territory’s slaves

The eagle on the flag is holding three arrows instead of the customary 13 in the US seal, a reference to the three main islands.

People from the territory are known as American Virgin Islanders, not simply Virgins. NBA legend Tim Duncan is a famous ~~Virgin~~ American Virgin Islander. 15 major leaguers have been born in the islands, including longtime Orioles catcher Elrod Hendricks and current Twins pitcher Jharel Cotton

## Tournament

The Virgin Islands were defeated by Slovakia in Round 2 Matchup 31 of FlagVote after previously defeating Gabon. As the 453 seed, it was cleanly swept by Donetsk Oblast in Round 1 Matchup 72 of FlagVote 2. As the 699 seed, it was defeated by Richmond in Round 1 Matchup 233 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Gabon 4-3

**Round 2:** Loss to Slovakia 6-0

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (60) Donetsk Oblast 7-0
Tonga

*"it's tonga time"*

--Gregory Severin

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

**Tonga** is a nation in the south Pacific comprising of 169 islands

70% of the nation’s 100,000 residents live on the island of Tongatapu

Tonga declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1970

The Tongan one cent coin has a picture of corn on it

   Tonga has competed in the Rugby World Cup six times

Tonga’s only Olympic medal came in 1996, when Paea Wolfgramm won the silver medal in super heavyweight boxing

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian archipelago nation northeast of New Zealand
In Tongan mythology, the islands that make it up today came into existence when the demigod Maui brought them to the surface from the deep ocean. For this effort, Maui would end up being portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in *Moana* (2016)

Around 950 it began colonizing much of Oceania as the Tu'i Tonga Empire, which with their impressive double-canoe navy held military and cultural dominance over the seas until the 15th century

Tonga became a British protectorate in 1900, but were allowed to keep their monarchy and never fully relinquished their sovereignty

Like many Commonwealth countries, Tonga's national sport is rugby, and many Tongan rugby players enjoy success in Australian rugby leagues. Many Tongans have also played in the NFL, most notably Star Lotulelei. Former Mariners reliever Sam Tuivalala is of Tongan descent

## Tournament

Tonga was cleanly swept by Sweden in Round 2 Matchup 47 of FlagVote after previously defeating Grenada in Round 1. As the 356 seed, it was defeated by Montpelier in Round 1 Matchup 115 of FlagVote 2. As the 625 seed it was defeated by Rome in Round 1 Matchup 19 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Grenada 5-3

**Round 2:** Loss to Sweden 7-0

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (157) Montpelier 6-0
Srednekolymsk

*"No love for the mammoth."*

--Cam Cain

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

**Srednekolymsk** is three times closer to Alaska than it is to Moscow.

Srednekolymsk has a population of just 3500, packed into an area of 2 square miles.

Mammoth bones are often found in the area near Srednekolymsk.

Srednekolymsk has an average January *high* temperature of -29.9 degrees F.

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Srednekolymsk is a town in the Russian Far East above the Arctic Circle

It was first settled in the 1640s, a three-day sled journey away from the closest nearby fort

At one point the town's name was changed to Yarmanka, which comes from the Russian word for "fair." Fair as in "county fair", not as in "just." Though I guess it's moot now since it's back to being called Srednekolymsk

The Tsars used to exile their political enemies to Srednekolymsk

Woolly mammoths are often found in the permafrost in Srednekolymsk, and discoveries are becoming more frequent as the region continues to thaw

## Tournament

As the 269 seed, Srednekolymsk was defeated by Rivne Oblast in Round 1 Matchup 98 of FlagVote 2. As the 581 seed, it was defeated by Finland in Round 2 Matchup 103 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Uzbek Air Force.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (244) Rivne Oblast 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (444) Uzbek Air Force 7-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (69) Finland 9-1

## Trivia

Srednekolymsk was the first eliminated flag in FlagVote 2 to feature a eulogy.
Tokyo

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

Tokyo is the capital of Japan

As Yuki mentioned last night, its metropolitan area is the most populous in the world

Tokyo was known as Edo when it became the headquarters of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century - the imperial capital was still Kyoto but anyone who's seen a bill wurtz video knows who the real boss was

Another important thing that happened in Tokyo (Edo) in the 17th century was that it burned down

Eventually the Emperor decided to also set up shop in Edo in the late 19th century. As it is located east of Kyoto, Edo was renamed Tokyo, or "eastern capital"

Two NPB teams play in Tokyo: the Yomiuri Giants, who are basically the NPB's Yankees, and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, who I would guess be the Mets in this scenario. Sadaharu Oh, who hit 868 homers in his career, played his entire career for the Giants. Nori Aoki, who was 7 of 16 in stolen bases for the Mariners in 2016, has played his entire NPB career for the Yakult Swallows

Many films set in Japan are set in Tokyo. These include Lost In Translation, You Only Live Twice, Babel, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Tokyo was the host of the 1964 Summer Olympics. They were going to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, but those have been postponed due to corona

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Tokyo is the largest city in the world

It was originally a small fishing village named Edo. It was renamed Tokyo (‘Eastern Capital’) when the Japanese capital was moved there from Kyoto in 1864

Tokyo has the largest economy in the world, and it is home to international companies such as Sony, Mitsubishi, and Hitachi

Tokyo’s prefecture, which has the same boundaries as the city, also includes several national parks and a string of small islands south of mainland Honshu. This includes Iwo Jima, interestingly enough

227 restaurants in Tokyo have been awarded Michelin stars, which is over twice as many as Paris which is in second place

Tokyo Skytree, completed in 2012, is the tallest tower in the world at 2080 feet and the third tallest structure of any kind

Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants are the most successful baseball team in Japan, winning 22 Japan Series but none since 2012. Sadaharu Oh, one of the greatest hitters of all time in any league, won 11 of those championships as a player including 9 in a row from 1965 to 1973. 11 major leaguers have been born in the prefecture, most notably Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hisashi Iwakuma

## Tournament

As the 22 seed, Tokyo was defeated by Kazakhstan in Round 5 Matchup 11 of FlagVote 2. As the 120 seed, it was defeated by Greek Macedonia in Round 4 Matchup 13 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (491) South Carolina Navy 5-0

**Round 2:** Win over (235) Rondonia 5-1

**Round 3:** Win over (107) Chuvashia 4-1

**Round 4:** Win over (43) South Uist 4-3

**Round 5:** Loss to (11) Kazakhstan 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (393) Basque Country 6-3

**Round 3:** Win over (137) Faroe Islands 6-5

**Round 4:** Loss to (9) Greek Macedonia 6-4