recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Germany

## Eulogy 1

*By Yuki Mori*

Germany is a country in western Europe

It has over two millenia of history, from the Holy Roman Empire to the German Empire, Weimar Republic to Nazi Germany, and East/West Germany to the unified states of today

It is known for its beer, bratwurst, cars, free universities, and one of the best healthcare systems in the world

Bidet is popular in Germany. Americans and their toilet paper in shambles

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Germany is a country in either Western, Central, or Northern Europe depending on whom you ask

They tried to take over the world a few times but now they’re pretty cool

There’s too much about Germany to put in a eulogy like this, and I’m sure we’d all appreciate if I just moved on to the next matchup

The Christmas tree, or Tannenbaum. was invented in Germany

## Tournament

Germany was defeated by Jamaica in Round 4 Matchup 6 of FlagVote. As the 63 seed, it was defeated by North Macedonia in Round 4 Matchup 32 of FlagVote 2. As the 79 seed, it was defeated by Ethnic Macedonians in Round 3 Matchup 76 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Birmingham.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Armenia 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over Comoros 6-2

**Round 3:** Win over Åland 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to Jamaica 5-1

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (450) Christmas Island 5-0

**Round 2:** Win over (194) Eritrea 6-0

**Round 3:** Win over (66) Serbia 4-3

**Round 4:** Loss to (2) North Macedonia 4-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (434) Birmingham 7-1

**Round 3:** Loss to (178) Ethnic Macedonians 6-5
France

## Eulogy

France is a country in Western Europe

It was a part of both the Triple Entente in WWI and the Allied Powers of WWII; the latter category makes it one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council

French assistance to the Continental Army played a significant role in the Revolutionary War, and this inspired French citizens to have a revolution of their own, only with more guillotines!

After the whole big thing the French Revolution created, Napoleon took over, started a prequel to World War I, and got exiled after his army froze to death in Russia. Then he CAME BACK, which is amazing, and was ultimately shipped off to some island in the middle of the Atlantic to think about what he'd done

France won the most recent FIFA World Cup, beating the underdog Croatians and breaking my heart in the process

Seven MLB players were born in France, the most successful being reliever Charlie Lea. Bruce Bochy, who had a much more inspiring managerial career than playing career, is one of the other six

## Tournament

France was defeated by Montenegro in Round 1 Matchup 5 of FlagVote. As the 118 seed it was defeated by Kazakhstan in Round 3 Matchup 41 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Samoa and Marshall Islands. Cam is the only voter to never vote against it.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (395) Samoa 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (139) Marshall Islands 4-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (11) Kazakhstan 4-1
Cambodia

*"Man Can voted against Canbodia. That’s a cantrastrophe"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Cambodia, or Kampuchea, is a nation in southeast Asia

The Khmer empire existed in the region for several centuries, and the country’s main language and ethnic groups are Khmer

The US installed a government in Cambodia in the 1970s before the Communist Khmer Rouge overthrew it. I’m sure @grej could paint a more full picture

The flag depicts Angkor Wat, a marvelous Hindu temple and symbol of the country

My friend O-Dom was born in Cambodia. Not super relevant but he’s a fun guy

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country on the Mekong Delta

It was ruled for centuries by the Khmer Empire, which became the dominant civilization in Southeast Asia from the 800s to the 1400s

Then came 300 years or so of decline where nobody is really sure what happened, and by the end of it all the French set up shop in the mid-19th century

After the French left Indochina in 1953 it was more or less left to its own devices, until shit started goin down in neighboring Vietnam. The North Vietnamese decided to sneak into the South through Cambodia and Laos using what they called the Ho Chi Minh trail. To crack down on this, the US installed a pro-American government via coup, which then got coup'd by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. For four years the regime installed brutal policies that killed almost a quarter of all Cambodians

There isn't really a lot I want to touch on about the Khmer Rouge here. Suffice it to say they were horrible, and were ousted in 1978 after Vietnam invaded and toppled the regime after two weeks of fighting. Since then the country has more or less been run as a one-party state, but at least they don't kill people just for wearing glasses anymore

After being essentially reduced to zero in the late seventies, the Cambodian economy is one of the fastest-growing in Asia, buoyed by a thriving textiles industry. Cambodia also has a major tourism sector, mostly from people visiting the capital Phnom Penh and the breathtaking Hindu-Buddhist temple Angkor Wat - the latter of which is featured on the national flag

Actor Haing Somnang Ngor was Cambodian. Ngor was a former surgeon with no prior acting experience before starring in, and winning the Oscar for, 1984's The Killing Fields. Curiously, he is not the only Cambodian citizen to have won an Academy Award: Angelina Jolie was granted Cambodian citizenship in recognition for the humanitarian work she has done in the country

## Tournament

Cambodia was defeated by Australia in Round 1 Matchup 32 of FlagVote. As the 210 seed, it was defeated by Suriname in Round 1 Matchup 234 of FlagVote 2. As the 522 seed, it was cleanly swept by South Africa in Round 2 Matchup 177 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Den Haag.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (503) Den Haag 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (10) South Africa 11-0
British Columbia

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada

It is home to the city of Vancouver, the third largest in all of Canada, but its capital is Victoria. Unlike Vancouver, Victoria is located on Vancouver Island. It is the only part of Western Canada which lies below the 49th parallel

Western BC borders the Pacific Ocean while Eastern BC is right in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Yoho National Park and Glacier National Park of Canada offer breathtaking mountain views

The northern 80% of the province is mostly uninhabited, as it is very mountainous and heavily forested. The largest northern city is Prince George, which was founded in 1807 as a fur trading post and somehow has over 75,000 people living in it

66 major leaguers have come from British Columbia, most notably Jason Bay, Justin Morneau, and Hall of Famer Larry Walker. Morneau and Walker come from the Vancouver suburbs, but Bay comes from the mountain town of Trail

## Tournament

As the 754 seed, British Columbia was defeated by the Syrian Opposition in Round 1 Matchup 147 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (271) Syrian Opposition 8-2
Costa Rica

*"Actually I didn’t see the human toothed jaguar (also known as “The Cloud Man” to the locals) but I did see the xenomorph from alien and a medium-sized crab"*

*--Lexy Lee*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Costa Rica is a country in Central America, down there between Nicaragua and Panama

It also has a maritime border with Ecuador thanks to being the proud owner of Cocos Island (that’s cocos island singular, not the Cocos Islands)

Following a Civil War in 1948, it became one of only a few countries to abolish its military

It is ranked as having the 7th freest press in the world and the 12th happiest populace. I’m not enough of a political scientist to tell you if this point is related to the previous one, or whether either are related to the fact that they spend more on education than the average country

Costa Rica is the most visited country in Central America. One person who has visited Costa Rica is @Lexy Lee, who went into the jungle and saw some pretty terrifying animals which I’m sure she’d be happy to tell us all about

## Tournament

Costa Rica was defeated by Estonia in Round 1 Matchup 105 of FlagVote. As the 416 seed, it was defeated by Bhutan in Round 1 Matchup 13 of FlagVote 2. As the 559 seed, it was defeated by Northern Savonia in Round 1 Matchup 158 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (466) Northern Savonia 6-3

## Cloud Man

In response to Cam's request for Lexy to share her terrifying animal story, Greg chose to guess what animal she may have seen. Here are his guesses:

-alligator

-star-nosed mole

-the xenomorph from alien

-crocodile

-the thing from john carpenter's the thing

-a really big crab

-ann coulter

-jaguar with human teeth

Lexy responded that she had seen an alligator with human teeth, which was nicknamed 'Cloud Man.' This inspired Greg to make two photoshopped images of Cloud Man, one of which became the emoji :jaguar:. After the Cloud Man images were shared, Lexy revealed that her actual story involved being less than a foot away from a venomous snake.
Blockbuster

*"2 hours 59 minutes until I announce my blockbuster"*

*--Sahil Shah*

**Blockbuster** (:blockbuster:) is an emoji in the M-SABR Slack. It was created by Cam Cain on 8-1-19 as a way to react to big trades in #dynastybaseball. Since then, it has been used to react to trades in #dynastyhockey or for real-life trades. Additionally, it is often used ironically for a trade that is not a blockbuster (where Hollywood would be more appropriate). It is also the description for #ilovefilms.

## Gallery

First known Blockbuster reaction to a tradeBlockbuster Alert in Dynasty BaseballBlockbuster used after a large trade in Dynasty HockeyIronic usage of Blockbuster
Azad Kashmir

*"I don't get why there has to be a random orange rectangle in the top left corner"*

*--Sahil Shah*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Azad Jammu and Kashmir ("Free Jammu and Kashmir"), often referred to as AJK or Azad Kashmir, is one of two Pakistan-administered regions in Kashmir

It makes up the westernmost part of the former territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the borders of which today make up the disputed territory claimed by China, India, and Pakistan

Nominally, Azad Kashmir is a self-governing state, but in every sense barring outright annexation Pakistan controls both it and its neighbor Gilgit-Baltistan

Despite all the dispute in the area, its mountainous views, green valleys, and numerous cultural heritage sites make it a popular tourist destination

The flag of Azad Kashmir is meant to evoke the snow-topped mountains and green of the Kashmir Valley, with the twin cantons representing the Muslim majority (the green part with the moon) and the many religious minorities (the gold part) in the region

## Tournament

As the 485 seed, Azad Kashmir was defeated by Curacao in Round 1 Matchup 80 of FlagVote 2. As the 725 seed, it was defeated by Yukon in Round 1 Matchup 127 of FlagVote 3.

## Gallery

Greg's Tocantins mashup with Azad KashmirCam's mashup with Tocantins
Burkina Faso

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Burkina Faso is a country in West Africa that kinda looks like Ghana's beret

Though its only official language is French, only about 1.5% of its population are native French speakers

The name Burkina Faso is a combination of indigenous languages. Burkina is a Mossi word meaning "upright" or "proud", and Faso means "fatherland". The demonym, Burkinabè, is a Fula word for women or men

It used to be known as Upper Volta, but President Thomas Sankara changed it in the mid-eighties. His successor overthrew him in 1987 and did not leave office until 2014

Coups are kind of a trend in Burkina Faso. Four of them happened in the 1980s, and there's been two more of them this year alone

Aside from the coups, the country is facing significant issues with terrorist incursions in the eastern part of the country and high amounts of food insecurity

Burkina Faso won its first Olympic medal in the "2020" Olympics: a bronze in the triple jump

## Tournament

Burkina Faso was defeated by California in Round 1 Matchup 77 of FlagVote. As the 345 seed, it was cleanly swept by Turkey in Round 1 Matchup 54 of FlagVote 2. As the 435 seed, it was defeated by Lesotho (old) in Round 1 Matchup 216 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (590) Lesotho (old) 6-5
Enga

*"isn't enga the lady who sang orinoco flow (sail away)"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Enga is a province in the central highlands of Papua New Guinea

Its capital, Wabag, is the least populous provincial capital in the country

It was first explored by Europeans in the 1920s when they were looking for gold. It is uncertain whether they actually found gold, but they did find the Engan people

The Engan people are divided into three subgroups: Mae, Raiapu, and Kyaka, and though they reportedly believe in supernatural deities the spirits are apparently all either indifferent or malicious, giving them no joy or comfort

About 430,000 people live in Enga Province, and their current governor has been governor for longer than I have been alive. He is known throughout PNG as the "Action Governor", and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015

The Enga language is the second most widely-spoken language in all of Papua New Guinea, and it has the highest number of native speakers of any language in the country

## Tournament

As the 442 seed, Enga was defeated by Östergotland in Round 2 Matchup 167 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Hawaii.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (583) Hawaii 7-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (71) Östergotland 9-1
Grey Highlands

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Grey Highlands is a town in southern Ontario

It is located in the “Georgian Triangle” region of municipalities near the Georgian Bay

The population is just shy of 10,000

Prospectors came to Eugenia Falls in Grey Highlands in 1852 in search of gold, only to find none

Former Ottawa Senators enforcer Chris Neil is from Grey Highlands

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

Grey Highlands is a municipality in southwest Ontario

More specifically, it's in that bit of Canada that juts down into the Great Lakes, near Lake Huron

The municipality was founded in 2001 when the village of Markdale merged with several other nearby townships

Lake Eugenia, its waterfall, and the various nature trails and ski resorts in the area have made it a popular cottage tourist destination

There was a false gold rush in Grey Highlands back in the 1850s, when a ton of people got very excited about what turned out to just be pyrite. Today, the community of Eugenia hosts annual Gold Rush weekends to celebrate

The first woman elected to Canada's House of Commons was from Grey Highlands. Right winger/enforcer Chris Neil, whose number 25 was retired by the Senators just last month, is also from here

## Tournament

As the 232 seed, Grey Highlands was defeated by Hokkaido in Round 2 Matchup 25 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Lesotho (old). As the 149 seed, it was defeated by the Pearson Pennant in Round 2 Matchup 124 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (281) Lesotho (old) 6-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (25) Hokkaido 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Loss to (364) Pearson Pennant 6-5
Basque Country

*"basque is a 9 and i will not tolerate any slander of it"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Basque Country is a province and cultural region in Spain

The broader Basque region also includes the western Pyrenees and that corner of France

The largest city is Bilbao

The city’s soccer club Athletic Bilbao is a symbol of Basque nationalism and has been La Liga champions 8 times, most recently in 1984

The Basque Language is believed to be a language isolate, as well as the oldest surviving language in western Europe

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Basque Country is an autonomous region in northeast Spain

Its flag is known as the ikurriña, and it was designed by the Basque Nationalist Party in the 1890s. Franco's regime banned the flag after the Spanish Civil War, but the flag continued to fly in the region as an act of defiance until its re-legalization in the seventies

The Basque language is the only language isolate in Europe, meaning it is the only European language that cannot be classified into a broader linguistic family

Somewhat similar to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Basque Country was also home to a notorious paramilitary separatist movement. This group, called ETA, was active until 2010 and didn't fully dissolve until 2018

But that's probably not what the Basques would like to be famous for. Tourists come to the Basque country for rugged mountain views, beaches on the Gulf of Biscay, and an internationally renowned gastroculture that combines elements from French, Spanish, and Portuguese cuisine, among others

Jai alai was invented here

## Tournament

As the 306 seed, Basque Country was defeated by Milwaukee People's Flag in Round 1 Matchup 231 of FlagVote 2. As the 393 seed, it was defeated by Tokyo in Round 2 Matchup 51 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Valais.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (207) Milwaukee People's Flag 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (632) Valais 8-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (120) Tokyo 6-3
Gibraltar

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Gibraltar is an overseas British territory in the Mediterranean Sea, located at the southern tip of Spain

The territory was originally owned by Spain, but it was captured by the Netherlands in 1704 and ceded to the UK in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of Spanish Succession

Due to its location, it is an extremely important territory for the Royal Navy, as half of the world’s trade passes by Gibraltar

The landscape is dominated by the famous Rock of Gibraltar, a monolith which peaks at over 400 feet. Here are some geology facts for Lexy. It is predominantly made of shale and limestone, and it is the result of an overturned fold which was faulted and deformed. The rocks were deposited in the early Jurassic period, and it took its current shape when the Mediterranean Sea was created some 5 million years ago

Prudential Insurance has used the Rock in advertising and as its logo since the 1890s, claiming their product is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar

Record producer Albert Hammond grew up in Gibraltar. His son Albert Hammond Jr is the guitarist for The Strokes

## Tournament

Gibraltar was defeated by the Marshall Islands in Round 1 Matchup 101 of FlagVote. As the 369 seed, it was defeated by Aruba in Round 1 Matchup 30 of FlagVote 2. As the 414 seed, it was defeated by Colorado Springs in Round 1 Matchup 204 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Loss to Marshall Islands 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (611) Colorado Springs 6-5
Lesotho (old)

*"That green and blue combo 🥲"*

*--Alex Fischer*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This was the flag of Lesotho from 1987 to 2006

It was installed following a military coup which ousted the party in power

It depicts a traditional Basotho shield with a lance and a club

The blue on this flag, as well as the current one, stand for rain. The rain is very erratic in Lesotho, with frequent droughts as well as frequent flooding

On the 40th anniversary of its independence, Lesotho designed a new flag featuring a traditional hat instead of weapons

## Tournament

As the 281 seed, this flag was defeated by Grey Highlands in Round 1 Matchup 50 of FlagVote 2. As the 590 seed, it was defeated by Mexico in Round 2 Matchup 215 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Burkina Faso.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (232) Grey Highlands 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (435) Burkina Faso 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (78) Mexico 9-2
Cesinovo-Oblesevo (old)

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

This was the flag of Češinovo Obleševo Municipality In North Macedonia prior to 2015 (or, according to some sources, 2014)

It has an area of 51 square miles

It is one of just a few flags this tournament which can be sung to the theme of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Here’s a funny stock image featuring the flag

## Tournament

As the 516 seed, Cesinovo-Oblesevo was defeated by Ireland Harp in Round 1 Matchup 66 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (509) Ireland Harp 8-3
Bukidnon

*"Boo kidnon? More like woo kidnon"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Bukidnon is a province in the northern part of Mindanao, the southernmost major island of the Philippines

Its capital is Malaybalay, which has a fun flag of its own and has just been added to the list for FlagVote 4

The name Bukidnon means “highlander,” as it is located on a high plateau. Mount Dulang-dulang, the second highest mountain in the Philippines at 9639 feet, is in the province. The mountains on the flag represent the Kitanglad Mountain Range, and the spear represents spears

It is considered the food basket of the region, as it is a major producer of rice, corn, pineapples, bananas, and sugarcane

Famous boxer and homophobe Manny Pacquiao was born in Bukidnon, although he did not grow up in the province

## Tournament

As the 575 seed, Bukidnon was defeated by Västergotland in Round 2 Matchup 133 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating King County.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (450) King County 7-3

**Round 2:** Loss to (63) Västergotland 8-2
Hungary

*"orban, orszaghaz pretty building, raven king matthias corvinus, trianon irredentism, zoltan mesko, bela lugosi, zsa zsa gabor"*

*"now you're just making words up"*

*-Gregory Severin & Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Hungary is a country in central Europe

The country’s name in Hungarian is Magyaristan, and Magyar is the name for people from the country

The Hungarian alphabet has 44 letters, and it is one of the most difficult languages to learn

From 1867 to 1918, Hungary was joined with Austria and much of central and eastern Europe as the Austro-Hungarian Empire

In 1873 the cities of Buda and Pest on opposite sides of the Danube merged to form the capital of Budapest

Hungary was a soccer power in the early 20th century, twice winning runner-up of the World Cup thanks to star Ferenc Puskas, one of the sport’s all time greats.

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Hungary is a landlocked nation in central Europe

Its capital, Budapest, was once two cities on opposite sides of the Danube called Buda and Pest. They united in 1873

The land that is now Hungary was conquered by Atilla the Hun in the 5th century AD, and he remains a major name in Hungarian folklore

At one point, Hungary and Austria were combined as one big kingdom, but that didn’t survive the first World War

Hungarians refer to themselves as Magyars, and they refer to their country as “Magyarország,” or Magyar Country. The Hungarian language, a Uralic language, is very different from most other languages in the world, although it has some similarities to Finnish. It is widely regarded as one of the hardest languages to learn

Coincidentally, I went to a Hungarian restaurant last night, and the Hungarian cuisine is really good. Paprika was invented in Hungary and features prominently in most of their meals, and the stew goulash is a symbol of the country

From the 1930s through the 1960s, Hungary had the best soccer team in the world. Though they never won a World Cup, they have been runners-up twice and won Olympic gold three times. They once went unbeaten four years straight including a win over England which was dubbed the “Match of the Century.” Striker Ferenc Puskás is regarded as the sport’s first international superstar and holds the record for most goals scored in the 20th century

## Tournament

Hungary was defeated by Israel in Round 3 Matchup 30 of FlagVote. As the 272 seed, it was defeated by Bahamas in Round 2 Matchup 16 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Russia. As the 215 seed, it was defeated by Trinidad and Tobago in Round 3 Matchup 95 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating the Dominican Republic.

## Results

### FlagVote

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

**Round 2:** Win over Dominica 5-1

**Round 3:** Loss to Israel 5-2

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (241) Russia 4-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (16) Bahamas 7-0

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (298) Dominican Republic 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (42) Trinidad and Tobago 6-3
Iceland

*"bjork bjork"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Iceland is a Nordic country in the North Atlantic ocean

Iceland is greener than Greenland is, and Greenland is icier. This has never led to any confusion, ever

The entire island is super volcanic, and the widely available geothermal energy has led to Iceland becoming the world's largest energy exporter per capita

Iceland gets weird about names. Surnames aren't really used, so everyone is known by their first name. First names also have to be approved by the country's Naming Committee, which is a real thing that really exists

Since it's such a tiny island, there's a real risk of incest in Iceland. This has led to a very popular app that warns potential paramours of a potential Luke-and-Leia situation

In the international theater, Iceland usually doesn't do much. That all changed during the Cod Wars, though. Not the Cold War, mind you, but a series of disputes with the UK over who got to fish in the North Atlantic. England caved after Iceland threatened to fucking leave NATO over the argument

Iceland made history in 2018 when they became the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. They quickly became the tournament's underdog darlings, and they even tied against Argentina!

## Tournament

Iceland was defeated by Alaska in Round 1 Matchup 80 of FlagVote. As the 21 seed, it was defeated again by Alaska in Round 6 Matchup 3 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (492) Gananoque 7-0

**Round 2:** Win over (236) Chad 5-0

**Round 3:** Win over (108) Ireland Harp 5-1

**Round 4:** Win over (44) Sweden 4-2

**Round 5:** Win over (12) St. Vincent and the Grenadines 5-1

**Round 6:** Loss to (5) Alaska 4-3
Central African Republic

*"baby you can't drive my c.a.r."*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

The Central African Republic is a republic in central africa

It has been in the midst of a Civil War since late 2012 between the Seleka and anti-balaka groups. A quick Wikipedia scroll leads me to believe that the Seleka are the good guys

The current borders were drawn by France, who controlled the country until 1960

The CAR ranks second-to-last in Human Development Index and has been estimated to be the world’s unhealthiest country

The national soccer team has consistently been one of the worst in the world, but they nearly qualified for the 2012 African Cup of Nations after a surprise upset of Algeria

## Eulogy 2

*By Gregory Severin*

The Central African Republic is a republic in... you guessed it... Central Africa

It, like many other parts of the region, was colonized by France. French remains one of the two official languages in the CAR, though Sango is more the more common of the two and over seventy languages are estimated to be spoken in the country

The Central African Republic has had a tumultuous political history since the colonial period. Five years after independence, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa seized power in a coup, dissolved the National Assembly, and declared himself leader of the ~~First Galactic~~ Central African Empire. He ruled for almost 15 years before France coup'd him back, replacing him with the leader he had himself coup'd. This leader would get coup'd for a second time in 1981

Today, the country is in the midst of a decade-long civil war. Recently, Russian mercenaries linked to neo-Nazism have joined the fighting on the side of the sitting president. I don't know what the rebels are all about but I have to believe it's better than joining forces with neo-nazis

The Central African Republic is believed to be the country least affected by light pollution, thanks in part to the dense and diverse that cover large swathes of its territory. It being among the least-developed countries may also have a hand in things, but let's look on the bright side of things, no pun intended

## Tournament

Central African Republic was defeated by Egypt in Round 1 Matchup 64 of FlagVote. As the 466 seed, it was cleanly swept by India in Round 1 Matchup 233 of FlagVote 2. As the 662 seed, it was defeated by Karakalpakstan in Round 1 Matchup 253 of FlagVote 3.
Austria

*"Austria's flag looks like a side view of the new Supreme oreos"*

--Sully Tomich

## Eulogy 1

*By Gregory Severin*

The Republic of Austria is an Alpine country in Central Europe

From 1867 to 1918 it was married to Hungary, forming the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Austria is to blame for World War I, after they declared war on Serbia when their Archduke got headshot

Its capital of Vienna is perennially ranked at or near the top in livability surveys

Notable Austrians include Sigmund Freud, the father of daddy issues, Felix Bumgartner, who fell down a really long way, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's the goddamn Terminator, and Mozart

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Austria is a Central European nation located in the Alps

The name Austria is derivative of its German counterpart Österreich, which means Eastern Realm. The German version first appeared in the year 996, and the variant we use first appeared in the 12th century

Austria began as a part of Bavaria. It then was absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire. Once that collapsed, Austria made its own empire in 1806

Austria and neighboring Hungary were briefly joined at the hip, but that ended after World War I

Austria’s highest peak is Grossglockner, which is the second most prominent peak in the Alps.

There’s a common saying that Austria’s greatest trick is convincing people that Hitler is German and Mozart is Austrian. Indeed, the former grew up outside of Linz and didn’t move to Germany until he was 24. But Mozart is pure Salzburg, and so uncontestedly so that I’m thinking I may be misremembering the quote. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The quote is about Beethoven, not Mozart.] Anyway, other famous Austrians include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigmund Freud, and the Von Trapp family

## Tournament

Austria was defeated by Ireland in Round 1 Matchup 86 of FlagVote. As the 151 seed, it was defeated by Zheleznogorsk in Round 3 Matchup 53 of FlagVote 2. As the 274 seed, it was defeated by Sully in Round 2 Matchup 154 of FlagVote 3 after previouslt defeating Margibi County.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (362) Western Sahara 5-1

**Round 2:** Win over (106) Ingushetia 4-3

**Round 3:** Loss to (23) Zheleznogorsk 5-2

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (751) Margibi County 11-0

**Round 2:** Loss to (239) Sully 7-3
Franco-Nunavois

*"Stonehenge looks like something made in Microsoft Paint"*

*--Yuki Mori*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

The Franco-Nunavois are Nunavut's French-speaking population

The majority of Franco-Nunavois reside in the territory's capital Iqaluit

Nunavut has the fewest native Francophones in Canada. Only about 600 Nunavummiut, or roughly 1.5% of the total population, speak French as a mother tongue, though roughly 1200 people can speak it as either their primary or secondary language. This figure is also the second-smallest percentage of a province or territory's population to speak French natively

Incidentally, both native English and native French speakers are a minority in Nunavut: 63.1% of the population speaks Inuktitut as their first language, compared to 1.5% for French and 31.5% for English. Additionally, 5.8% of the population speaks neither English or French

The dandelion on the flag represents the resiliency of the Franco-Nunavois population

## Tournament

As the 644 seed, the Franco-Nunavois flag was defeated by Herefordshire in Round 1 Matchup 69 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Loss to (381) Herefordshire 6-3
Arby's

*"beef'n'cheddar in shambles"*

*--Sully Tomich*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Arby’s is a fast food chain with over 3300 restaurants

The first Arby’s was founded by the Raffel Brothers (R.Bs) in 1964 in Boardman Ohio

It is found in 48 states (the exceptions being Rhode Island and Vermont) plus five additional countries

It is known for its roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, and questionable quality

## Eulogy 2

*By Sahil Shah*

The Arby's flag was more than a flag. When Cam first included it in Flagvote 2, he did it as a joke. He thought "hey, wouldn't it be funny to have a flag of a fast food restaurant instead of a country or a state or a province?" Many people may have laughed at the thought of including such a flag. But not me -- the Arby's flag instantaneously touched my heart. So simple -- a red background, with the Arby's logo, the iconic white hat prominently featured. Yet, it conveyed so much more. It represented the roast beef sandwiches, crispy curly fries, and iced tea enjoyed by millions. Sure, the roast beef sandwiches are probably actually horse meat but they were just good enough where nobody really cared where they came from.

While we are all understandably and justifiably devastated, today is also a day for celebration. After starting as a small shop in 1964, Arby's today has more than 3400 locations and is one of the most successful fast food chains in the world. It's flag not only successfully made it to this elite tournament, but also won a matchup. Although the Arby's flag may have lost due to a smear campaign by @Can, it's legacy will live on forever. Farewell, Arby's flag. We salute you and thank you for your service. I speak for everyone in this Slack when I say we cannot wait for you to make your return in Flagvote 4.

## Tournament

As the 261 seed, Arby's was defeated by Alaska in Round 2 Matchup 33 of FlagVote 2 after previously defeating Chilean Antarctic Territory. As the 535 seed, it was defeated by Lincoln in Round 2 Matchup 185 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Cauca. Its FlagVote 3 journey was controversial and nicknamed the Arby's Beef.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (252) Chilean Antarctic Territory 5-1

**Round 2:** Loss to (5) Alaska 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (490) Cauca 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (23) Lincoln 6-5
Hamilton County

*Not to be confused with Hamilton*

*"hamilton is so funky i'm seriously considering tossing it a vote just because"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Hamilton County is a county in the southwest corner of Ohio

It is the third largest county in Ohio, due to the fact that Cincinnati is there

During the German Revolution of 1848, thousands of German immigrants came to Hamilton County. By 1900, 60% of Cincinnati was of German descent

The highest point in Hamilton County is Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, one of the largest landfills in the country. The world’s largest Hershey bar is buried there, and at 1075 feet it is often mistakenly believed to be the highest point in all of Ohio

The Hamilton County Fair is the oldest county fair in all of Ohio. Founded in 1820, it was held every year from 1863 to 2017, but it has been cancelled four of the past five years due to flooding, Covid, and more flooding

Notable people from Hamilton County include Barry Larkin, William Howard Taft, Steven Spielberg, Doris Day, members of 98 Degrees, members of The National, and my dad

## Tournament

As the 469 seed, Hamilton County was defeated by Saga in Round 2 Matchup 125 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Normandy.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (556) Normandy 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (44) Saga 10-0
Ehime

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Ehime Prefecture is a Japanese prefecture on the island of Shikoku

Wikipedia tells me the name means “lovely princess”

The largest city in the prefecture is Matsuyama, with over 500,000 people

Matsuyama is known for its hot springs, its castle, and its art museum

Akinori Iwamura is the only MLB player from the prefecture

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Ehime Prefecture is a Japanese prefecture located on the northern part of the island of Shikoku

The name Ehime comes from Shinto myth and supposedly means “lovely princess”

Imabari Shipbuilding, Japan’s largest shipbuilding company, is headquartered in Ehime and has a bunch of docks there. The prefecture is also known for its mandarin oranges

Dogo Onsen, the oldest hot spring in Japan, is located in the prefecture’s largest city of Matsuyama. It dates back to at least the 8th century and partially inspired the design of the bathhouse in Spirited Away

Ehime is a sister province of Hawaii and British Columbia

Rays legend Aki Iwamura is the only major leaguer to come from the prefecture. He currently manages a minor league team in Japan

## Tournament

As the 287 seed, Ehime was defeated by Azerbaijan in Round 1 Matchup 242 of FlagVote 2. As the 231 seed, it was cleanly swept by Kenya in Round 3 Matchup 85 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Concepcion.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (226) Azerbaijan 6-1

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (282) Concepcion 6-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (26) Kenya 11-0
Alaska

## Eulogy

Alaska is the 49th United State of America, even though it's nickname is the "Last Frontier" so I always think it's the 50th

It is the first noncontiguous state admitted to the Union

Each of the top 10 tallest mountain peaks in the US are in Alaska. This includes Denali, the tallest peak on the continent

The Alaska territory had been under Russian control until Secretary of State William Seward negotiated its purchase for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents per acre of land, in 1867

Alaska's capital Juneau is the only state capital not directly accessible by road

At 71 degrees north, the city of Utqiagvik is the northernmost settlement in the US and one of the northernmost points in the world

Because it's so far north, very few pro athletes have come from Alaska. Only eleven MLB players were born in the state, most notably three-time World Series champion Curt Schilling

## Tournament

Alaska was defeated by Kazakhstan in Round 4 Matchup 10 of FlagVote after previously defeating Iceland, Vatican City, and Nepal. As the 5 seed, it was defeated by Norway in Quarterfinal 1 of FlagVote 2.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Iceland 5-2

**Round 2:** Win over Vatican City 7-0

**Round 3:** Win over Nepal 6-0

**Round 4:** Loss to Kazakhstan 4-3

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Win over (508) Lofa County 6-0

**Round 2:** Win over (261) Arby's 6-1

**Round 3:** Win over (124) Czech Republic 7-0

**Round 4:** Win over (60) Donetsk Oblast 5-1

**Round 5:** Win over (101) Fukuoka 4-2

**Round 6:** Win over (21) Iceland 4-3

**Quarterfinal:** Loss to (13) Norway 4-2
Russian Empire

*"the tsar in tshambles"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Gregory Severin*

Starting during the reign of Peter the Great in 1721, and ending with the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the Romanov dynasty ruled the Russian Empire

It was in this era that Russia annexed the Baltics, the Caucasus, Belarus, parts of Poland and Ukraine, and much of Central Asia. It also owned Alaska for a hot sec until we bought it from them

Tsar Peter I founded the Russian Empire because he really hated being Russian. He once said it was better to be an English commoner than a Russian noble, so to Make Russia Great Again (for the first time) he decided to implement serious westernizing reforms. You know, fun stuff like

- going to war against European powers (thanks for the Baltic Sea access, Sweden)

- opening up several academic and scientific institutions

- making nobles shave their beards and learn French (yes, he really did this)

- building BOATS. That's right, before this Russia's sea access was too cold to develop BOATS. But Peter studied under the finest shipbuilders in the Netherlands so he decided to bring the power of BOATS to Russia

So Peter was pretty cool. Actually, he was great. He eventually figured out that if he wanted to be a true Western monarch he should rule an Empire instead of a Tsardom, so he moved his capital to a swamp, named it after himself, and ended up making the Russian Empire a true power on the continent

His legacy would be continued by Catherine the Great in the late 18th century, as her reign saw both territorial expansion and further Westernizing reforms. She founded the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world, hung out with Voltaire and other Enlightenment thinkers, and ended up getting a pretty good Hulu TV series made about her

Later Tsars would help kick Napoleon out of Europe (Alexander I), FINALLY emancipate the serfs in 1861 (Alexander II), oversee some embarrassing military failures that contributed to societal downturn at the start of the 20th century (Nicholas I), and abdicate after the growing unrest became too much (also Nicholas I)

Today, we see another Russian leader trying to revive the Russian Empire. However, he appears to mostly be trying to do this not through instituting new and welcome societal reforms, but instead by bullying his neighbors and then invading them when that doesn't work

## Tournament

As the 472 seed, the Russian Empire was cleanly swept by Tunisia in Round 2 Matchup 61 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Belarus.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (553) Belarus 6-2

**Round 2:** Loss to (41) Tunisia 11-0
Choszczenski County

*"whoa, lexyulogy"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Lexy Lee*

Choszczno is a county in Poland that is newly 24 years old (because nobody likes you when you’re 23). It has a population of 50,066.

The largest town in Choszczno County is Choszczno — 80% of the buildings in Choszczno were damaged or destroyed during WWII. It is unclear if the buildings are back.

Currently it will take me personally one day and nine hours to travel to Choszczno by plane. Trip Advisor has no travel articles for Choszczno. It is currently cold there. But not as cold as New England!

Drawa National Park is located in Choszczno County in the Drawaska Forest, named after the Drawa River. The largest hill is only 106 meters, but they are proud of it.

## Tournament

As the 484 seed, Choszczno County was cleanly swept by Portland in Round 2 Matchup 73 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Khust.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (541) Khust 6-5

**Round 2:** Loss to (29) Portland 11-0
Amsterdam

*"hamster damn"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy 1

*By Cam Cain*

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands

It has been called the “Venice of the North” due to its canal systems

   Amsterdam’s name come from the city’s origin around a dam in the Amstel River

The city’s Red Light District has become a famous tourism location

## Eulogy 2

*By Cam Cain*

Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands

It was founded as early as the 10th century when land was reclaimed. A big flood in the year 1170 made this land reclamation much easier, and the city grew

Amsterdam’s oldest building is the Oude Kerk, or Old Church, founded in 1213. The church was built on an old cemetery, and the floor is literally made of graves. You could be buried there until the end of the US Civil War, although that’s not related

It gets its name from a dam on the Amstel river. Amsteldam. Amsterdam. It is sometimes known as the Venice of the North because of its canals.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is the third busiest airport in the world. Lexy once waited 6 hours to go through security there

Amsterdam is known as one of the most bike friendly cities in the world. But not all the bikes are treated in a friendly way. Each year 50,000 bikes are stolen and another 12,000 are found in the canal

## Tournament

Amsterdam was eliminated from FlagVote in Round 3, Matchup 29 vs Sierra Leone after defeating Timor Leste and Peru in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively. As the 125th seed in FlagVote 2, Amsterdam was eliminated in Round 1, Matchup 125 against Guam in the biggest upset of the tournament. As the 207 seed, it was defeated by the African Union in Round 3 Matchup 75 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Karpos.

## Results

### FlagVote

**Round 1:** Win over Timor Leste 7-1

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

**Round 3:** Loss to Sierra Leone 4-3

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** BYE

**Round 2:** Win over (306) Karpos 7-4

**Round 3:** Loss to (50) African Union 8-3
Chelmski County

*"i still don't know how to pronounce that weird ł thing in polish"*

*--Gregory Severin*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

Chełm County is a county in eastern Poland within Lublin Voivodeship and on the border with Ukraine

The county seat is Chełm, although it is not technically located within the county. The name comes from an old proto-Slavic word meaning hill.

The flag depicts the folktale of the polar bear Głupi traveling through the mythical golden oaks of Chełm

Pop star Ania, who has had four number one albums in Poland, is from Chełm

The city of Chełm is a sister city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Chełm sadly does not have its own Wigsphere like its sister.

Apparently there are lots of jokes among eastern European Jews at the expense of Jews from Chełm. A joke goes as follows: “The town of Chełm decided to build a new synagogue. So, some strong, able-bodied men were sent to a mountaintop to gather heavy stones for the foundation. The men put the stones on their shoulders and trudged down the mountain to the town below. When they arrived, the town constable yelled, “Foolish men! You should have rolled the stones down the mountain!” The men agreed this was an excellent idea. So they turned around, and with the stones still on their shoulders, trudged back up the mountain, and rolled the stones back down again.” Considering that my ancestors are Polish and Ukrainian Jews, they probably would have been very familiar with Chełm jokes if not for the fact that they were, as I am to understand, mean and humorless people

## Tournament

As the 597 seed, Chełm was defeated by Rotuma in Round 2 Matchup 127 of FlagVote 3 after previously defeating Bolivia. As the 16 seed, it was defeated by Fish Bear in Round 1 Matchup 1 of BearFlagVote.

## Results

### FlagVote 3

**Round 1:** Win over (428) Bolivia 6-4

**Round 2:** Loss to (85) Rotuma 8-2
Nicaragua

*"a flag that has to tell you the name of the country is a bad flag. a flag that has to tell you the name of the continent is a really bad flag"*

*--Cam Cain*

## Eulogy

*By Cam Cain*

The Republic of Nicaragua is, as its flag so kindly tells us, a country located in Central America. In fact, it is the isthmus’ largest

The Eastern part of the country is known as the Mosquito, or Miskito Coast. The Spanish unsuccessfully tried many times to conquer it, and upon failing left and said “Actually we didn’t want to conquer you anyway.” It was briefly under British rule, but it has largely avoided colonial influence and retained indigenous culture.

It is known as the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes due to its lakes and volcanoes. Lake Nicaragua is the 10th largest lake in the Americas and the 19th largest in the world. It is home to freshwater sharks and two big volcanic islands

There are 21 active volcanoes in Nicaragua including Masaya, a caldera which has been erupting since 2015.

15 Nicaraguans have played in Major League Baseball, including perfect game thrower Dennis Martinez and former Mariner Erasmo Ramirez

## Tournament

Nicaragua was defeated by Maryland in Round 1 Matchup 33 of FlagVote. As the 433 seed, it was defeated by South Carolina in Round 1 Matchup 28 of FlagVote 2. As the 586 seed, it was defeated by Cascadia in Round 1 Matchup 184 of FlagVote 3.

## Results

### FlagVote 2

**Round 1:** Loss to (80) South Carolina 6-1