flag of the United States of America | Britannica.com Flag of the United States of America Written By: See Article History Alternative Titles: Old Glory, Star-Spangled Banner, Stars and Stripes national flag consisting of white stars (50 since July 4, 1960) on a blue canton with a field of 13 alternating stripes, 7 red and 6 white. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states of the union, and the 13 stripes stand for the original 13 states. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 10 to 19. Related Topics Betsy Ross After the American Revolution began, the first unofficial national flag—known as the Continental Colours (or, incorrectly, as the Grand Union Flag or the Cambridge Flag)—was hoisted at Prospect Hill in Charlestown (now in Somerville, Mass.) on Jan. 1, 1776; it was raised, it appears, at the behest of Gen. George Washington , whose headquarters were nearby.

The flag had 13 horizontal stripes (probably of red and white or of red, white, and blue) and, in the canton, the first version of the British Union Flag ( Union Jack ). It was used at forts and on naval vessels. Another popular early flag, that of the Sons of Liberty , had the 13 stripes only. The various 18th-century “Don’t Tread on Me” flags had only local significance, but in the 20th century such designs were popularized by political protesters. The first official national flag, formally approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, was the Stars and Stripes. The blue canton was to contain 13 stars, but the layout of the stars was left undefined, and several patterns are known. The designer of the flag, Congressman Francis Hopkinson , may have had a ring of stars in mind to symbolize (in the words of the flag law) “a new constellation.” Today that pattern is popularly known as the “ Betsy Ross flag,” although the claims of her descendants that she made the first Stars and Stripes and that she used the ring pattern are unsubstantiated.

Rows of stars (4-5-4 or 3-2-3-2-3) were common, but other variations also existed. The new Stars and Stripes formed part of the military colours carried on Sept. 11, 1777, at the Battle of the Brandywine , perhaps its first such use. Similar Topics flag of the Confederate States of America The Stars and Stripes changed on May 1, 1795, when two more stars and two more stripes were added to reflect the admission to the union of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792).

(One such flag was the 1,260-square-foot [117-square-metre] “Star-Spangled Banner,” made by Mary Pickersgill, that Francis Scott Key saw at Fort McHenry in September 1814, inspiring his patriotic poem .) In 1818, after five more states had been admitted, Congress enacted legislation pertaining to a new flag, requiring that henceforth the number of stripes should remain 13, the number of stars should always match the number of states, and any new star should be added on the July 4 following a state’s admission. This has been the system ever since. In all, from 1777 to 1960 (after the admission of Hawaii in 1959) there were 27 versions of the flag—25 involving changes in the stars only. An executive order of Oct. 29, 1912, standardized the proportions and relative sizes of the elements of the flag; in 1934 the exact shades of colour were standardized. There is no official assignment of meaning or symbolism to the colours of the flag.

However, Charles Thomson , secretary of the Continental Congress, in describing the proposed Great Seal, suggested the following symbolism: “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue…signifies vigilence, perseverence [sic] & justice.” As with many other national flags, the Stars and Stripes has long been a focus of patriotic sentiment . Millions of children have traditionally recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag at the start of each school day, and the lyrics of the national anthem are also concerned with the flag. Some veterans’ groups have pressured legislators to adopt laws or a constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration, but such legislation has been opposed on the grounds that it would infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent During the American Civil War , the Confederate States of America began to use its first flag, the Stars and Bars, on March 5, 1861. Soon after, the first Confederate Battle Flag was also flown. The design of the Stars and Bars varied over the following two years. On May 1, 1863, the Confederacy adopted its first official national flag, often called the Stainless Banner.

A modification of that design was adopted on March 4, 1865, about a month before the end of the war. In the latter part of the 20th century, many groups in the South challenged the practice of flying the Confederate Battle Flag on public buildings, including some state capitols. Proponents of the tradition argued that the flag recalled Southern heritage and wartime sacrifice, whereas opponents saw it as a symbol of racism and slavery, inappropriate for official display. The “Southern Cross” version of the Confederate Battle Flag. The Stainless Banner, first official national flag of the Confederate States of America. Austria Flag - World Flags 101 - Austrian Flags Country: Austria Austrian Flag Description: The Austrian flag consists of three equal horizontal strips. The top and bottom stripes are red and the middle stripe is white. Austrian Flag Meaning: Legend has it that Duke Leopold V. of Austria (1157-1194) was involved in a battle during the Crusades, and after the fight his white battledress was soaked in blood. When he removed his belt, though, the cloth underneath was still white. That very sight is said to have inspired the red, white and red stripes on the Austrian flag.

Advertiser Links [ what's this? ] Austrian Flag History: The Austrian flag originated when Duke Friedrich II (1210-1246) wanted Austria to become more independent of the Roman Empire so he and adopted the red-white-red flag in 1230. The empire of Austria was founded in 1806. In 1938 it became a province of Nazi Germany. The allies occupied Austria after the Second World War until it became fully independent in 1955, on the condition that it remained neutral. The current version of the Austrian flag was adopted on April 27, 1984. Interesting Austrian Flag Facts: The Austrian and Danish flags are believed to be among the oldest national flag designs in the world. The Austrian flag wasn't used during Austria's unification with Nazi Germany in 1938 until it gained independence in 1945. World FlagsAlphabetical list of all world flags. A A Flag Day History of the Stars and Stripes - History in the Headlines A Flag Day History of the Stars and Stripes Why does the American flag have 13 stripes?

Get all the facts and figures on "Old Glory." Share this: A Flag Day History of the Stars and Stripes Author A Flag Day History of the Stars and Stripes URL Google The American flag has gone through many changes since it was adopted 235 years ago by the Second Continental Congress. As the adoption of the Stars and Stripes is commemorated this Thursday on Flag Day, find out more about Old Glory’s mysterious origins and its rise to iconic prominence. When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, the colonists didn’t yet unite under a single flag. Instead, they fought mainly under unit or regimental flags, according to Marc Leepson, author of the book “Flag: An American Biography.” One flag of the time featured a picture of a coiled rattlesnake with the slogan “Don’t Tread on Me,” while another showed a pine tree with the words “An Appeal to Heaven.” “There really wasn’t anything that was stars and stripes, red, white and blue,” said Mike Buss, a flag expert with the American Legion veterans’ organization. In June 1775, the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, created a united colonial fighting force known as the Continental Army.

Some historians claim that George Washington, the army’s commander-in-chief, ordered that a flag called the Continental Colors be raised the following New Year’s Day during a siege of British-occupied Boston. But David Martucci, past president of the North American Vexillological Association, the world’s largest group dedicated to the study of flags, believes Washington likely raised a British Union Jack instead. The Continental Colors, which contained 13 alternating red and white stripes with a Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner, was only used by the navy and perhaps at forts, according to Martucci. “It was sort of a compromise between the radicals who wanted to see a separate nation and the people who were more conciliatory and wanted to see some accommodation with the crown,” he said. Either way, Washington realized soon after that it probably wasn’t a good idea to fly a flag resembling that of the enemy, Leepson said. The Second Continental Congress was busy drafting a constitution known as the Articles of Confederation, seeking an alliance with France and supplying the war effort.

But on June 14, 1777, it took time from its schedule to pass a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” To this day, no one knows who designed the flag or why that particular color combination and pattern were chosen. Although legend holds that Betsy Ross made the first American flag in 1776 after being asked to do so by Washington, primary sources backing up that assertion are scarce. During the remainder of the Revolutionary War, the Stars and Stripes was mainly used for naval purposes, but afterwards it took on a national role. By 1794 two new states had been added to the Union, and Congress passed an act declaring that the flag would henceforth contain 15 stripes and 15 stars. More states kept joining, including Tennessee in 1796, Ohio in 1803, Louisiana in 1812, Indiana in 1816 and Mississippi in 1817.

Nonetheless, the flag featured 15 stripes and 15 stars until 1818, when Congress passed a new act providing for 13 stripes in honor of the 13 original colonies and one star for each state. It was almost unheard of for individuals to fly the U.S. flag until the Civil War broke out in 1861, at which time the Stars and Stripes suddenly became a popular symbol in the North, according to Leepson. “This is the beginning of what some people call the cult of the flag, the almost religious feeling that many Americans have for the red, white and blue,” he said. In 1870 the Betsy Ross legend took off when her grandson held a press conference touting her possible role in sewing the first flag, and the earliest flag protection laws appeared not long after. Meanwhile, in 1885, Wisconsin teacher Bernard Cigrand originated the idea for a national flag day. In 1912, President William Howard Taft signed an executive order that, for the first time, clarified what the flag should look like.

Up until then, some flags were oddly proportioned, Leepson explained, or even had six- or eight-pointed stars. Four years later, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation officially establishing a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14, the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777. And in 1949, President Harry Truman signed legislation designating June 14 of each year as National Flag Day. Though Flag Day is not a federal holiday, the U.S. government encourages its citizens to display Old Glory outside of their homes and businesses. The tradition is not widely observed, however. “To most folks, unfortunately, Flag Day is not on their radar screen,” Buss said. Tags Malaysia This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Malaysia National Symbols at The Malaysia Homepage Jalur Gemilang (Malay text only) with much information on flag sizes, protocol etc. Description I came across an official Malaysian Year Book in my local library and it had 'official' descriptions of the Malaysian national and state flags as well as description of armorial ensigns, state emblems and other information like state anthems, history, rulers (as in 'sultans') etc.

The Malaysian National Flag consists of fourteen red and white stripes (along the fly) of equal width, a union or canton of dark blue, a crescent and a star. The red and white stripes stand for equal status in the federation of the member states and the federal government. The union or canton of dark blue represents the unity of the peoples of Malaysia. The union contains the crescent which is the symbol of Islam, and the star, the 14 points of which symbolise the unity of the 13 states of the federation with the federal government. The yellow of the crescent and the star is the royal colour of the Rulers. Thomas W. Koh, 14 May 1997 The 14 stripes on the Malaysian flag represent the 14 states of Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan). The blue square represents the harmony of the people. The crescent symbolises Islam, the national religion and the colour yellow is the colour of royalty.

Giuseppe Bottasini, 13 August 1997 [Translated from the Malaysian flags official URL:] The dark blue stands for the unity of the Malaysian people. The crescent moon is a symbol of the official religion Islam. The 14 pointed star symbolises the unity of the 13 states and the federal government. The yellow is the colour of Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Malay States. The rules for flying flags seem to be the same as in the UK, etc, except that in Malaysia state flags are flown in the honour position at state events and on state holidays. Also, the order of state flags is according to the precedence of their Rulers, which is according to seniority, sultans/rajas then governors. Andrew Yong, 15 August 1999 Regarding the origin of the flag, I may not have the exact citation but growing up in Malaysia, the sporadic pieces of information on the origin of our national flag has seeped into our psyche.

Here are some well know facts that may help explain why the uncanny resemblance to the Stars and Stripes : Malaysia is a federation of previously independent states (not autonomous) We are one of a handful states in the work that is constituted based on a federation model (like India, Australia, Canada, US) Therefore, our founding fathers drew their inspiration from a handful of existing models at that time: o India has no element of "unity of elements" in its flag o Australia and Canada (old flag, pre '64) is too British with the Union Jack in it o The US was the post war hero, liberators and role model to the world on many fronts with a great federalist flag. The Stars and Stripes was a natural choice. Similar themes where adhered to: Each stripe represents one of the states (grew from 11 to 14) The star has 14 pointed tips The symbol of equality and strength in unity is reflected in its design.

CW Wong, 8 August 2007 On the Malaysia Government`s Official Portal, on the web-page about the Malaysian Flag and Coat of Arms is written, "The canton of dark blue in the upper quarter next to the staff and extending down to the top of the fifth stripe". Mikhail Revnitsev, 11 July 2011 I guess that this is a matter of how you count the stripes - I guess that they count only red stripes as "stripes" in this counting. Željko Heimer, 11 July 2011 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be.

For Malaysia: PMS 286 blue, 485 red 109 yellow. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise. Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012 Origins of the Flag Smith 1980 [ smi80 ] says, "Blue was chosen for the Malaysian flag to show its association with the Commonwealth (...)". Pedersen 1971 [ ped71 ] is more specific, "Dark blue is from the British flag and symbolizes the connexion with the Commonwealth ". I noticed that two recent books, Dorling-Kindersley 1997 [ udk97 ] and Znamierowski 1999 [ zna99 ], have dropped the connection with the Commonwealth . I would not be surprised if the change in the 'meaning' of the blue colour were associated with the accession of Mahathir Muhamad to the power in July 1981. Mahathir has developed a nationalistic ideology and would like to be the 'champion' of South-East Asia. This could explain that the reference to the British Commonwealth was discarded.

Ivan Sache, 23 April 2002 Document, BT 11/4189, in the Public Record Office at Kew explains some of the thinking behind the design of the Malaysian Flag. Federation of Malaya Order No.61 of 1949 announced that a committee had been set up to make recommendations for the design of a Federation Flag. (...) David Prothero, 2 May 2002 The colour blue on the flag may have represented the Commonwealth originally, but this is not the case now. Blue symbolises unity or perpaduan in Malay. Nagathisen Katahenggam, 25 August 2002 Malaysia is a federation of monarchies and a member of the (British) Commonwealth . The use of red and white stripes to represent a federation is clearly a United States innovation, but early U.S. flag designers probably got the idea of red and white stripes from the flag of the British East India Company , whose ships were frequently seen in American ports. The Straits Settlements were an East India Company protectorate, and I suspect that the stripes on the Malaysian flag make reference to both their federation and their history with the East India Company.

Jonathan Makepeace, 15 January 2003 The derivation of the US flag from the East India Company flag is widely posited but also disputed. It is, as I understand it, not true that East India Company ships were frequently seen in American ports, at least not flying the 'gridiron' flag . Also, the Straits Settlements did fall under the East India Company, but not after the company was dissolved in 1858, 105 years before the Malaysian flag was adopted. Absent any legislative history supporting this theory, it seems to me less persuasive than the hypothetical connection to the Stars and Stripes. Joseph McMillan, 15 January 2003 The very construction of the Malaysian flag, with its much larger blue canton [cf. the Johore war ensign ], is virtually a denial of US influence. Whether the red-and-white stripes in the Malaysian flag can be derived from the East India Company is a moot point, but the popularity of red and white in the East Indies (Malaysia and Indonesia [cf. for instance the Indonesian jack ]) predates any influence on the part of either Britain or the United States.

Red and white are part of the traditional colours of the Malagasy people , too, remember  a people whose origins are in Borneo. Mike Oettle, 19 January 2003 The founding fathers of Malaysia definitely had no reason to imitate the US flag. To find out the reason for the design of Malaysian flags, we have to check on the political history of Malaysia at the time of the independence. Malaysian politics till today comprises three distinct political parties each representing the 3 ethnic races of Malaysia - Malays, Chinese and Indians: UMNO : United Malay National Organisation -represent the Malays MCA : Malaysian Chinese Association-represent the Chinese MIC : Malaysian Indian Congress -represent the Indians The flags of the MCA is blue field with a yellow sun. The MIC flag is red and white stripe with MIC in Tamil and English at the centre. Now merge these two flags - the MCA flag on the canton and the MIC flags without the blue stripes on the fly. The crescent moon on the canton represent Islam hence the Malays. Nadarajan V, 1 June 2009 At a Penang state track and field meet was last week I met an elderly gentleman (Mr. Ibrihim).

He introduced himself and then began to ask questions about me...and after a while, he pointed to a Malaysian flag and asked me if the flag made me feel "at home" in any way. He then said that he was asking the question from a flag similarity standpoint. Surprisingly, he then said; "We intentionally copied the American flag you know." I said; "Really? How so?" He said that in those days, there was a good deal of positive sentiment about the US and that the newly independent Malaya wanted to mimic the US form of government in as many ways as possible. They wanted to draft a constitution that was similar to that of the US and they were hopeful that they would develop as a nation as successfully as America had. Additionally, he said that the Malay were grateful for US intervention during WW II while also quietly encouraging the British to "let go" after the war ended. He said that the US flag serving as inspiration for the design of Malaya's flag was a natural sort of process and simply seemed like "the way to go." I was amazed that I was getting to listen to Mr. Ibrihim's story and asked him how he knew all of this.

He then let me know that he had been a Malay state representative from Penang during and right after independence came along. About that time, I had to excuse myself and said that I would return in a few minutes. When I got back to my seat, Mr. Ibrihim was gone. I never got to probe further relative to his story. I hope to track Mr. Ibrihim down soon. Clay Moss, 11 April 2010 Name of the Flag: Jalur Gemilang The Flag Bulletin [ tfb ], #186, March-April 1999, page 74, says under the heading "Flag News and Notes" [ smi99e ]: Malaysia: The government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has introduced many changes into the economic, political and social systems of Malaysia. On the 40th anniversary of the country's independence, 31 August 1997, provision was made for an official name for the national flag.

The version chosen, Jalur Gemilang, combines a Malay word meaning "stripes" or "range of values" with the adjective ("gemilang") signifying "glorious". No change was introduced in the design of the flag. Santiago Dotor, 20 December 1999 Sometimes seen is a typical Malysian national flag, except that the bottom white stripe wis abnormally wide, perhaps twice as wide as the others, maybe a bit less. Jorge Candeias, 20 June 2009 There are lots of those type Malaysian flags flying here and there. They are printed cotton broad cloth and come in all sizes. Whoever makes/made them will simply get their screens a bit too narrow for whatever width they are trying to print. Usually the manufacturer is working with a piece of material that is pre-woven with tapered locked edges. That way, the flags do not have to be hemmed on the top or bottom. So, all they do is print, hem the fly and hoist and sell. Clay Moss, 21 June 2009 Flags in Malaysia Malaysia is really a good place for flag spotting.

Flags are almost all over the place and not only the Malaysian flag but also all 14 states flags. People put little flags on their cars or inside their cars, they also use stickers with Malaysian flag and inscription 'Proud to be Malaysian' and so on. If you visit Kuala Lumpur you must go to the Merdeka Square and see one of the tallest flag poles in the world (100 metres). The Union Jack was lowered at midnight on August 30, 1957 and the Malayan flag hoisted up for the first time. It is really magnificent. There are Malaysian and Federal Territory flags in front of the court building and all 14 states flags under the huge pole. The flag is really big and it's really great when you see it from different parts of the city. Here is a little picture of the Merdeka Square with the tall flag pole.

Uros Zizmund, 25 July 1999 I found this flag related news in the East Malaysian Daily Express online version 13 April 2001: Kota Kinabalu: Fifty-eight students from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) 10th College and Kolej Ibukota Kinabalu (KIK) fought coldness and fatigue to unveil Malaysia's largest Jalur Gemilang (national flag) on the summit of Mt Kinabalu last week. On Thursday, they once again unveiled the 118m x 77m flag at the KIK main campus football field in an attempt to enter the Malaysia Book of Records. Organised by the UPM 10th College undergraduate supreme council in collaboration with KIK, as the main sponsor, the project cost some RM20,000 and it took the students four months to prepare the flag. (...) Strange dimensions, 118m x 77m, giving a proportion of (almost exactly) 13:20, as opposed to the official ratio of 1:2.

Santiago Dotor, 16 April 2001 The 5 Oldest Country Flags in the World – Patriot Wood Order a wood replica of the Scotland Saltire today! → 2. AUSTRIA (Adopted 1230) The flag of Austria entertains three equal horizontal stripes of red, white, and red. Historically, the design is based on the coat of arms of the Babenberg dynasty, and at first the flag was orange-white-blue, but later the orange and blue stripes became red. According to legend, the flag was invented by Duke Leopold V of Austria as a consequence of his fighting during the Siege of Acre (1189-1191). After a fierce battle, his white surcoat was completely drenched in blood. When he removed his belt, the cloth underneath was strikingly white, revealing the color combination of red-white-red. So taken was he by this singular sight that he adopted the colors and scheme as Austria’s flag. Though the Austrian Flag was in the works in 1105, it wasn’t officially adopted until 1230. Place a custom order for a wooden replica of the Austrian Flag today! → 3.

LATVIA (1280) One of the oldest flags in the world, the Flag of Latvia was first mentioned in medieval chronicle called the Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia in 1280. The chronicle mentions a red standard with a white stripe being used by Latvian tribes. According to the LatvianHistory.com , “when the leader of Ancient Latvian Semigallian tribe lead the attack against the Teutonic Crusader controlled Riga, Latgalian soldiers from Cēsis came to support the crusaders. The Latgalians came with red-white-red flag that chronicler called the ‘flag of the letts.’” A legend refers to a mortally wounded chief of a Latvian tribe who was wrapped in a white sheet. The part of the sheet on which he was lying remained white, but the two edges were stained in his blood. During the next battle the bloodstained sheet was used as a flag. According to the legend this time the Latvian warriors were successful and drove the enemy away. Place a custom order for a wooden replica of the Flag of Latvia today! → 4.

DENMARK (Adopted 1307 or earlier) Known as the known as the 'Dannebrog' or 'Danish cloth,' in Denmark, the the current design of a white Scandinavian cross on a red background was officially adopted in 1307 or earlier. The Flag of Denmark also holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest continuously used national flag . According to legend, the flag came into Danish possession during the Battle of Lyndanisse in 1219. The Danes were on a failing crusade in Estonia, but after praying to God, a flag fell from the sky. After this event, Danish King Valdemar II went on to defeat the Estonians. The first recorded use of the flag appeared less than 100 years later. This legend has no historical or factual record, though many hold it to be true. Sources note that while Denmark was never part of the Roman Empire, similar designs were used by the Empire to represent provinces, as the white cross is symbolic of Christianity. The cross design was later adopted by other Nordic countries such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. Place a custom order for a wooden replica of the Flag of Denmark today! → 5.

ALBANIA (1443) The Flag of Albania consists of a red field (background) with a black two-headed eagle in its center. The first sighting of Albania’s flag was on on November 28, 1443, when Skanderbeg (George Kastrioti), the national hero of Albania, raised his flag over the fortress of Krujë in defiance of the Turks who ruled the country. The unique double-headed eagle design was borrowed from the Byzantine Empire. The symbol of the double-headed eagle was re-used by Albanian nationalists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a symbol of their campaign for their country's independence from the Ottoman Empire. On November 28, 1912, the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, and the flag was officially adopted.

Germany This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Germany Flag adopted 9 May 1949, as civil ensign 14 Aug 1950 On this page: Introduction to the German Federal or National Flag Nationalflagge, Bundesflagge, or Deutschlandfahne As the western occupation zones moved to unity in the last years of the 1940s, it became obvious that the governmental entity which would develop would adopt the black-red-gold of the Weimar Republic and indeed, it was established as the National Flag on 9 May 1949, two weeks before the Federal Republic came into existence. Unlike the Weimar period, there has been no serious opposition. Most of the 1949 flags are still in use. Norman Martin, Feb 1998 The official name of the German flag is Bundesflagge (federal flag). However, this name is mainly used by authorities or in very official announcements. The name given on the page about names of flags , Schwarz-Rot-Gold (black-red-gold), is not very common; it is more a poetic term. Most Germans simply call the flag Deutschlandfahne (Germany flag).

Carsten Linke, 2 May 1996 Sport sailors in Germany call their national flag Adenauer (First Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany). Jens Wessel, 3 Jan 2001 Historical Use of the Current Flag The black-red-yellow tricolour flag has been used at least three times in the history of Germany. It was adopted in 1848 , and abolished in 1852; re-adopted as the flag of the WeimarRepublic on 11 August 1919, and abolished and replaced by the ThirdReich flag (12 March 1933). It was finally re-adopted as the modern German flag on 8 May 1949. It was used by the German Democratic Republic until 1959 , but added a coat of arms from 1959 to 1989 , when the Germanies were reunited. Mark Sensen, 1996 The black-red-gold is historically associated with "liberal" nationalism in Germany, rather than republicanism per se. It was first adopted by the Frankfurt Parliament in 1848 for the proposed united German Empire.

That the 1870 German Empire went for a flag asserting north German traditions (the black and white of Prussia with the white and red of the Hanseatic League ) was due to Bismarck wanting a Kleindeutschland [smaller Germany] solution - excluding the Austrian lands, rather than the Frankfurt liberals' Großdeutschland [greater Germany] which would have included the Austrian lands within the old German Confederation . Roy Stilling, 5 Oct 1996 National Flag and Civil Ensign Nationalflagge und Handelsflagge Identical [except proportions] with the National Flag of the Weimar Republic . Adopted as Federal flag 9 May 1949 and usage extended to civil ensign 14 August 1950. Illustrated in Pedersen 1971 p. 30, Smith 1975 , p. 227, Crampton 1990i , p. 43, Album des Pavillons 1990 , p. 17 and many other places. Norman Martin, Feb 1998 Today the black-red-yellow tricolour is used as the National flag and the Merchant ensign.

Pascal Vagnat, 4 Sep 1996 Hanging Flags Hängefahne, or Bannerflagge or Knatterfahne [Editorial comment: A "vertical" flag (Knatterfahne - "vertically hoisted flag") and a "banner" (Bannerflagge) look the same, however vertical flags are hoisted on vertical poles, and banners used to hang down from a horizontal bar. A "hanging" flag (Hängefahne) is a "normal" vertical flag hanging down from a more or less horizontal or angled pole, usually mounted from the side of a building, etc.] 5:2; Image by Marcus Schmöger Flag adopted 13th Nov 1996 Since 13th November 1996 also the hanging flag (Banner) is legally prescribed, although it was used long before. Legal prescription is the Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen (Instruction on the German Flags) of 13th November 1996, published in the Bundesgesetzblatt I 1996, p. 1729.

The image I made is in proportion 5:2, as this is the most frequently found proportion for hanging flags in Germany. Sources: Laitenberger and Bassier 2000 , Friedel 1968 and Bundesministerium des Innern 1956 . See also Very long hanging flags . Marcus Schmöger, 14 Mar 2001 Hanging Flags and Variants #1 #2 Images by Thorsten, 5 Apr 2003 I would like to discuss the description of hanging German flags. I can't speak for all regions of Germany (e.g., the main contributor/editor of the Germany page seems to reside in Bavaria), but at least in the northeastern parts of the country (i.e. the former GDR including Berlin, the national capital), (true) vertical flags (i.e., flags hanging from a horizontal bar) are extremely rare. However, it is very common to hoist very tall and narrow flags (the German term for this kind of flag is "Knatterfahne") on a regular flag pole. This particular kind of flag is so popular, that many government offices use it exclusively. I can only speculate as to the rationale.

Real estate is in short supply in Germany and many office buildings have "their" flagpoles on very narrow sidewalks in front of the building. If "regular" flags of sufficient size would be flown, they might brush against trees, the next flag pole, or the building facade. Two different variants are used. The most popular option is to "rotate" (and; slightly stretched) the flag. In other words, the black stripe of the German flag would run along the flagpole #1. In the less frequent variant, the stripes are still arranged horizontally, leading to "stripes" whose individual ratios are roughly 1:1! #2. In addition to the national flag, govt. buildings usually also fly a (very tall and narrow) European Union flag. State office buildings also fly their state flag. Since my home state is Saxony-Anhalt, I have included the two variants of that flag (which can appear with or without the state CoA, so that there would actually be four variants.) I noticed that the shade for the yellow stripe on the Saxony-Anhalt state flag is identical to the shade used for the German national flag. This choice seems unfortunate, as the the color is given explicitely as yellow and not gold.

Whenever you see a Saxony-Anhalt flag flying next to the German black-red-gold, it is very obvious that the yellow in the Sax-Anh. flag is lighter. (I don't have any official specification, but the yellow from the Belgian national flag seems just about right.) Perhaps ironically, a tall flag hoisted on a flag pole is given for a fringe political party , when such flags are actually very common, not just for EU, Germany, and states, but many flags hoisted in front of buildings, e.g., political flags, commercial flags etc. Thorsten, 5 Apr 2003 I regard all these flags "true" vertical flags also, the only problem with all these flags are the proper English terms, as these types of flags (be it Hängefahne, Banner or Knatterfahne) are "very" uncommon in other countries. Marcus E.V. Schmöger, 9 Apr 2003 Coat-of-Arms Bundeswappen Image by Marcus Schmöger, 16 Mar 2001 If used alone as coat-of-arms, this is the legally prescribed form. However the eagle is used in different forms (e.g.

on flags , seals or in the Bundestag). The legal prescriptions are the Bekanntmachung betreffend das Bundeswappen und den Bundesadler (Proclamation on the Federal Coat-of-Arms and the Federal Eagle) of 20 January 1950, published in the Bundesgesetzblatt I 1950, p. 26 and the Bekanntmachung über die farbige Darstellung des Bundeswappens (Proclamation on the Coloured Representation of the Federal Coat-of-Arms) of 4 July 1952, published in the Bundesanzeiger no. 169, 2 September 1952. The latter contains a coloured table on which the coat-of-arms is depicted. Compare with the 'federal shield' or Bundesschild, also with the eagle in the presidential standard .

Austria Flags and Symbols and National Anthem Year of Completion: 1947 Date of Adoption: February 25, 1947 The national anthem of Austria is Land de Berge, Land am Strome (Land of the mountains, land on the river.) One of the few national anthems with lyrics written by a woman (Paula von Preradović), Land de Berge, Land am Strome was created after World War II. Initially, Sei gesegnet ohne Ende, sung to the tune of Deutschlandlied by Haydn, was the national anthem of Austria. The Third Reich used the same anthem during the war, albeit with different lyrics. Once the war was over, the original anthem was banned from being sung, and in order to steer clear of any negative associations with the Third Reich, Land de Berge, Land am Strome was created, sung to the tune of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's last complete work, Freimaurerkantate, K. 623. On October 22nd, 1946, the tune of Land de Berge, Land am Strome was official declared Austria's national anthem.

The lyrics were confimred on February 25, 1947. After numerous attempts during the 1990s, some of the anthem's lyrics were changed to become gender-neutral on January 1st, 2012. Austria-Hungary flag, 1869-1918 Land der Berge, Land am Strome Land der Berge, Land am Strome, Land der Äcker, Land der Dome, Land der Hämmer, zukunftsreich! Austria National Flag | World National Flags | The Flag Makers Back to World Flags Austria National Flag Although the Austria national flag doesn’t seem unique at first glance, its history makes it especially meaningful to the people of Austria. As the second-oldest flag in the world, it has been used as long ago as 1230, thanks to Duke Friedrich II, who wanted Austria to become more independent from the Roman Empire. More recently, the flag became the official representation of the Austrian people in 1918. Every Austrian flag contains two red bands of color with a white band in between.

The red and white pattern on the Austrian Flag is supposed to be symbolic of the bloodstained white coat worn by the Duke of Austria during battle. However, the colors and arrangement also have deep roots to Austrian Dukes and other influential families in Austria’s history. A variant of the Austria national flag exists that depicts a coat of arms in the center of the flag. If you’re looking to add a historic world national flag design to your collection, or you simply want to celebrate your Austrian heritage, let us design the perfect flag for you. Fill out our custom form and we’ll get back to you quickly with all the details we need to move forward with your order. Request a Quote or call us (303) 634 2272 Name* Country Flag Color Meanings Home Cultures and Society Country Flag Color Meanings A flag in simple words is a symbolic representation of ones country. Every flag belonging to a country has a history meaning associated. Read on to know more about meaning of flags of different countries like America, Australia, German, Indian etc.

By Jamila Joshi | Tuesday, April 13, 2010 "If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag; wash it." - Norman Thomas The motive behind discovering a flag was for the purpose of passing signals/gestures and for identification of a troop. In wars, flags were used to convey messages to the opposition party i.e., of making peace, surrendering or charging for a fight etc. National flags have a wide variance of colors and their combinations. There lies some cause behind the selection of the colors, the design (stripes, crosses and bands) and the symbols (star, sun, crescent etc) embedded in the flag. There might be some false stories as well created on the history of some flags. It is difficult to say how much the truth in these stories is since these things do not have much relevance in today's context. Country Flag Color Combinations It may be noted that region-wise, there are similarities in color combinations used by some nations. Red, White and Blue are common between a few countries in the European nations like Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Serbia, UK and Slovenia etc.

Some African countries like Cameron, Congo, Guinea, Benin, Ghana, Mali and Niger etc have a common combination of green, red and yellow. Some Arab nations like Palestine, Jordon, Kuwait, UAE and Syria etc have common combination of red, white, green and black. There is a similarity in the design of the flags of Sweden, Denmark and Iceland who represent the Nordic countries. These countries also are known to have comparable cultural qualities. The sun, star and crescent are common symbols seen among the nations in the Asian continent. Every color symbolizes some characteristics, as we can see with the following examples of some common colors: Black: the color symbolizes a purpose for some countries, for some it is victory over the oppositions or for some it represents cultural inheritance. Blue: This color symbolizes liberation, determination, good fortune, alertness etc. Green: The color green symbolizes agriculture as well as the green revolution in one's motherland. It is found to be commonly associated with the Muslim religion. Red: The color symbolizes power, vibrancy, revolution and war (since it is the color of blood).

White: White is a soft color that symbolizes purity, peace and harmony and is also a sign for surrendering oneself to the enemy. Yellow: It is the color of gold and the sun. It symbolizes wealth and energy. It also means happiness for some. The countries have chosen the color combination that suits best with the description of their motherland. In many cases, similar combination of colors is just a mere coincidence. Meaning Behind Flags of Different Countries Let us now look into the color significance of a flag in more depth by quoting the following examples: The American Flag The thirteen red stripes (alternating with white stripes) represent the thirteen colonies that revolted with British realm. The fifty stars stand for the fifty states. The Indian Flag The Indian flag broadly depicts three colors in layers; the uppermost is the saffron, middle is white and the lowermost is the green color. The saffron color signifies the sense of patriotism, white signifies purity and peace while green signifies the agricultural richness of the country. The Ashoka Chakra, embedded in the white layer, signifies the historical gravity that is deeply rooted in the country.

The Austrian Flag The red and white flag of Austria was designed in remembrance of the blood stained coat of the Duke during a battle. The German Flag The flag of Germany with colors black, red and golden represent the uniform of the German soldiers. The Chinese Flag The red color means communism. Gold symbolizes the Chinese yellow race. The great golden star symbolizes the ruling communist party. The four little stars represent the four classes among the people in China.

Question: How many red stripes are on the national flag of Austria?
Answer: Two