Flags: Symbolism and Meaning

Please share the national flag of your country and share what it represents. If you like, also share some flags for different regions.

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The building above is one of three Presidential Palaces in Sarajevo; this one serves as the parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which covers 51 per cent of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The flag on the right is the new flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

The golden triangle represents Bosnia and Herzegovina's three main peoples: Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats, and Bosnian Serbs. The stars and colors represent Europe and were chosen by the United Nations since, at the time, our parliament could not agree on a design.

The flag on the left is the flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

The green shield with the Lillicum Bosniacum represents Bosniaks, or Bosnian Muslims. The red and white checkered shield represents Bosnian Croats. Each of the 10 white stars represent a county in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The color white is meant to represent peace, and the color blue is meant to represent the full state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Here a few more of Bosnia's flags, from throughout history:

Medieval Bosnia:

This is the flag of King Tvrtko, Bosnia and Herzegovina's most powerful medieval King. It was also used during the 1992-1995 war.

During the Ottoman Empire

 

During Bosnia and Herzegovina's brief period of independence between the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, the country used two different flags.

Bosnia (1878):

Herzegovina (1878):

 

The Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

 

Bosniak flag:

This is the flag most Bosniaks will bring to political rallies, weddings, funerals, and so on.

The Ikurrina is the oficial flag of the Basque Autonomous Community and also the National flag of the Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) that stretches well beyond the borders of this region. It was invented by Luis and Sabino Arana, founders of the Basque Nationalist Party and it is now accepted as the common flag of all Basques (except by some in Navarre that do not considere themselves Basques anyhow).

The symbolism was chosen as follows: the red background represents the land, the green St. Andrew's cross represents traditions (including Basque laws) and the white cross represents Christianity. Despite its ideological meanings it's been widely accepted by all, including Atheists and Marxists.

Other traditional Basque flag is that of Navarre, whose shape inspired the Ikurrina:



Other traditional Navarrese flag/emblem is the Black Eagle (Arrano Beltza), as used by early Navarrese monarchs:



The one in the middle over yellow background is used occasionally as banner.


Even Spanish fascists decided to use it once, on occasion of a lonely visit to Bilbao (well protected by the police).

The territories don't have flags properly, but they do have heraldic symbols. Yet I have only found one, that of Biscay, with the sacred oak of Gernika:

 

Yet, you can see all them in the Zazpiak Bat (Seven in One), the unified cote d'arms of Euskal Herria:



The oficial emblem of the BAC was originally called the Laurak Bat (Four in One) but due to political pressure the symbol of Navarre was removed, leaving just an empty red canton:

Originally posted by Raider Hi Mila! Why did king Tvrtko use Fleur-de-Lys in his coat of arms?? It is the sign of the Capets. Was he related to them? (Maybe with the Hungarian Anjous?)

It's not the Fleur-de-Lys actually. It's the Lillicum Bosniacum, a type of lily that exists only in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This symbol evolved as a symbol of Bosnia completely independent of outside influence. It's nothing more than a weird coincidence.

Originally posted by Mila Originally posted by Raider Hi Mila! Why did king Tvrtko use Fleur-de-Lys in his coat of arms?? It is the sign of the Capets. Was he related to them? (Maybe with the Hungarian Anjous?) It's not the Fleur-de-Lys actually. It's the Lillicum Bosniacum, a type of lily that exists only in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This symbol evolved as a symbol of Bosnia completely independent of outside influence. It's nothing more than a weird coincidence.

In this case it must be some antecedent. Was it used by other kings before king Tvrtko?

 

THE FLAG OF GREECE

"The pattern and colors of the Greek Flag haven't changed a lot since the Revolution of the Greek Nation in 1821. Many people wonder why the founders of the Hellenic Democracy have chosen the symbols, patterns and colors that appear on the National Flag of Greece. It is difficult to unreveal the true intentions of the people responsiblefor the selection of the flag. This is a personal attempt to interpret thedesigns and colors of the flag and its relation to Greece and Hellenism".

THE DESIGN AND PATTENS OF THE FLAG

"The number of the lines is based on the number of the syllables in the Greek phrase: Eleutheria H Thanatos (Freedom or Death)".

FREEDOM OR DEATH

"Freedom or Death was the motto during the years of the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in the 19nth century [There are claims that the number of lines reflects the number of letters in the greek word for Freedom which equals 9]. This word stirred theheart of the oppressed Greeks, it created intense emotions and inspired them to fight and gain their freedom after 400 years of slavery.

The line pattern was chosen because of their similarity with the wavy sea that surounds the shores of Greece.The interchange of blue and white colors makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day to look like the Aegean Pelagos. Only the quaint islands are missing! The Greek Square Cross that rests on the upper left-side ofthe flag and occupies one fourth of the total area demonstrates the respect and the devotion the Greek people have for the Greek Orthodox Church and signifies the important role of Christianity in the formation of the modern Hellenic Nation.

During the dark years of the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped the enslaved Greeks to retain their cultural characteristics: the Greek language, the Byzantine religion and generally the Greek ethnic identity, by the institution of the Crypha Scholia (hidden schools).

The Crypha Scholia were a web of schools that operated secretly throughout Greece and were committed in transmitting to the Greeks the wonders of theirancestors and the rest oftheir cultural heritage. Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion among Greeks. Therefore the existence of the Cross is justified."

THE COLORS OF THE FLAG

"Blue and White! These two colors symbolize the blue of the Greek Sea and the Whiteness of the restless Greeks waves!According to the mythic legends, the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite emerged from these waves. In addition, it reflects the blue of the Greek Sky and the White of the few clouds that travel in it. There are some who suggest that the blue and white was symbolizes the similar color of the clothing (vrakes) of the Greek sailors during the Greek War of Independence."

Cyrus the great flag:

Offical Flag:
The Iranian Flag became a four-cornered rectangle during the reign of Agha Mohammad Khan. The triangular shaped Flag therefore, as �inspired� from the Tazian (Arab) invasion of nearly a millennium earlier, was finally put to oblivion. This king is the one who integrated in the two-edged �Ali� sword as it had appeared in certain Safavid era Flags with the lion and the sun, thus the lion, sun and sword as we still have it integral of the Flag today. The sword was always regarded as a symbol for power, justice and people�s resistance, and thus had socio-cultural but equally significant religious meaning. It was during the Mohammad Shah reign that the three colored flag (horizontal equal stripes of green on top, white in the middle, and green on bottom) and a lion, sun and sword as inscribed or evolved in our history for at least over 2500 years, was officially chartered as the Flag representing the Nation of Iran (Persia) worldwide. During Naseer-eddin Shah, the crown, as it had for a short period been accepted, was removed, presumably to differentiate the national Flag from the monarchy. Mozaffar-eddin Shah officially endorsed the Mashrootiat (Monarchy system) as adopted in part from the French and Belgian systems of government and consistent with the unique cultural and religious traditions in the country. The new 1906 Constitution cites in its Fifth Amendment Article: The Official Flag of Iran is the three striped colored green-white-red with a lion and sun in its center. No mention of the royal crown is cited.

This Flag remained the official Flag during the reign of Pahlavi. During the Pahlavi reign, a royal light blue Flag with a royal emblem (right) was developed for the sole purpose of representing the Pahlavi family. During the latter decades of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the three-colored only Flag without the lion, sun and the sword was regarded as the National Flag (Melli) and employed by the retailers, private sectors and non-governmental organizations.

Islamic Revolution:

In 1979, the newly established Islamic republic of IRAN removed the lion and the sun, and replaced it with a calligraphic Arabic word design in the Flag center that could either be read as �Allah� (GOD) and or Laelaha Ellallah (there is no God but one almighty God). Then, the word Allaho Akbar (God is the greatest) was placed eleven times along the white stripe in both the green and the red sections, for a total of 22 times to signify the 22nd of Bahman, the day of the �Islamic Republic� founding. For a short period in 1979-80, this was the sole flag of Iran. The same had also been regarded as the National flag of Iran during the Pahlavi rein.

 

TURK FLAGS

 

        

Here is anouther important flag from modern day Bosnia and Herzegovina!

Flag Of Republika Srpska

The flag of the Republika Srpska is based on the red-blue-white Serbian tricolour.

Coat of Arms of Republika Srpska

The coat of arms of the Republika Srpska shows, on a red shield, overheaded by the Karadjordjevic crown, a bicephalic silver eagle in take off, armed with gold, with golden tongue and legs, the chest covered by a red shield with the Serbian cross (Tocilo), a silver cross with four firesteels.

Flag of Armenia:



Red= Blood sacrificed by our people throughout our history.
Blue= The sky.
Orange= Our land.


Flag of Nagorno-Karabagh:



The colors have the same representation as the Armenian flag. The white stripe symbolizes Karabagh's seperation from Armenia.