A civil ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and the naval ensign (or war ensign). It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag. Some countries have special civil ensigns for yachts, and even for specific yacht clubs, known as yacht ensigns.
Most countries have only one national flag and ensign for all purposes. In other countries, a distinction is made between the land flag and the civil, state and naval ensigns. The British ensigns, for example, differ from the flag used on land (the Union Flag) and have different versions of plain and defaced Red and Blue ensigns for civilian and state use, as well as the naval ensign (White Ensign) that can also be used by yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
The civil ensigns that are different from the general national flag can be grouped into a number of categories.
Several countries use red flags with, in most cases, either the respective national flag or the Union Flag in the canton, patterned after the Red Ensign. British overseas territories fly the plain Red Ensign or a Red Ensign with the respective colonial arms in the fly. Saudi Arabia puts its national flag in the canton of an otherwise-green flag (the Saudi Arabian flag is hoisted with the flagpole to its right so the canton is in the upper right corner of the flag). Ghana stopped using its Red Ensign in 2003 with the adoption of a new merchant shipping act, which made the Ghanaian flag the proper national colors for Ghanaian ships. Similarly, Sri Lanka stopped using its Red Ensign in 1969 and uses the Sri Lankan flag as the civil ensign. Under the relevant shipping law for the Solomon Islands, the Shipping Act 1998, (No. 5 of 1998), the national flag of the Solomon Islands and not a Red Ensign is the appropriate flag: "The National Flag of Solomon Islands shall be the national colours for a vessel registered under this Act." Nevertheless, the Solomon Islands Red Ensign is still used in some cases.
Source: [4]
In some cases, the Blue Ensign may be flown in lieu of the Red Ensign if a number of merchant vessels crew are former Royal Navy personnel or current Royal Navy Reservists, or commanded by an officer of the Royal Navy Reserve. India and Sri Lanka enact similar laws.
Several countries have civil ensigns that are very different from the national flag.
The Philippines (inland only)
Well-known examples are the Italian civil ensign showing the shield with the arms of the sea republics, and the Polish civil ensign with the arms of Poland. Most of these emblems were added to distinguish the ensign from similar flags of other countries (e.g. Colombia/Ecuador) or from other signal flags (e.g. Malta/ H signal flag).
United States (Yacht ensign; unofficial)
Spain (Yacht ensign)
In several countries (such as Spain and much of Hispanic America, and some European countries), there are two main versions of the flag, a simpler one (usually a striped flag) and a more elaborate one with the national arms. The simpler one is used as a civil ensign (and in most cases also as a civil flag), whereas the version with the arms is mainly used by the government and the military. In El Salvador, the civil ensign also differs from the national flag in the proportions.
Some civil ensigns have had their coat of arms modified with an additional feature or features to distinguish them.
Several former British colonies use 1:2 as a proportion for their ensigns and 3:5 for flags ashore, whereas Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary have it the other way around, with ensigns at 2:3 and flags ashore at 1:2. France is a special case: the overall proportion is the same, but the bands on the ensign differ in width slightly.
Albania
(1945–1992)
Anconine Republic
(1797–1798)
Anguilla
(1967–1969)
Australia
(1901–1903)
Australia
(1903–1908)
Austria-Hungary
(1869–1918)
The Bahamas
(1869–1904)
The Bahamas
(1904–1923)
The Bahamas
(1923–1953)
The Bahamas
(1953–1964)
The Bahamas
(1964–1973)
Barbados
(1870–1966)
British Guiana
(1906–1919)
British Guiana
(1919–1955)
British Guiana
(1955–1966)
British Honduras
(1870–1919)
British Honduras
(1919–1981)
British Leeward Islands
(1871–1952)
British Leeward Islands
(1952–1958)
British Somaliland
(1903–1950)
British Somaliland
(1950–1952)
British Somaliland
(1952–1960)
British Windward Islands
(1903–1953)
British Windward Islands
(1953–1958)
Burma
(1952–1974)
Burma
(1974–2010)
Cayman Islands
(1988–1999)
Ceylon
(1875–1948)
Ceylon
(1955–1969)
Croatia-Slavonia
(1868–1918)
Croatia
(1939–1941)
Croatia
(1941–1945)
Cyprus
(1922–1960)
England
(1674–1707)
Ethiopia
(1975–1987)
Ethiopia
(1991–1996)
Etruria
(1803–1807)
Etruria
(1803–1807)
(Smaller ships)
Falkland Islands
(1999)
Fiji
(1908–1970)
Finland
(1918–1920)
Florence
(1251–1569)
France
(1600's-1789)
France
(1689–1789, 1814–1830)
French Algeria
(1848–1910)
French Indochina
(1923–1949)
French Morocco
(1912–1956)
The Gambia
(1889–1965)
Germany
(1896–1918)
Germany
(1919–1933)
Germany
(1933–1935)
Germany
(1935–1945)
East Germany
(1959–1973)
East Germany
(1959–1973)
(Alternative)
West Germany
(1949–1990) [9]
Ghana
(1963–1964, 1966–2003)
Ghana
(1964–1966)
Gold Coast
(1877–1957)
Great Britain
(1707–1801)
Greece
(1774–1821)
Greece
(1822–1828)
Greece
(1828–1970)
Haiti
(1964–1986)
Hanover
(1816–1837)
Hong Kong
(1876–1955)
(Unofficial)
Hong Kong
(1955–1959)
(Unofficial)
Hong Kong
(1959–1997)
(Unofficial)
Hungary
(1921–1946)
Hungary
(1950–1957)
India
(1880–1947)
Iran
(1933–1964)
Iran
(1964–1980)
Ireland
(1701–1801)
Ireland
(1801–1922)
Piedmont-Sardinia and later Italy
(1851–1946)
Jamaica
(1906–1957)
Jamaica
(1957–1962)
Jamaica
(1962)
British East Africa and later Kenya
(1895–1963)
Lucca
(1200's-1799)
Lucca
(1801–1805)
Lucca
(1818–1824)
Lucca
(1819–1820)
Lucca
(1820–1847)
Malaya
(1957–1963)
Malta
(1898–1943)
Malta
(1943–1964)
Mauritius
(1906–1968)
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
(1863–1918)
Modena and Reggio
(1830–1859)
Montenegro
(1905–1918)
Nigeria
(1914–1952)
Nigeria
(1952–1960)
North Borneo
(1882–1902)
North Borneo
(1902–1942, 1945–1946)
North Borneo
(1948–1963)
Pakistan
(1956–1958)
Palestine
(1927–1948)
Parma and Piacenza
(1851–1859)
Piedmont-Sardinia
(1720–1799)
Piedmont-Sardinia
(1799–1802)
Piedmont-Sardinia
(1802–1814)
Piedmont-Sardinia
(1814–1816)
Piedmont-Sardinia
(1816–1848)
Poland
(1919–1928)
Poland
(1955–1980)
Poland
(1980–1990)
Prussia
(1823–1863)
Prussia
(1863–1892)
Prussia
(1892–1918)
Prussia
(1918–1935)
Ryukyu Islands
(1952–1967)
Ryukyu Islands
(1967–1972)
Sarawak
(1870–1946)
Sarawak
(1947–1963)
Saxony-Anhalt
(1991–2017)
Serbia
(1835–1918)
Serbia
(2006–2010)
Seychelles
(1903–1961)
Seychelles
(1961–1976)
Sierra Leone
(1916–1961)
Singapore
(1946–1952)
Singapore
(1952–1959)
Solomon Islands
(1906–1947)
Solomon Islands
(1947–1956)
Solomon Islands
(1956–1977)
South Africa
(1910–1912)
South Africa
(1912–1951)
South Australia
(1870–1876)
Spain
(1785–1927)
Spain
(1931–1939)
Spanish Morocco
(1937–1956)
Straits Settlements
(1874–1904)
Straits Settlements
(1904–1942, 1945–1946)
Tangier International Zone
(1953–1957)
Trinidad and Tobago
(1889–1958)
Trinidad and Tobago
(1958–1962)
Turks and Caicos Islands
(1968–1999)
Tuscany
(1600's-1737)
Tuscany
(1781–1800, 1815–1848, 1849–1860)
Tuscany
(1824–1848, 1849–1860)
Venezuela
(1863–1905)
Venezuela
(1905–1930)
Venezuela
(1930–2006)
Victoria
(1870–1877)
Yugoslavia
(1919–1943)
Yugoslavia
(1950–1992)
Yugoslavia and later Serbia and Montenegro
(1992–2006)
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours and symbols, which may also be used separately from the flag as a symbol of the nation. The design of a national flag is sometimes altered after the occurrence of important historical events.
The national flag of Germany is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: black, red, and gold. The flag was first sighted in 1848 in the German Confederation. The flag was also used by the German Empire from 1848 to 1849. It was officially adopted as the national flag of the German Reich from 1919 to 1933, and has been in use since its reintroduction in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.
The national flag of Finland, also known in Finnish as the Siniristilippu, dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity.
The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defaced with either a badge or a charge, mostly in the right half.
The national flag of Hungary is a horizontal tricolour of red, white and green. In this exact form, it has been the official flag of Hungary since 23 May 1957. The flag's form originates from national republican movements of the 18th and 19th centuries, while its colours are from the Middle Ages. The current Hungarian tricolour flag is the same as the republican movement flag of the United Kingdom and the colours in that form were already used at least since the coronation of Leopold II in 1790, predating the first use of the Cispadane Republic's tricolour in 1797.
A war ensign, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard, is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countries today currently have distinct war flags, most using a flag design that is also the state flag or general national flag for this purpose.
A triband is a type of flag which consists of three stripes arranged to form a flag. These stripes may be two or three colours, and may have an emblem in the middle stripe. All tricolour flags are tribands, but not all tribands are tricolour flags, which requires three unique colours.
A Nordic cross flag is a flag bearing the design of the Nordic or Scandinavian cross, a cross symbol in a rectangular field, with the centre of the cross shifted towards the hoist.
A naval ensign is an ensign used by naval ships of various countries to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from a country's civil ensign or state ensign.
The term Reichskriegsflagge refers to several war flags and war ensigns used by the German armed forces in history. A total of eight different designs were used in 1848–1849 and between 1867–1871 and 1945.
The state of Prussia had its origins in the separate lands of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and of the Duchy of Prussia. The Margraviate of Brandenburg developed from the medieval Northern March of the Holy Roman Empire, passing to the House of Hohenzollern in 1415. The Duchy of Prussia originated in 1525 when Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, a member of a cadet branch of the Hohenzollern house, secularized the eastern lands of the Teutonic Knights as a Polish fief. Prince-elector John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, inherited the Duchy of Prussia in 1618, thus uniting Brandenburg and Prussia under one ruler in a personal union; the Elector's state became known as Brandenburg-Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia formed when Elector Frederick III assumed the title of Frederick I, King in Prussia, on 18 January 1701.
The flag of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia is a horizontal tricolor consisting of green, white and red.
Military aircraft insignia are insignia applied to military aircraft to visually identify the nation or branch of military service to which the aircraft belong. Many insignia are in the form of a circular roundel or modified roundel; other shapes such as stars, crosses, squares, or triangles are also used. Insignia are often displayed on the sides of the fuselage, the upper and lower surfaces of the wings, as well as on the fin or rudder of an aircraft, although considerable variation can be found amongst different air arms and within specific air arms over time.
The flag of Yugoslavia was the official flag of the Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1992. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from the Pan-Slavic movement, which ultimately led to the unification of the South Slavs and the creation of a united south-Slavic state in 1918.
The flag of Piedmont is one of the official symbols of the region of Piedmont in Italy. The current flag was adopted on 24 November 1995.
During its existence, Austria-Hungary did not have a common flag – a "national flag" could not exist since the Dual Monarchy consisted of two sovereign states. However, the black-gold flag of the ruling Habsburg Dynasty was sometimes used as a de facto national flag and a common civil ensign was introduced in 1869 for civilian vessels. Until 1918, the k.u.k. War Fleet continued to carry the Austrian ensign it had used since 1786 and the regiments of the k.u.k. Army carried the double-eagle banners they had used before 1867, as they had a long history in many cases. New ensigns created in 1915 were not implemented due to the ongoing war. At state functions, the Austrian black-gold and the Hungarian red-white-green tricolor were used.