Use | State flag |
---|---|
Proportion | 7:10 |
Adopted | 1866 1993 (official coat of arms) | (Tricolor)
Design | A vertical tricolour of blue, yellow and red with the National Coat of Arms centred on the yellow band. |
Designed by | Napoleon III (traditionally attributed) |
Use | Civil flag and ensign |
Proportion | 7:10 |
Adopted | 1866 |
Design | A vertical tricolour of blue, yellow and red. |
Designed by | Napoleon III |
The national flag of Andorra (Bandera d'Andorra) features a vertical tricolour of blue, yellow, and red with the coat of arms of Andorra in the center. Although the three vertical bars may at first appear to be of equal width, the centre yellow bar is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of bar widths is 8:9:8 with an overall flag ratio of 7:10.
A civilian variant of the flag is said to have been created in 1866, although the design was standardized in 1993 after Andorra joined the United Nations.
The design is related to the flags of Catalonia, Foix and France, [1] the lands historically linked with the small country. The coat of arms of Andorra in the center of the flag contains historical symbolism to the Catholic bishop of Urgell, the Count of Foix, the Principality of Catalonia, and the Viscounty of Béarn. The inclusion of the coat of arms makes it one of 28 national flags to contain overtly Christian symbolism [2] and it is the only national flag to portray cattle, except for the flag of Moldova, which is visually similar and features the head of a bull. A flag of three bars is similar to that of the French tricolor, while the pattern of a wider middle stripe can be noted on the Spanish flag. The motto in the coat of arms (written in Goudy Old Style) in the middle stripe Virtus Unita Fortior means "Virtue United is Stronger". The blue and red of the Andorran flag are also found on the French flag, with red and yellow also being the colors of the Catalonian flag (as the old royal symbol of the Crown of Aragon) and the arms of the old County of Foix (currently part of France). [3] [4]
The official colors of the Andorran flag are set out in the "Graphic regulations for reproducing the shield and flag" from the Oficina de Marques del Principat d'Andorra and approved by the government of Andorra on May 5, 1999. [5] The colors of the flag are:
Color model | Blue | Yellow | Red | Khaki |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pantone | Blue 072 C | Yellow C | 199 C | PMS 466 C |
CMYK | 100-99-2-3 | 2-9-100-0 | 10-100-86-2 | 23-30-61-1 |
HEX | #10069f | #fedd00 | #d50032 | #c6aa76 |
before 1806, Andorra didn't have a national flag. however, during the times of the Roman Empire, the SPQR vexilloid was used by the Roman troops when the territory was incorporated to the Hispania Tarraconensis Province. During the Middle Ages, The Arabs of Muslim Spain, which occupied the territory in 714, did held white and black banners. after the establishment of The County of Urgell, claiming to be the last independent survivor of The Marca Hispanica, established by Charlemagne, Urgell held a checkered banner of black and gold by 988. Urgell made a condominium in the territory with The County of Foix in 1278 (being occupied by The Crown of Aragon in 1396 and 1512 and later The Principality of Catalonia in 1413), later to The Kingdom of Navarre in 1479 and finally with The Kingdom of France in 1620. the flags of those countries flew in Andorra during the times of the condominium. after the condominium was abolished during The French Revolution, Urgell became part of France (using the French Tricolor in Andorra), until 1806, when Andorra gained autonomy and its Co-Principate reestablished in 1809 (only gaining independence in 1814, after The Napoleonic Wars).
The historical flag of Andorra, which was used from 1806 to 1866, featured two equally sized red and yellow vertical (sometimes horizontal) bands. It is claimed that this flag was granted by Napoleon in 1806 but use of the flag may go back to much earlier. Red and yellow are the traditional colors of the lands adjacent to the Pyrenees, such as Foix, Roussillon, Toulouse and Crown of Aragon.
A variant of the modern flag without the coat of arms is said to have been designed by Napoleon III, adding a blue stripe representing France (because colours of the old flag started to resemble too much only the new flag of Spain). The adoption of the new flag coincided with the New Reform led by Guillem d'Areny-Plandolit, who may be the real creator of the flag. The package of reforms, which included a new flag, was first adopted by the Episcopal Co-Prince, Bishop Josep Caixal i Estradé on April 22, 1866 and three years later by Napoleon III. [6] [7] The flag from this period remains the official civil flag today, but due to its similarity to other national flags it is rarely used.
The circumstances surrounding the introduction of the horizontal version of the flag are unknown. It is also unknown whether this was the only version at that time. In his 1898 book "Through the High Pyrenees" by Harold Spender he wrote:
Horizontal flags were used until the end of the 1930s, in the meantime, the Spanish flag was changed to a similar one. The flag with crown is sometimes associated with the activities of Boris I, but there is no evidence for this. [9]
Around 1939, the vertical arrangement was returned and a coat of arms was added. The yellow lane was probably widened later. Until the introduction of an official, standardized design in the Constitution of April 28, 1993, the flag variants differed from each other. An additional impulse to unify the flag were the plans to join the United Nations, which took place on 28 July 1993. [9] [10]
Flag | Parish | Adopted | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Andorra la Vella | ||||
Canillo | ||||
Encamp | ||||
Escaldes-Engordany | ||||
La Massana | ||||
Ordino | ||||
Sant Julià de Lòria | ||||
Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
c 2018-present | Flag of the Andorran Olympic Committee | ||
?-present | Flag of the Police Corps of Andorra |
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Western Europe, bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was ruled by the count of Urgell until 988, when it was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is currently headed by two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, and the president of France. Its capital and largest city is Andorra la Vella.
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.
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked microstate in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range and is bordered by Spain and France.
The national flag of the Kingdom of Belgium is a tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France. When flown, the black band is nearest the pole. It has the unusual proportions of 13∶15.
The national flag of Romania is a tricolour featuring three equal vertical bands colored blue, yellow and red, with a width to length ratio of 2:3.
The national flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two colours are defined in the Polish constitution as the national colours. A variant of the flag with the national coat of arms in the middle of the white fess is legally reserved for official use abroad and at sea. A similar flag with the addition of a white eagle is used as the naval ensign of Poland.
The coat of arms of Andorra is the heraldic device consisting of a shield divided quarterly by the arms of the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix – who have historically been the two co-princes of Andorra – in addition to the emblems of Catalonia and the Viscount of Béarn. Utilized unofficially since the Middle Ages, its status as the coat of arms of the Principality of Andorra was formalized in 1993 upon the implementation of their new constitution. The escutcheon is featured on the flag of Andorra.
The national flag of Ecuador, which consists of horizontal bands of yellow, blue and red, was first adopted by law in 1835 and later on 26 September 1860. The design of the current flag was finalized in 1900 with the addition of the coat of arms in the center of the flag. Before using the yellow, blue and red tricolor, Ecuador's former flag had three light blue stripes and two white stripes with three white stars for each province of the country. The design of the flag is very similar to those of Colombia and Venezuela, which are also former constituent territories of Gran Colombia. All three are based on a proposal by Venezuelan General Francisco de Miranda, which was adopted by Venezuela in 1811 and later Gran Colombia with some modifications. There is a variant of the flag that does not contain the coat of arms that is used by the merchant marine. This flag matches Colombia's in every aspect, but Colombia uses a different design when her merchant marine ships are at sail.
The Flag of Spain, as it is defined in the Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the height of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle stripe was defined by the more archaic term of gualda, and hence the popular name la Rojigualda (red-weld).
The Senyera is a vexillological symbol based on the coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon, which consists of four red stripes on a yellow field. This coat of arms, often called bars of Aragon, or simply "the four bars", historically represented the King of the Crown of Aragon.
Foix is a commune, the former capital of the County of Foix. It is the capital of the department of Ariège as it is the seat of the prefecture of that department. Foix is located in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the second least populous French departmental capital, the least populous being Privas. Foix lies south of Toulouse, close to the borders with Spain and Andorra.
The co-princes of Andorra are jointly the heads of state of the Principality of Andorra, a landlocked microstate lying in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Founded in 1278 by a treaty between the bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix, this unique diarchical arrangement has persisted through the Middle Ages to the present. Currently, the bishop of Urgell and the president of France serve as Andorra's co-princes, following the transfer of the count of Foix's claims to the Crown of France and, subsequently, to the head of state of the French Republic. Each co-prince appoints a personal representative, the Bishop co-prince is currently being represented by Josep Maria Mauri and the French co-prince by Patrick Strzoda.
The flag of Barcelona is the municipal flag of Barcelona, which combines the cross of Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia, with the traditional red and yellow bars of the Senyera, the ancient symbol of the Crown of Aragon.
Roger-Bernard III was the Count of Foix from 1265 to his death. He was the son of Roger IV of Foix and Brunissende of Cardona. He entered into conflicts with both Philip III of France and Peter III of Aragon, who held him in captivity for a time. He was nevertheless a distinguished poet and troubadour.
The flag of Naples is a vexillological symbol of the city of Naples, the capital of the Southern Italian region of Campania. The current flag representing the city consists of two equal-sized rectangles: golden yellow on the left and red on the right side.
The coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon bears four red pallets on a gold background, and it depicts the familiar coat of the Kings of Aragon. It differs from the flag because this latter instead uses bars. It is one of the oldest coats of arms in Europe dating back to a seal of Raymond Berengar IV, Count of Barcelona and Prince of Aragon, from 1150.
The colors of the national flag of Romania has a long history, though the association of the three colors only dates to the 18th century. Red, yellow and blue were found on late 16th-century royal grants of Michael the Brave, as well as shields and banners. Thus, the late 13th century Wijnbergen armorial shows the coat of arms of the Wallachian ruler Litovoi as consisting of a shield of ten vertically alternating gold-and-red bands. The same two colors, gules and or, also appeared on the late 15th century flag and coat of arms of Moldavia, during the reign of Stephen the Great. Then, from the late 16th century until the mid-17th century, the historical coat of arms of Transylvania gradually developed as a shield party per fess, consisting of a black eagle on blue background in the upper field, a dividing red band in the middle, and seven red towers on golden background in the lower field. Finally, in the last quarter of the 18th century, Bukovina gets its own coat of arms from the Habsburg Empire, a blue-and-red shield party per pale with a black aurochs' head in the middle, and three golden six-pointed stars surrounding it. During the Wallachian uprising of 1821, these three colors were present, along others, on the canvas of the revolutionaries' flag and its fringes; for the first time a meaning was attributed to them: "Liberty (blue-sky), Justice, Fraternity ( blood)".
Isabella of Foix also known as Isabella of Foix-Castelbon was sovereign Countess of Foix and Viscountess of Béarn from 1399 until 1428. She was Countess of Foix in her own right, but shared power with her husband and later with her son. She succeeded as countess along with her husband upon the death of her childless brother Matthew.
The coat of arms of Barcelona is the official emblem of the City Council of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, has its origin in the Middle Ages, these arms were first documented in 1329. The Government of Catalonia conferred the coat of arms and the flag as official symbols of the municipality in 2004. It has an escutcheon in lozenge which is commonly used in municipal coats of arms of cities in Catalonia. Currently the City Council of Barcelona also uses an isotype based on the heraldry of the city.
"Andorra promulga la Nova Reforma". El Nacional (in Catalan). 22 April 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.