State flag

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The state flag of Peru State flag of Peru, Tucume.jpg
The state flag of Peru

In vexillology, a state flag is either the flag of the government of a sovereign state, or the flag of an individual federated state (subnational administrative division). [1]

Contents

Government flag

A state flag is a variant of a national flag (or occasionally a completely different design) specifically designated and restricted by law or custom (theoretically or actually) to use by a country's government or its agencies. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as government flags. In many countries the state flag and the civil flag (as flown by the general public) are identical, but in other countries, notably those in Latin America, central Europe, and Scandinavia, the state flag is a more complex version of the national flag, often featuring the national coat of arms or some other emblem as part of the design. Scandinavian countries also use swallowtailed state flags, to further differentiate them from civil flags. [1]

In addition, some countries have state ensigns, separate flags for use by non-military government ships such as guard vessels. For example, government ships in the United Kingdom fly the Blue Ensign. [2]

State flags should not be confused with the national flag as used by military organizations; these are referred to as war flags and naval ensigns. [3]

National flags with separate state and civil versions

Flag of Andorra (civil).svg Optional civil flag of Andorra
Flag of Andorra.svg State and civil flag of Andorra
Flag of Argentina (civil).svg Optional civil flag of Argentina
Flag of Argentina.svg State and civil flag of Argentina
Flag of Austria.svg Optional civil flag of Austria
Flag of Austria (state).svg State flag of Austria
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg De facto civil flag of Belgium (ratio 2:3)
Flag of Belgium.svg Official state and civil flag of Belgium (ratio 13:15)
Flag of Bolivia.svg Civil flag of Bolivia
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg State flag of Bolivia
Flag of Costa Rica.svg Civil flag of Costa Rica
Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg State flag of Costa Rica
Flag of Denmark.svg Civil flag of Denmark
Flag of Denmark (state).svg State flag of Denmark
Civil Ensign of the Dominican Republic.svg Civil flag of Dominican Republic
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg State flag of Dominican Republic
Civil Flag of El Salvador.svg Civil flag of El Salvador
Flag of El Salvador.svg State flag of El Salvador
Civil Ensign of El Salvador.svg Alternative state flag of El Salvador
Flag of Finland.svg Civil flag of Finland
Flag of Finland (state).svg State flag of Finland
Flag of Germany.svg Civil and alternative state flag of Germany
Flag of Germany (state).svg State flag of Germany
Flag of Germany (unoff).svg Unofficial flag of Germany
Civil Ensign of Guatemala.svg Civil flag of Guatemala
Flag of Guatemala.svg State flag of Guatemala
Flag of Haiti (civil).svg Civil flag of Haiti
Flag of Haiti.svg State flag of Haiti
Flag of Hungary.svg State and civil flag of Hungary (ratio 1:2)
Civil Ensign of Hungary.svg Alternative civil flag of Hungary (ratio 2:3)
Flag of Hungary (1920-1946).svg Optional state flag of Hungary
Flag of Iceland.svg Civil flag of Iceland
Flag of Iceland (state).svg State flag of Iceland
Flag of Italy.svg Civil flag of Italy
State Ensign of Italy.svg State flag of Italy (maritime only)
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Civil flag of Liechtenstein
Flag of Liechtenstein (state).svg State flag of Liechtenstein
Flag of Lithuania.svg State and civil flag of Lithuania
Flag of Lithuania (state).svg Historical state flag of Lithuania
Flag of Monaco.svg Civil flag of Monaco
Flag of Monaco (state).svg State flag of Monaco
Flag of Nigeria.svg Civil flag of Nigeria
Flag of Nigeria (state).svg State flag of Nigeria
Flag of Norway.svg Civil flag of Norway
Flag of Norway, state.svg State flag of Norway
Flag of Palestine.svg Civil flag of the State of Palestine
Flag of Palestine (state).svg State flag of the State of Palestine
Flag of Peru.svg Civil flag of Peru
Flag of Peru (state).svg State flag of Peru
Flag of Poland.svg Civil flag of Poland
Flag of Poland (with coat of arms).svg State flag of Poland
Flag of Romania.svg Civil flag of Romania
State Flag of Romania.svg Unofficial state flag of Romania
Flag of Russia.svg State and civil flag of Russia
Unofficial Flag of Russia.svg Optional civil flag of Russia
Flag of San Marino (civil).svg Civil flag of San Marino
Flag of San Marino.svg State flag of San Marino
Civil Flag of Serbia.svg Civil flag of Serbia
Flag of Serbia.svg State flag of Serbia
Flag of Spain (civil).svg Optional civil flag of Spain
Flag of Spain.svg State and civil flag of Spain
Flag of Transnistria.svg Optional civil flag of Transnistria
Flag of Transnistria (state).svg State and civil flag of Transnistria
Flag of Tuvalu.svg State and civil flag of Tuvalu
Flag of Tuvalu (state).svg Alternative state flag of Tuvalu
Flag of Uruguay.svg Civil and state flag of Uruguay
Flag of Artigas.svg Alternative state flag of Uruguay (Flag of Artigas)
Flag of the Treinta y Tres.svg Alternative state flag of Uruguay (Flag of the Treinta y Tres)
Flag of Venezuela.svg Civil flag of Venezuela
Flag of Venezuela (state).svg State flag of Venezuela

Flag of a federated state (subnational entity)

The state flag of Massachusetts on display in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. FinancialDistrict.jpg
The state flag of Massachusetts on display in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

In Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and some other federalized countries, the term state flag can have a different usage, as it frequently refers to an official flag of any of the individual states or territorial subdivisions that make up the nation. [4]

To avoid confusion with the first meaning of the term, however, such a flag would be more precisely referred to as "the flag of the state of X", rather than "the state flag of X".[ citation needed ] For this usage, see also:

Notes

  1. 1 2 Znamierowski. "Government Flags". World Encyclopedia of Flags. p. 66.
  2. Znamierowski. "The Union Jack". World Encyclopedia of Flags. p. 108.
  3. Znamierowski. "Naval Ensigns and Flags". World Encyclopedia of Flags. p. 88.
  4. Znamierowski. World Encyclopedia of Flags. pp. 180, 192, 208.

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References