Fun with

by Bruce Berry Southern African Vexillological Association

PRESENTED TO U3A 01 Novmber 2016 Overview

• Why flags? • Introduction to vexillology • Fun with flags • protocol • Conclusion Why flags?

“Flags are a universal characteristic of human civilisation” • Origins and development of flags – Evolved from totems, vexilloids, coats of arms, to multi-coloured cloth and/or silk – Easy to make (and dispose of) • Symbol of social participation and communication – a means of IDENTIFICATION • Independently spread from China (3000BC), Romans and Arabs until in common usage by Middle Ages Why flags? • Impetus for the spread of flags – Identification in battle (Crusades) – Developments at sea after 1500 & Voyages of Discovery – Signal codes – ‘National’ flags – Colonisation F L A G – Post World War II & decolonisation (mid-20th Century) – Fall of communism and break-up of USSR (late 20th Century) 20th Century saw a greater number and variety of flag types and uses than any other period of world history. Why flags? “So strong is the tradition of flags, we may not be far from the truth in surmising that there is a law – not of nature, but of human society – which impels man to make and use flags. There is perhaps no more striking demonstration of this than the fact that, despite the absence of any international regulation or treaty requiring the adoption of a , without exception every country has adopted at least one”. Dr Whitney Smith, 1975 What is vexillology?

Raven flag

Vexillum

Heraldic Banner “Vexillum …” = Latin for Roman standard

“… -ology” = Greek for ‘study of’

Totem VEXILLOLOGY = THE STUDY OF FLAGS Flag terminology

Read a flag from left (hoist) to right (fly) Flag symbolism Every flag tells a story …

Socialism; Islam; Sickness; Death; Peace; danger proceed caution anarchy surrender South African flags The Cape (1652-1795 and 1803-1806)

Dutch East India Company (VOC)

Jan van Riebeeck left no record of a flag hoisting but circumstantial evidence points to the orange, white and blue Princevlag being used South African flags

Bataafsche Maagd

Second British Occupation Batavian Republic (1806-1815) (1803-1806) South African flags (1815-1876)

Voortrekkers Natalia OFS

Cape of Good Hope (1876-1910)

ZAR Klein Vrystaat Goshen

Natal Colony (1870-1907) Stellaland Graaf-Reinet Utrecht Nieuwe Rep Griqualand South African flags 1899 (Start of 2nd Anglo-Boer War)

Cape Colony O.F.S. Z.A.R. Natal Colony 1902 (End of 2nd Anglo-Boer War)

Orange River Colony South African flags

Early 20th century Cigarette and Post Cards showing South African ensigns South African flags

Union of (1910)

SA Red Ensign SA Blue Ensign South African flags

SA Red Ensign (1912)

Addition of the roundel

SA Red Ensign

Unofficial variant with full arms in fly South African flags South African flags

Union (later Republic) of South Africa (1928 – 1994) South African flags

Republic of South Africa (27 April 1994 - ) Oldest national flag

Denmark Dannebrog

Used since 1219 – King Waldemar II in the war against the Estonians Official since 1854 Newest national flag

Ascension Island

Hoisted on Ascension Day (May 2013) Possible flag changes

56,7%

43,3%

New Zealand

Referendum March 2016 Possible flag changes

Fiji Plan to hoist a new flag on independence day, 10 Oct 2016 Possible flag changes

Fiji won't change national flag after winning its first Olympic gold medal, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says (August 2016)

…. it was "deeply moving" to see the way Fijians rallied around the flag after their Olympic victory in rugby sevens.

'The nation is going nuts!' Fiji's Sevens stars given a home-coming to remember … Similar flags

Chad &

Andorra

Romania (1965-1989) Similar flags

Australia

Southern Cross + Commonwealth ‘star’

New Zealand

Southern Cross Similar flags

Poland Poland (state) (1919 - )

2:3 4:5 Indonesia Monaco (1945 - ) (1881 - ) Similar flags

The Netherlands Luxembourg (1796 - ) (1845 - ) Similar flags

Chile (1817 - )

“La Estrella solitaria” (The Lone Star)

Texas (1845 - ) “Republic of Texas (1836-39)

“The Lone Star” state Similar flags

Thailand Costa Rica - civil (1917 - ) (1964 - ) Similar flags

Ireland (1922 - )

Côte d’Ivoire (1959 - ) Similar flags

Turkey (1793 - )

Tunisia (1835 - ) Similar flags

Cuba (1850 - )

Puerto Rico (1895 - ) Similar flags

1972 – 2002

Austria Colours est. circa 1230 2002 - Current form – 1787-1938 Re-established - 1945 Bahrain

Latvia Colours est. circa 1279 Current form – 1918-1940 Qatar (1971 - ) Re-established – 1990 Flag families – Scandinavian Cross

Denmark Finland Iceland

Norway Sweden

Faroe Is Åland Is Shetland Is Orkney Is Flag families – The

Bermuda Falkland Islands Isle of Man

Cook islands Niue Guernsey

Br. Antarctic Terr. Br. Indian Ocean Terr. South Georgia

Flag families – Slavic Colours

Russian Federation Serbia

Slovenia Slovakia Czech Republic

Croatia Yugoslavia (1945-1991) Flag families – Pan Africa

Ghana Cape Verde 06/03/57 05/07/75

06/10/1897 Ethiopia 06/02/96 Cameroon Sao Tome & Principe 05/11/75 29/10/59

Dahomey Senegal Cameroon Guinea 16/11/59 20/08/60 Mozambique 01/10/61 10/11/58 25/06/75

Togo Rwanda Guinea Bissau Mali Fed Zimbabwe 27/04/60 28/01/61 24/09/73 04/04/59 18/04/80

Congo South Kasai Mali Cameroon Mozambique 18/08/59 09/08/60 01/03/61 20/05/75 01/05/83 Flag families – Pan Arab Colours

Kuwait United Arab Emirates Iraq

Jordan Palestine Sudan

Yemen Egypt Syria Flag families - Tricolore

France Belgium Cameroon

Romania /Chad Italy Côte d’Ivoire Flag families – Stars and Stripes

U.S.A.

Liberia Malaysia Flag families – Gran Colombia

Colombia Ecuador

Venezuela Flag families – The Red Banner

USSR (1923 – 1991)

PDR Congo Afghanistan Dem. Kampuchea PR Kampuchea (1970-91) (1978-80) (1975-79) (1979-89)

PR China Vietnam Unusual flags

Ohio

Shape of the flag represents the hills & valleys of the state.

Nepal

Only national flag that is not rectangular or square. Unusual flags

1:3 Iranian Empire (1925 – 1964)

1:1 1:1 Switzerland Vatican Unusual flag designs

Benin Empire Uri Isle of Man

Friesland Sicily Corsica

Yaroslavl Wales Hezbollah Good flag …

Canada Ukraine Jamaica

Japan Bangladesh Greenland

Barbados Congo Rep. Kenya … Bad Flag!

Turkmenistan Saudi Arabia O.A.S.

Vermont South Dakota New Hampshire

Bhutan Tshwane Nelson Mandela Metro Flag facts

A 5 ton measuring 349m x 227m with an area of 79,290m2 which is about 3 times the size of a soccer field was unveiled in May 2013.

Giant Tunisian flag weighing 12,6 tons & covering an area equal to 19 football fields using 80km of fabric was unveiled in May 2015. Flag facts

Since 2011, the tallest free- standing flagpole in the world has been the Dushanbe Flagpole in Tajikistan with a height of 165m.

National Flag Square in Baku, Azerbaijan, flag pole with a mass of 220 tons and a height of 162 meters with a 35 x 70m flag weighing 350 kgs. Flag facts The most colours …

South Africa South Sudan … and the least …

Muscat & Oman ( - 1970) Afghanistan (1996-97) Libya (1977-2011) Flag Facts • Most common colours – red (75%), white (70%) and blue (50%) • Most common design – 3 horizontal stripes • Most popular symbol – 5 pointed star, sun • Most common proportions – 2:3 • Country with no. of flag changes – Afghanistan (18x during 20th century) • Most recognizable national flag …. ?

• Most recognized non-national flag … ? Flag in the news …

Islamic State (IS)

The flag consists of a black field, the legendary battle flag of the Prophet Muhammad, charged with the seal of the Prophet within a white “circle”.

The top line reads: "La ‘ilaha ‘illa-llah," meaning "There is no god but God," and the white seal reads "God Messenger Mohammed." The white seal is meant to resemble the official seal of the Prophet Muhammad, though experts have debated what the seal actually looked like. Flag feats

South Pole – 14/12/1911 Mount Everest – 29/05/1953

Moon – 20/07/1969 Arctic seabed – 02/08/2007 Flag trivia – 8 flags in 1 International flags

United Nations

UNESCO ICC ILO

WHO WMO World Bank International flags

Red Cross

Red Crescent Red Lion Red Shield of David Russian Red Chrystal … neutral symbol "devoid of any national, religious and cultural connotation …” International flags in SA

African Union Commonwealth of Nations

SADC COMESA Flag Protocol • General dos and don’ts The national flag must never: – Be allowed to touch the ground or floor. – Be used as a table cloth, or draped in front of a platform. – Be used to cover a statue, plaque corner stone etc. at unveiling or similar ceremonies. – Be used to start or finish any competition, race or similar event. – Be manufactured or used as underclothes, bath and floor mats or any similar demeaning application. – Be used for any commercial advertising in a manner that will distort or show disrespect to the flag. General Dos and Don’ts -

At all times the flag should be treated with respect and flown or displayed properly Flag Protocol ALWAYS SHOW RESPECT – Raising and lowering – Upside down is a signal of distress – Half mast – Vertical display – Display with other national flags – Display with other non-national flags Flag Protocol – Displaying the flag indoors

– When carried in parades

– Disposal Conclusion

"Flags matter. People fly them, fight for them, burn them, and fuss over them.“ Hugh Brady – NAVA Past Pres Thank you

For more information on flags see www.savaflags.org.za