ATHELSTANEFORD A SOME WELL KNOWN FLAGS Birthplace of Scotland’s Flag The name Japan means “The Land Canada, prior to 1965 used the of the Rising Sun” and this is British Red Ensign with the represented in the flag. The redness Canadian arms, though this was of the disc denotes passion and unpopular with the French sincerity and the whiteness Canadians. The country’s new flag represents honesty and purity. breaks all previous links. The maple leaf is the Another of the most famous flags Flags of the World traditional emblem of Canada, the white represents in the world is the flag of France, The foremost property of flags is that each one the vast snowy areas in the north, and the two red stripes which dates back to the represent the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. immediately identifies a particular nation or territory, revolution of 1789. The tricolour, The flag of the United States of America, the ‘Stars and comprising three vertical stripes, without the need for explanation. The colours, Stripes’, is one of the most recognisable flags is said to represent liberty, shapes, sizes and devices of each flag are often in the world. It was first adopted in 1777 equality and fraternity - the basis of the republican ideal. linked to the political evolution of a country, and during the War of Independence. The flag of Germany, as with many European Union United Nations The stars on the blue canton incorporate heraldic codes or strongly held ideals. European flags, is based on three represent the 50 states, and the horizontal stripes. The red, black The flags of the nations (at the last count 189) are A second line of descent relates to reforms introduced red and white stripes represent and gold colours date from the proudly displayed in front of the United Nations HQ in by Tsar Peter the Great of Russia following visits to the 13 original colonies which days of the Holy Roman Empire. New York. Because of political upheavals in recent times Western Europe in the 1690s. He designed a naval flag declared independence from In December 1991, the flag of the (e.g. in the former USSR and Yugoslavia), new nation with a blue saltire on a white background, and this Britain. Soviet Union (hammer and sickle states have emerged with new flags. Everyone will be became the Russian Imperial naval ensign up to 1917. on red) was replaced by the familiar with the image of a new country achieving This in turn gave rise to the use of other naval flags The flag of China was Russian Federation flag, which independence by means of a flag-hoisting ceremony. based on the saltire, e.g. in Bulgaria, Estonia and Latvia. introduced in 1949 when dates back to the 17th century. If you are interested in the study of flags (vexillology), Could there be a Scottish line of descent? It is not the People’s Republic was Note that the blue, white and red there are reference books available through libraries. impossible that the Burgundians, having adopted St declared. Red and yellow colours later became the ‘pan-Slavic’ colours used in Andrew as their patron, got the idea of the saltire flag are the traditional colours the flags of many Eastern European states. This leaflet describes some of the better known flags. from that already established in Scotland. Three centuries of China. Red is also the colour of Communism, with First, however, the links are explored between Scotland's Off-centre crosses are typical of all later, Peter the Great, on his visit to the Netherlands, the larger star representing the guiding light of flag, the St Andrew’s Cross, and other flags which the Scandinavian flags. For example, might easily have seen a Spanish naval ensign based on Communism. The smaller stars represent the peasantry, incorporate the saltire. the flag of Iceland became official the saltire. If such conjectures could be substantiated, the workers, the bourgeoisie, and those capitalists who in 1944, following a referendum the flag of Scotland might turn out to be the remote would participate in the revolution. THE INFLUENCE OF THE SALTIRE in which 97% of Icelanders voted ancestor of most of the other saltire flags used throughout As part of the Union Flag, the St The flag of Saudi Arabia for independence from Denmark. history! Andrew’s Cross of Scotland appears dates from1906, and is The flag of Finland too was on the flags of Commonwealth More recently and quite based on the country’s adopted after independence in countries too numerous to mention. independently, some saltire flags Muslim religion. The green 1917 following the collapse of the have appeared elsewhere. The field commemorates the Russian Empire. The colours The only flag which appears to have flag of Jamaica has a yellow Prophet Mohammed, and symbolise Finland’s lakes and snow. been directly derived from the St saltire on a field of green and the inscription means The flag of the Republic of Ireland Andrew’s Cross is the provincial black. Black symbolises past hardships; gold, natural “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the dates back to 1848 but was only flag of Nova Scotia. This depicts wealth; and green, hope. The saltire is apparently inspired Prophet of Allah”. officially adopted after a blue saltire on a white field, with by the arms of the capital, the official name of which is The flag of Australia was independence in 1921. The green a small shield of the Scottish Royal Arms in the centre. Kingston and St Andrew. adopted in 1901, the represents the Roman Catholic There are thought to be two principal lines of descent The battle flag of the Confederate result of a winning entry Church, the orange the Protestants, and the white of the saltire in flags. First, in the 15th century, the Duke States of America, from 1861 to in a competition! The flag symbolises the desire for peace. of Burgundy, having received from Constantinople a 1865, also incorporated a saltire, features the blue ensign supposed fragment of St Andrew, began to use the saltire. in this case a blue cross on a red to show the country’s By 1516 the Hapsburgs had inherited the thrones of field, with 13 white stars links with Britain. The For more information about the Trust, about the both Burgundy and Spain, and the saltire began to representing the states. Today, stars represent the constellation of the Southern Cross, Athelstaneford T-shirts, or for an application form to appear there on military colours and naval flags. This may this flag forms part of the state flags of Georgia and and the 7-point star, known as the Commonwealth Star, become a 'Friend', write to The Scottish Flag Trust, account for the subsequent use of flags based on the Mississippi. symbolises the seven states and territories. P.O.Box 84, Edinburgh, Scotland. saltire by the Basques, Paraguay, Belgium, and Burundi. SOME WELL KNOWN FLAGS The name Japan means “The Land Canada, prior to 1965 used the of the Rising Sun” and this is British Red Ensign with the represented in the flag. The redness Canadian arms, though this was of the disc denotes passion and unpopular with the French sincerity and the whiteness Canadians. The country’s new flag represents honesty and purity. breaks all previous links. The maple leaf is the Another of the most famous flags Flags of the World traditional emblem of Canada, the white represents in the world is the flag of France, The foremost property of flags is that each one the vast snowy areas in the north, and the two red stripes which dates back to the represent the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. immediately identifies a particular nation or territory, revolution of 1789. The tricolour, The flag of the United States of America, the ‘Stars and comprising three vertical stripes, without the need for explanation. The colours, Stripes’, is one of the most recognisable flags is said to represent liberty, shapes, sizes and devices of each flag are often in the world. It was first adopted in 1777 equality and fraternity - the basis of the republican ideal. linked to the political evolution of a country, and during the War of Independence. The flag of Germany, as with many European Union United Nations The stars on the blue canton incorporate heraldic codes or strongly held ideals. European flags, is based on three represent the 50 states, and the horizontal stripes. The red, black The flags of the nations (at the last count 189) are A second line of descent relates to reforms introduced red and white stripes represent and gold colours date from the proudly displayed in front of the United Nations HQ in by Tsar Peter the Great of Russia following visits to the 13 original colonies which days of the Holy Roman Empire. New York. Because of political upheavals in recent times Western Europe in the 1690s. He designed a naval flag declared independence from In December 1991, the flag of the (e.g. in the former USSR and Yugoslavia), new nation with a blue saltire on a white background, and this Britain. Soviet Union (hammer and sickle states have emerged with new flags. Everyone will be became the Russian Imperial naval ensign up to 1917. on red) was replaced by the familiar with the image of a new country achieving This in turn gave rise to the use of other naval flags The flag of China was Russian Federation flag, which independence by means of a flag-hoisting ceremony. based on the saltire, e.g.