The National Flag of the Republic of Cabo Verde has five unequal horizontal bands of blue, white, and red, with a circle of ten yellow five-pointed stars. The topmost blue stripe is half the width of the flag. Each of the three stripes of white and red are one-twelfth of the width, and the bottom blue stripe is one quarter. The circle of stars is centered on the red stripe and positioned three-eighths of the length of the flag from the hoist side.
The Northwest Territories’ first official flag was chosen by a special committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in 1969. The committee reviewed entries from a Canada wide contest. The winner of the contest was Robert Bessant from Margaret, Manitoba.
The flag features a blue field, on which is a Canadian pale (a white stripe taking up half the width of the flag), with at the centre, the shield from the coat of arms of the Northwest Territories. The blue represents the abundant Northwest Territories waters, whereas the white represents snow and ice.
Two blue panels represent the Northwest Territories’ many rivers and lakes. The white section, representing ice and snow, is equal in area to the 2 blue panels combined. The territorial Shield is centred in the white section. The white section of the Shield, with a wavy blue line dividing it, represents the Arctic Ocean and the Northwest Passage. A diagonal line, representing the tree line, divides the lower portion into a green and red section with green symbolizing the trees and red symbolizing the tundra. The gold bars in the green section and the white fox in the red section represent the abundant minerals and furs upon which the history and prosperity of the Northwest Territories has been based.
The provincial flag of Saskatchewan features the armorial bearings (coat of arms) in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem, the western red lily (Lilium philadelphicum), in the fly. The upper green half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the gold lower half symbolizes the southern, prairie wheat-fields.
The current flag of Saskatchewan was adopted on September 22, 1969, the result of a province-wide competition that drew over four thousand entries. The winning entry was designed by Anthony Drake of Hodgeville, Saskatchewan.
he flag of Quebec, called the Fleurdelisé (the Lily-flowered) represents the province of Quebec. It consists of a white cross on a blue background, with four white fleur-de-lis.
It was adopted by the government of Quebec during the administration of Maurice Duplessis (March 9, 1950). It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada, first shown on January 21, 1948, at the Parliament Building of the National Assembly in Quebec City. Quebec’s Flag Day (January 21) commemorates its adoption each year, though for some time it was celebrated in May. At least one parade marked the flag’s 60th anniversary in January 2008.
The Fleurdelisé takes its white cross from the royal flags of the Kingdom of France, namely the French naval flag as well as the French merchant flag.
Its white fleurs-de-lis (symbols of purity) and blue field (symbolizing Heaven) come from a banner honouring the Virgin Mary. One such was reputedly carried by French Canadian militia at General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm’s victory at Carillon.
The flag is blazoned Azure, a cross between four fleurs-de-lis argent. Its horizontal symmetry allows both sides of the flag to show the same image.
Based upon the Armorial Bearings of Prince Edward Island, the flag contains a gold Heraldic Lion which also appeared on the Coat of Arms for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (for whom the Province was named) and on that of King Edward VII, who granted the Bearings. Beneath the lion is a single plot of grass representing PEI and England, both of which are islands. Upon the mound of grass stands a mature (Quercus rubra) red oak tree; the official tree of Prince Edward Island which represents England and three smaller saplings on the left representing the three counties into which Prince Edward Island has been divided since 1767. Framing the flag on the three sides away from the mast are alternating bands of red and white, the official colours of Canada.
The flag of Ontario is a defaced Red Ensign. The flag was an adaptation of the Canadian Red Ensign, which had been the de facto national flag of Canada since 1867. The flag is a red field with the Royal Union Flag in the canton and the Ontario shield of arms in the fly. The coat of arms of Ontario had been previously granted by Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria in 1868. It features a green field with three gold maple leaves and above it, a white band with a red St. George’s cross.
The flag of the modern Canadian province, a blue saltire on a white field (background), is a simple figure-ground reversal of the flag of Scotland (a white saltire, Saint Andrew’s cross, on a blue field), charged with an inescutcheon bearing the royal arms of Scotland, a gold shield with a red lion rampant surrounded by a loyal double tressure (a double border decorated with fleurs de lis).
The top white bar represents the snow which colours the culture and lifestyle of Labradorians like no other element. The bottom blue bar represents the waters of Labrador which serve as the highway and sustainer of the people of Labrador. The centre green bar represents the nurturing land. It is thinner than the other two, as the northern climes of Labrador have short summers.
The twig is in two year-growths to represent the past and future of Labrador. The shorter growth of the inner twigs represents the hardships of the past, while the outer twigs are longer as a representation of the hope Labradorians have for the future. The three branches represent the three founding nations of Labrador; the Innu, the Inuit, and the European settlers. The three branches emerging from a single stalk represents the unity of the distinct peoples in the brotherhood of all mankind, thus representing people of these and all backgrounds in Labrador. Since the black spruce, a member of the pine family of trees is the official tree of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador it also serves as a reminder that Labrador is part of that larger entity.
The flag design is that of Beothuk and Innu decorative pendants worn hung from a cord around the neck. Pratt viewed these at the Provincial Museum. With the blue, red and white colours applied the design has an intentional overall resemblance to the Union Jack, as a reminder of British Isles heritage and historic connections. The two red triangles represent the two areas of the province, the continental region (Labrador) and the island region (Newfoundland). The gold arrow, according to Pratt, points towards a “brighter future”; the arrow becomes a sword, honouring the sacrifices of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in military service when the flag is displayed as a vertical banner. The red triangles and the gold arrow form a trident, symbolizing the province’s association with the fisheries and other resources of and under the sea.
