North America Archives - Page 4 of 10

Greenland

Flags / artic, Atlantic Ocean, economy, europe, flags, geography, history, islands, nordic, North America

To honour the tenth anniversary of the Erfalasorput, the Greenland Post Office issued commemorative postage stamps and a leaflet by the flag’s creator. He described the white stripe as representing the glaciers and ice cap, which cover more than 80% of the island; the red stripe, the ocean; the red semicircle, the sun, with its bottom part sunk in the ocean; and the white semicircle, the icebergs and pack ice. The design is also reminiscent of the setting sun half-submerged below the horizon and reflected on the sea. In 1985, the public was made aware that Greenland’s flag had exactly the same motif as the flag of the Danish rowing club HEI Rosport, which was founded before Greenland’s flag was chosen. It is not clear whether this is a case of plagiarism or just a coincidence, but the rowing club has given Greenland permission to use their flag.

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Cuba

Flags / caribbean, economy, flags, geography, history, islands, North America, political, social, social/political, us possessions

The national flag of Cuba consists of five alternating stripes (three blue and two white) and a red equilateral triangle at the hoist, within which is a white five-pointed star. It was designed in 1849 and officially adopted May 20, 1902.

It is one of the two flags of a currently socialist country (the other being Laos) that does not use any communist symbolism.

The three blue stripes represent the three departments in which Cuba was divided at that time, the white purity of ideals, the light; the red triangle, originating from the French Revolution – and the three ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity: red for the blood and the courage; the star was the new state that should be added to the United States.

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Costa Rica

Flags / Central America, economy, flags, geography, history, North America, political

The flag was officially adopted on 27 November 1906, including a slight modification to the placement and design of the entrenched coat of arms. The flag was updated to reflect concurrent modifications to the national coat of arms in 1964 and 1998. Along with Haiti, Afghanistan, and Bolivia, it is one of four national flags in the world which has a depiction of its flag within the flag itself.

The blue, white and red horizontal design was created in 1848 by Pacífica Fernández, wife of then president José María Castro Madriz. Fernández was inspired by France’s 1848 Revolution, and the creation of the French Second Republic. The new design to the Costa Rican flag adopted the colors of the French tricolor.

The blue color stands for the sky, opportunities, idealism, and perseverance. The white color stands for peace, wisdom and happiness. The red color stands for the blood spilt by martyrs in defense of the country, as well as the warmth and generosity of the people.

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Cabo Verde

Flags / Canada, Canadian Provinces, economy, flags, geography, history, islands, North America, Popular Culture

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.

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Yukon

Flags / Canada, canadian territories, childhood, flags, geography, history, North America

The flag of Yukon was officially adopted on March 1, 1968. The flag was chosen from a territory-wide competition as part of Canada’s Centennial celebrations of 1967. The competition was sponsored by the Whitehorse branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. A C$100 prize was offered to the winning design. There were a total of 137 submissions with the winning design coming from Yukon College graduate Lynn Lambert. Lambert submitted 10 designs of which one made the final three designs as selected by a committee, with his eventually being named the winner. A prototype design was sent to Ottawa for suitable heraldic description. An expert in Ottawa sent back an amended version of the submitted flag design. The committee in Whitehorse however kept with the original design. The flag was adopted by the ‘Flag Act’ on December 1, 1967.

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Nunavut

Flags / Canada, canadian territories, flags, geography, history, North America

The flag of the Canadian territory of Nunavut consists of gold and white fields divided vertically by a red inuksuk with a blue star in the upper fly. The colours blue and gold were selected to represent the “riches of land, sea, and sky”, while red is used to represent Canada as a whole. The inuksuk, which divides the flag, is a traditional stone monument used to guide travellers and to mark sacred sites. In the upper fly, the blue star represents the North Star (Niqirtsituk), an important object due to its key role as a navigational beacon, and as symbolically representing the wisdom and leadership of community elders.

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Saskatchewan

Flags / Canada, Canadian Provinces, childhood, Dad, flags, geography, history, North America

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.

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Quebec

Flags / Canada, Canadian Provinces, flags, france, french overseas territories, geography, history, North America, social/political

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.

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Prince Edward Island

Flags / Canada, Canadian Provinces, flags, geography, history, North America

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.

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Ontario

Flags / Canada, Canadian Provinces, flags, geography, history, North America

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.

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