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(Source: g0re-trait)
Philippines (1898-1901)
Today is Flag Day in the Philippines. In its original form, the flag looked somewhat different than it does today. It was longer—around two and a half times longer than it was tall—the white triangle was shallower, and the sun had a face on it. There’s some debate about how light the blue stripe was, but the evidence from surviving examples leans towards a darker shade.
The design and colour scheme of the flag are inspired by the flag of Cuba. Makes sense, since both countries were fighting for independence from Spain around the same time.
Flying the flag was considered a seditious act after the Americans took over, but it was legalized in 1919. The Commonwealth of the Philippines set the flag its modern form in 1936. It’s remained the same since then, with only an occasional change to the shade of blue.
MODEMAS (1992-Present)
Martinique already has a lovely unofficial flag but the Movement of Democrats and Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique (or MODEMAS for short) is not a huge fan. They consider it a symbol of the slave trade and compared it to the Nazi swastika in an open letter a few years back. Instead they prefer their party flag, consisting of the Pan-African colours (which have been associated with the independence movement since the 1950s) in a Czech pattern.
Transcaucasia (1918)
The Transcaucasian Federation, consisting of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, declared independence from Russia in February 1918 and existed for a scant three months. Georgia was the first state to break away from the union on 26 May 1918, and the anniversary of that day is still celebrated as the country’s Independence Day. The other two countries followed suit two days later.
The federation was revived as a communist state in 1922 and became one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. It was dissolved for good with the enactment of the 1936 Soviet Constitution.
Madang (?-Present)
The Provinces of Papua New Guinea have a diverse array of flags. Being a tricolour, Madang’s fag is one of the more conventional ones. Its colour scheme is derived from the national flag, the six stars represent the province’s six districts, and the device in the canton is the Madang Lighthouse.
There’s an alternate depiction of this flag with six black stars in the yellow stripe, but it’s not clear to me whic is the official version.
Happy Independence Day to all Eritreans everywhere!
Today, May 24th, marks the 21st celebration since the East African nation of Eritrea gained its full independence from Ethiopia, after having previously been colonized by Italy in 1885 - who they gained independence from in 1941, and England - who they gained independence from in 1951. Before the Italian occupation of what is now modern-day Eritrea, the Ottoman Empire maintained control over much of this territory between 1557–1885.
Eritrean history is home to some of the oldest civilizations on the continent. Together with northern Somalia, Djibouti, and the Red Sea coast of Sudan, Eritrea is considered the most likely location of the land known to the ancient Egyptiansas Punt (or “Ta Netjeru,” meaning god’s land), whose first mention dates to the 25th century BC. The ancient Puntites were a nation of people that had close relations with Pharaonic Egypt during the times of Pharaoh Sahure and Queen Hatshepsut.
Around the 8th century BC, a kingdom known as D’mt was established in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, with its capital at Yeha in northern Ethiopia. Its successor, the Kingdom of Aksum, emerged around the 1st century BC or 1st century AD and grew to be, according to the Persian philosopher Mani described Axum as one of the four greatest civilizations in the world, along withChina, Persia, and Rome.
Love those flag-coloured outfits in the lower right.
The Dead Pay Tribute on Flickr.
Taken on the Day of the Dead in 2008. #mexico #mexicocity #flag #patriotism