Year: 2010

Flag of Algeria

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The flag of Algeria was adopted on July 3, 1962, when the country gained independence from France. The flag is rectangular and divided vertically into two fields.  The left field has a dark green background and the right field has a white background.  Intersecting the two fields, in the center of the flag, is a red star and crescent.

The colors of the Algerian flag have symbolic meaning. As with many countries, the white symbolizes peace.  The green part of the flag represents nature.  The star and crescent were widely used in parts of the ancient Mediterranean regions and also in parts of Asia.  Today, the star and crescent combination is most commonly recognized as the emblem of Islam, and the star and crescent appear on the Algerian flag for these reasons.  Although the star and crescent are often green, the red star and crescent on the Algerian flag represent the blood of the many soldiers that were killed fighting for Algeria’s independence from France between 1954 and 1962.

The detailed history of the Algerian flag is somewhat unclear. The colors in the flag—white, red, and green—are used in the flags and emblems of many Islamic nations.  The best explanation of the Algerian flag’s design is that it is a combination of two flags used in what is now the country of Algeria.  The flag of the Algerian Regency, which governed the area from the sixteenth until the nineteenth century, had a red background with a white star and crescent in the center.  In the nineteenth century, Prince Abdel Kadir, an Algerian Islamic scholar and political and military leader, led a French resistance movement flying a flag with two vertical stripes, one green and one white.  It is also possible that Messali Hadj, an Algerian nationalist, designed the Algerian flag in the late 1920s.

Flag of Bulgaria

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The current flag of Bulgaria was adopted in 1991 when Bulgaria’s Constitution was readopted, although the original Bulgarian flag was adopted when Bulgaria gained independence following the Russo-Turkish War.  The flag is rectangular with three horizontal stripes: a white stripe on the top, a green stripe in the middle, and a red stripe on the bottom.

The red and white stripes on the Bulgarian flag represent the pan-Slavic colors: red, white, and blue.  When the Bulgarians designed their flag, however, they chose a green stripe in place of the traditional pan-Slavic blue to represent freedom.

Since the Bulgarian flag’s adoption in 1879, the flag has existed in two versions: with and without the emblem of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria.  In 1879, after Bulgaria gained its independence during the Russo-Turkish War, the Tarnovo Constitution mandated that the Bulgarian flag consist of a horizontal tricolor with white, green, and red stripes. When Bulgaria was under the rule of the Bulgarian Communist Party and known as The People’s Republic of Bulgaria, the country used a horizontal tricolor flag with the emblem of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria placed on the left corner of the white stripe.

The emblem of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria depicts a rampant lion surrounded by a wreath of wheat. Above the lion is a red five-pointed star.  Below the lion are the dates 681 and 1944.  Asparunkh, ruler of the Bulgar tribe during the 7th century, founded the First Bulgarian Empire in 681. The Fatherland Front, a Bulgarian resistance movement that led to the start of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, took control over Bulgaria in 1944, at the end of the World War II.

In 1991, the new Constitution of Bulgaria again mandated that the flag of Bulgaria be a simple horizontal tricolor of white, green, and red; and the emblem of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria was removed.

Flag of Catalonia

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The flag of Catalonia is known as the senyera (“signal flag” in Catalan) and is one of the oldest European flags still in use today. The flag is a rectangular shape with four red horizontal stripes equally spaced on a golden background.

The colors of the flag of Catalonia have their roots in the coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon, which consists of a golden shield with four red stripes and a jeweled crown on top.  According to a legend from the fourteenth century, in 897, when Barcelona was under siege by the Moors, King Charles the Bald drew four red stripes with his blood-drenched fingers as an act of gratitude on the Count of Barcelona’s golden shield. Although scholars debate the legend’s validity, the red blood and golden shield depicted in the tale influenced the colors for the Crown of Aragon’s coat of arms.  The red and golden colors are used in the flags of four of Spain’s autonomous communities: Catalonia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia.

The origin of the actual senyera is, again, debated as scholars argue over whether the flag has its roots in the Catalan or Aragonese region of Spain.  The Gran Encyclopedia Catalana argues that the senyera first appeared in the tomb of Ramon Berenguer II, a count of Barcelona who died in 1082.  Advocates for the Aragonese theories argue, however, the flag was first found in the seal of Alfonso II of Aragon in 1159.

Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, one of seventeen self-governing regions in the country. Catalonia is in the northeast region of Spain and is bordered by France to the north. The area consists of four provinces: Barcelona (the capitol), Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona.  Although the history of this region dates back to the eighth century, Catalonia has only been an autonomous region since August 9, 2006.

Flag of Zimbabwe

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The flag of Zimbabwe was adopted on April 18, 1980, when Zimbabwe’s status as an independent nation was officially recognized.  The flag is a rectangular shape with seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, and black.  From the stripes are in mirror image order and are arranged in the following order from top to bottom: green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, green.  On the left side of the flag is a white triangle with a black border.  Inside the white triangle is a soapstone bird behind a red star.

The colors of the flag of Zimbabwe have symbolic meaning similar to many African countries that use the pan-African colors.  The green stripes symbolize the products of the agricultural and farming areas of Zimbabwe.  The yellow stripes symbolize Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.  The red stripes toward the center of the flag symbolize the blood of the many Zimbabweans that fought in the First and Second Chimurenga wars.  Chimurenga means “revolutionary struggle” in Shona, a Bantu language.  The First Chimurenga was fought between 1896 and 1897 against the British colonial rule and the second was fought between 1966 and 1980 against the Rodesians, a white minority regime in Zimbabwe.  Finally, the black stripe on the flag symbolizes the Zimbabweans’ native African heritage and ethnicity.

The triangle and images inside it also have symbolic meaning.  The white triangle symbolizes peace.  The red star represents the Zimbabweans’ hope and optimism for the future, but it also stands for the country’s socialist ideals.  The Zimbabwean bird in front of the red star is a depiction of a soapstone bird and is the national emblem of Zimbabwe.  The bird was carved on the walls of the ancient Great Zimbabwe in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries.  The walls on which the bird is carved formed the largest ancient stone construction in Zimbabwe.  The bird is a bateleur eagle and can be found on the Zimbabwean flag and coat of arms.

Flag of Norway

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The flag of Norway was adopted on July 13, 1821. It is rectangular with a red background and a blue Scandinavian cross that is outlined in white.  The cross covers the entirety of the flag but the center of the cross is slightly to the left side of the flag.  The design and colors of the flag resemble the Dannebrog, or the flag of Denmark, except that the Norwegian flag features a blue and white cross while the Donnebrog is plain white.

The colors of the Norwegian are based on the Coat of Arms of Norway, which features a red shield with a golden lion holding an axe.  On top of the shield is a bold crown and a red escutcheon.  The Coat of Arms of Norway originated in the Middle Ages and is one of the oldest coats of arms in Europe.

The history of the Norwegian flag is somewhat unclear, although the flag may have originated during the reign of Inge Haraldsson in the early twelfth century.  During Inge’s rule, a flag with a red lion on a gold background was used.  In the late thirteenth century, Erik II of Norway flew a flag with a golden lion on a red background.  This flag is now known as the Royal Standard of Norway; it is used by the King of Norway and was officially adopted on November 15, 1905.

From 1536 until 1814, Norway united with the Kingdom of Denmark and used the Dannebrog, a red flag with a white Scandanavian cross. When Norway separated from Denmark in 1814, it continued to fly the Dannebrog, but also included the golden lion from its own coat of arms in the upper left corner of the flag.

Fredrik Meltzer, a member of the Norwegian parliament, designed the current flag of Norway. Although the Norwegian chambers approved the design, the King of Norway approved the flag for civilian use only. In 1899, after three consecutive chamber sessions, the flag was finally approved for use as the country’s national banner.

Flag Pins

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Looking for a way to wear your pride on your lapel, hat, or uniform? The United States Flag Store offers many different United States, international, and military flag pins at unbeatable prices.  Each flag pin  gold metal lacquered design with a baked-on enamel finish and a clutch pin. Pins that display single flags feature an image of one waving flag and double flags feature a United States flag along with the other chosen flag.

If you’re looking to display your patriotic spirit, the United States Flag store offers several different United States flag pins that you can wear with pride on your lapel, hat, or uniform.  Standard United States flag pins are available for as low as $0.40 each when you purchase them in bulk and feature beautiful images of the United States flag waving in the air.  A wide selection of military flag pins and double pins—those with one U.S. flag and another state, military, or international flag next to each other—are also available in beautifully lacquered designs.

The United States Flag store also sells lapel pins for all fifty U.S. states.  These beautiful pins display your state’s flag waving proudly in the air and are available for as low as $0.75 each when your order in bulk.

If you’re looking to display your international pride and diplomacy, then take a look at the United States Flag Store’s incredible selection of international flag pins.  Countries represented include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Cuba, Germany, France Greece, Ireland, India, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Pins for other countries can be ordered upon request.

Want a special, customized pin?  The United States Flag Store will create custom lapel pins to promote your company, club, church, or organization.  These beautiful custom pins are individually designed to fit your organization’s needs and are available in enamel, pewter, silver, and gold. Your organization can either submit artwork for your pin or work with an artist to create a custom design.  For questions about this great service, email customart@onlinestores.com.

Flag of the Czech Republic

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The flag of the Czech Republic was adopted on March 30, 1920, shortly after the formation of the Czech Republic. It is a rectangular flag with a blue isosceles triangle on the left side and two horizontal stripes covering the remaining area.  The top stripe is white and the bottom is red.  The Czech flag is identical to the flag of former Czechoslovakia.

Like many European nations, the colors of the flag of the Czech Republic originated from its coat of arms.  The coat of arms of the Czech Republic displays shield from the three regions that make up the nation: Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia.  The Bohemian coat of arms consists of a white lion with two tails on a red background.  The Moravian coat of arms features a red and silver eagle on a blue background, and the flag of Silesia features a black eagle on a gold background.

The original flag of Czechoslovakia is based on the Bohemian coat of arms and was identical to the Bohemian flag. The first flag of Czechoslovakia consisted of a white horizontal band on the top and a red band on the bottom.  Since this flag was nearly identical to the flag of Poland and very similar to the Austrian flag in its choice of colors, a blue isosceles triangle was added to the left side.

During World War II, the Nazi regime banned the flag of Czechoslovakia.  The central region of Czechoslovakia—including parts of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia—was named the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia by Hitler and considered part of the Third Reich.  During this region’s formal existence from 1939-1945, the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia flew a rectangular flag with three horizontal stripes of equal width: the top stripe was white, the middle stripe was red, and the bottom stripe was blue.

At the end of World War II, the flag of Czechoslovakia was restored. From 1990 until 1992, during the formation of the Czech and Slovak Republics, the Czechs briefly used the original red and white flag of Bohemia. Eventually, however, the Czech government decided to continue using the Czechoslovakian flag established in 1920.

Sports Banner Flags

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The United States Flag Store is the largest online vendor of garden flags, offering a wide variety of durable and beautifully appliquéd garden flags at incredibly low prices.  If you’re looking for sports flags, you’ve visited the right website: the United States flag store sells NFL, NASCAR, and Major League Baseball flags for as low as $9.50 each.

The United States Flag Store has a selection of over thirty NFL team flags for you to display your football pride.  Each beautifully appliquéd flag measures 15” by 10.5”, includes a pole hem, and is made of durable, high quality nylon.  Most NFL flags on the website feature a brightly colored background with an authentic team logo in the center.  Other flags are more elaborate, however: the Indianapolis Colts flag includes an image of a Colts helmet with the words “Indianapolis Colts” above the image.  The Miami Dolphins flag includes an image of a dolphin wearing a Miami helmet with a sun in the background. At a low price of $11.99, these flags are truly a great buy!

If NASCAR is your passion, the United States Flag Store has eight different NASCAR flags representing some of the best drivers.  Each flag is made with 150-denier polyester for supreme weather resistance and is double sided with a lining in the middle. Flags measure 13” x 17” and include a pole hem.  NASCAR drivers represented include Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards.  Flags feature your favorite driver’s number, their signature, and bright vibrant colors that passersby are sure to notice.

The United States Flag Store offers pennant flags representing seventeen of your favorite Major League Baseball teams.  Each flag is made of weather-resistant 420-denier nylon and measure 14” by 34”.  Pennants feature the baseball team’s logo on the widest end and team colors throughout the rest of the flag. These great pennants can be displayed in your yard outside or indoors on your favorite wall.

What are you waiting for? Order your sports flags from the U.S. Flag Store today!