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Vexillology is the scholarly study of flag
Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or Mast , generally used symbolically for signaling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium....
s. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum
Vexillum

The vexillum was a flag-like object used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire. The word is itself a diminutive for the Latin word, velum, sail, which confirms the historical evidence that vexilla were literally "little sails" i.e....
 and the suffix –ology
-logy

-logy is a suffix in English language, found in words originally adapted from Ancient Greek words ending in -????a . The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French language -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin language -logia....
, meaning "study of". The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legion
Roman legion

The Roman Legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire....
s during the classical era
Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome....
; its name is a diminutive form of the word vela meaning sail, and thus literally means "little sail".






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Flag of Fiav
Vexillology is the scholarly study of flag
Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or Mast , generally used symbolically for signaling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium....
s. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum
Vexillum

The vexillum was a flag-like object used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire. The word is itself a diminutive for the Latin word, velum, sail, which confirms the historical evidence that vexilla were literally "little sails" i.e....
 and the suffix –ology
-logy

-logy is a suffix in English language, found in words originally adapted from Ancient Greek words ending in -????a . The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French language -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin language -logia....
, meaning "study of". The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legion
Roman legion

The Roman Legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire....
s during the classical era
Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome....
; its name is a diminutive form of the word vela meaning sail, and thus literally means "little sail". Unlike most modern flags, which are suspended from a pole or mast
Mast (sailing)

The mast of a sailing ship is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship....
 along a vertical side, the square vexillum was suspended from a horizontal crossbar along its top side, which was attached to a spear
Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft, such as obsidian, iron or bronze....
.

The term was coined in 1957 by the American scholar Whitney Smith
Whitney Smith

Whitney Smith is a professional vexillologist, i.e., scholar of flags. The term vexillology, coined by him in 1958 in the article Flags of the Arab World, refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags....
, the author of many books and articles on the subject. It was originally considered a sub-discipline of heraldry
Heraldry

Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning Coat of arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms....
, and is still occasionally seen as such. It is sometimes considered a branch of semiotics
Semiotics

'Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or semiology, is the study of sign processes , or signification and communication, sign and symbols, both individually and grouped into sign systems....
. It is formally defined in the FIAV (Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques
Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques

The F?d?ration internationale des associations vexillologiques is an international federation of 51 regional, national, and multinational associations and institutions across the globe that study vexillology, which FIAV defines in its constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their for...
) constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge." A person who studies flags is a vexillologist, and a person who designs flags is a vexillographer.

Every second year FIAV organizes the International Congress of Vexillology (ICV). The 2007 ICV was in Berlin, Germany
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
; the 2009 ICV will be in Yokohama, Japan
Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region of the main island of Honshu. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area....
. Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
 activity of vexillologists is centered on the Flags of the World
Flags of the World

Flags of the World is an Internet-based vexillological organization and resource. Its projects include the Internet's largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags, and an associated Electronic mailing list....
 website and mailing list.

Flag Identification Symbols (FIS)


The Flag Identification System was created by Whitney Smith
Whitney Smith

Whitney Smith is a professional vexillologist, i.e., scholar of flags. The term vexillology, coined by him in 1958 in the article Flags of the Arab World, refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags....
 and adopted by FIAV
Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques

The F?d?ration internationale des associations vexillologiques is an international federation of 51 regional, national, and multinational associations and institutions across the globe that study vexillology, which FIAV defines in its constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their for...
.

The first row represents use on land and the second use on water, each divided into private (civil), government (state), and military (war) use.

Usage Private Use Government Use Military Use
Land Use Civil Flag State Flag War Flag
Sea Use Civil Ensign State Ensign War Ensign


There are 63 representing symbols that can describe the flag, including:

FIS Text mode Description Usage
Fiav 100000
 C**/*** Civil Flag by private persons on land
Fiav 010000
 *S*/*** State Flag by state institutions on land
Fiav 001000
 **W/*** War Flag by military on land (army)
Fiav 000100
 ***/C** Civil Ensign on private vessels (merchant ensign)
Fiav 000010
 ***/*S* State Ensign on state owned vessels
Fiav 000001
 ***/**W War Ensign by navy
Fiav 110000
 CS*/*** Civil and State Flag by private persons and state on land
Fiav 011000
 *SW/*** State and War Flag by state services and military on land
Fiav 111000
 CSW/*** National Flag for all purposes on land
***/CSW National Ensign for all purposes on vessels
Fiav 111111
 CSW/CSW National Flag and Ensign for all purposes on land and sea


Other symbols are used to describe other aspects of the usage of the flag, such as official status and which side of the flag is being shown. The ones in general use are:

  • Normal or de jure version of flag, or obverse side
  • Design proposed but not officially adopted
  • Design is a reconstruction based on observations
  • Reverse side of flag
  • Design is an acceptable variant
  • Alternative version of flag
  • De facto version of flag
  • Flag has different designs on its obverse side and its reverse side
  • Obverse side meant to be hoisted with pole to the observer's right
  • Design officially authorized to represent nation by government of that nation
  • Design used in the past, but now abandoned (not part of Smith's original set)
  • Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
  • Reverse side is congruent with obverse side
  • Information on reverse side is not available
  • Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
  • Flag can be hung vertically by rotating the design first
  • Vertical hoist method of flag is unknown
  • Design has no element that can be rotated
  • Flag can be hoisted vertically only


Principles of flag design

Flag designs exhibit a number of regularities, arising from a variety of practical concerns, historical circumstances, and cultural prescriptions that have shaped and continue to shape their evolution.

First among the practical issues confronting a vexillographer is the necessity for the design to be manufactured (and often mass produced
Mass production

Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines. The concepts of mass production are applied to various kinds of products, from fluids and particulates handled in bulk to discrete solid parts to assemblies of such parts ....
) into or onto a piece of cloth, which will subsequently be hoisted aloft in the outdoors to represent an organization, individual or idea. In this respect, flag design departs considerably from logo
Logo

A logo is a graphical element that, together with its logotype form a trademark or commercial brand. Typically, a logo's design is for immediate recognition....
 design: logos are predominantly still images to be read off a page, screen, or billboard, while flags are alternately draped and fluttering images to be seen from a variety of distances and angles. The prevalence of simple bold colors and shapes in flag design attests to these practical issues.

Flag design is also a historical process in which current designs often refer back to previous designs, effectively quoting, elaborating, or commenting upon them. Families of current flags may derive from a few common ancestors as in the cases of the Pan-African colours
Pan-African colours

Two different sets of three colours are referred to as the Pan-African colours: the green, gold, and red first used in the flag of Ethiopia; and the red, black, and green adopted by the American-based Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League ....
, the Pan-Arab colors
Pan-Arab colors

The Pan-Arab colors are red, black, white, and green and have their origins in the Flag of the Arab Revolt. The first three colors are featured in the flags of Flag of Egypt and Flag of Yemen; together with green they are also on the flags of Flag of Iraq, Flag of Jordan, Flag of Kuwait, Palestinian flag, Flag of Somaliland, Flag of Sudan,...
, the Pan-Slavic colours
Pan-Slavic colours

The Pan-Slavic colors, red, blue and white, are colors used on the flags of some Slavic peoples and states in which the majority of inhabitants possess a Slavic background....
, the Nordic Cross and the Ottoman flag
Ottoman Flag

File:Ottoman Empire declaration of war during WWI.pngThe term Ottoman flag refers to any of the flags used by the ruling Sultans of the Ottoman Dynasty....
.

Certain cultures prescribe the proper design of flags, through heraldic
Heraldry

Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning Coat of arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms....
 or other authoritative systems. Prescription may be based on religious principles: see, for example, Islamic flags
Islamic Flags

An Islamic flag is a flag that complies with Islamic rules. Traditionally Islamic flags were solid colour. The most favoured colours were black, white and green....
. As a discipline, vexillology is beginning to promote design principles based on a body of research on flag history and design. Prominent examples are published and endorsed by the North American Vexillological Association
North American Vexillological Association

File:Flag of NAVA.svgFile:NAVAseal.jpgThe North American Vexillological Association is a membership organization devoted to "vexillology as the scientific study of flags." Flag researchers, designers, collectors, activists, merchants, and other enthusiasts from the United States and Canada meet annually at NAVA meetings in order to prese...
:

  1. Keep It Simple: the flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
  2. Use Meaningful Symbolism: the flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
  3. Use 2–3 Basic Colors: limit the number of colors on the flag
    List of flags by number of colors

    1 *List of black flags*Green flag*Flag of Libya*Flag of the Sultanate of Muscat*Red flag*White flag...
     to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
  4. No Lettering or Seals: never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal
    Seal (device)

    A seal can mean a wax seal bearing an impressed figure, or an embossed figure in paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document, but the term can also mean any device for making such impressions or embossments, essentially being a Molding that has the mirror image of the figure in counter-relief, such as mounted on rings known a...
    .
  5. Be Distinctive or Be Related: avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.


Vexillologists

  • Graham Bartram
    Graham Bartram

    Graham Bartram is a United Kingdom vexillologist , a vexillographer , and is currently Secretary-General for Congresses of FIAV. He is also the Chief Vexillologist of the Flag Institute and maintains the ....
    , Chief Vexillologist of the Flag Institute, and Secretary-General for Congresses of FIAV
  • Bruce Berry, founder member of the Southern African Vexillological Association (SAVA), editor of the SAVA Journal and SAVA Newsletter, and collector of Rhodesian and South African flags
  • William Crampton
    William Crampton

    William George Crampton, PhD, MEd was a United Kingdom vexillologist. His chief legacy, the Flag Institute, has hundreds of members in the UK and overseas....
    , founder of the Flag Institute
  • Marc Leepson
    Marc Leepson

    'Marc Leepson' is an United States journalist, historian, and author. His books include Desperate Engagement: How a Little Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C....
    , author of Flag: An American Biography
  • Michel Lupant, current president of the FIAV
  • Ottfried Neubecker
    Ottfried Neubecker

    Ottfried Neubecker was a Germany Vexillology and Heraldry. He was born 22 March 1908 in Berlin - Charlottenburg in Germany, into the family of a university teacher....
    , the most important German vexillologist, author of the German navy Flaggenbuch of 1939
  • George H. Preble
    George H. Preble

    George Henry Preble was an United States naval officer and writer, notable for his history of the flag of the United States and for taking the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner....
    , author in 1872 of the influential, if lore-filled, History of the American Flag
  • Rudolf Siegel, author of the influential book Die Flagge, published in 1912
  • Whitney Smith
    Whitney Smith

    Whitney Smith is a professional vexillologist, i.e., scholar of flags. The term vexillology, coined by him in 1958 in the article Flags of the Arab World, refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags....
    , founder of the Flag Research Center, editor of the Flag Bulletin, and coiner of the word "vexillology" in 1957
  • David B. Martucci, president of NAVA 1998-2004, principal of Vexman Consulting, and expert in U.S. historical flags
  • Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr., author of "The Flags of the Confederacy" and "The Flags of the Union, founder of the Confederate States Vexillological Association
  • Ted Kaye, editor of NAVA's "Raven, a Journal of Vexillology" 1996-present and compiler of "Good Flag, Bad Flag"
  • John M. Purcell, president of NAVA 1981-83, principal author of "American City Flags"
  • Don Healy, foremost researcher of U.S. tribal flags and author of "Native American Flags"
  • Alfred Znamierowski, founder of the Flag Design Center and author of "The World Encyclopedia of Flags".
  • Prof. Scot Guenter, a prominent academic vexillologist and author of "The American Flag 1777-1924"


Vexillographers

  • Emilio Aguinaldo
    Emilio Aguinaldo

    General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Philippines general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role in Philippine independence during the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War that resisted United States occupation....
    , designer of the flag of the Philippines
    Flag of the Philippines

    The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal bicolor with equal bands of blue and red, and with a white equilateral triangle based at the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a golden yellow sun with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays; and at each corner of the triangle is a five-pointed golden yellow st...
  • Sharif Hussein
    Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca

    Sayyid Hussein bin Ali, Order of the Bath was the Sharif of Mecca, and Emir of Mecca from 1908 until 1917, when he proclaimed himself king of Hejaz, which received international recognition....
    , designer of the flag of the Arab Revolt
    Arab Revolt

    The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein ibn Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen....
  • Luis
    Luis Arana

    Luis Arana Goiri , self-styled as Arana ta Goiri'tar Koldobika was a Basque nationalism politician and founder of the Basque Nationalist Party along with his brother Sabino Arana....
     and Sabino Arana
    Sabino Arana

    Sabino Arana Goiri , was a Basque writer. He was the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party and father of Basque nationalism.He died in Sukarrieta at the age of 38 after falling ill with Addison's disease during time spent in prison....
    , designers of the Ikurriña
    Ikurriña

    The Ikurri?a or Ikurrina flag is a Basque people symbol and the official flag of the Basque Country Autonomous Community of Spain.Following the pattern of the Union Flag, the flag was designed by the founders of the Basque Nationalist Party EAJ-PNV, Luis Arana and Sabino Arana, and is commonly regarded as the national but unofficial...
     (the flag of the Basque Country)
  • Graham Bartram
    Graham Bartram

    Graham Bartram is a United Kingdom vexillologist , a vexillographer , and is currently Secretary-General for Congresses of FIAV. He is also the Chief Vexillologist of the Flag Institute and maintains the ....
    , designer of the flag of Tristan da Cunha
    Flag of Tristan da Cunha

    File:Flag of Tristan da Cunha.svgThe Flag of Tristan da Cunha was adopted on October 20, 2002 in a proclamation made by the Governor of Saint Helena under a Royal Warrant granted by Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
     and others
  • Manuel Belgrano
    Manuel Belgrano

    Manuel Jos? Joaqu?n del Coraz?n de Jes?s Belgrano, usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano was an Argentina economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader, born in Buenos Aires....
    , designer of the flag of Argentina
    Flag of Argentina

    File:Flag of Argentina.svgFile:Argentina-Bandera-P2080016.JPGFile:Flag of Argentina .svgThe national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband , composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue....
  • Frederick 'Fred' Brownell
    Frederick Brownell

    Frederick Brownell OMSS SM MMM JCD is a South African herald, vexillologist, and genealogist.He joined the Bureau of Heraldry as Assistant State Herald in 1977, and was promoted to State Herald in 1982....
    , designer of the flags of South Africa
    South Africa

    The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
     and Namibia
    Namibia

    Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa on the Atlantic Ocean coast. It shares borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south....
  • Ron Cobb
    Ron Cobb

    Ron Cobb is an American cartoonist, artist, writer, film designer, and film director.By the age of 18, with no formal training in graphic illustration, Cobb was working as an animation "inbetweener" artist for Walt Disney Pictures in Burbank, California....
    , designer of the American Ecology Flag
    Ecology Flag (American)

    The Ecology Flag was a cultural symbol used in the seventies in the United States by early Environmentalism....
  • John Eisemann
    John Eisemann

    John Eisemann was an architect from Cleveland, Ohio who created the Flag of Ohio in 1902, one of very few non-rectangular flags in the world. The shape of the flag of Ohio is a Wiktionary:burgee....
    , designer of the flag of the U.S. state of Ohio
    Flag of Ohio

    The flag of Ohio was adopted in 1902 and designed by John Eisemann, for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. The large blue triangle represents Ohio's hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways....
  • Stephen Greeter (fictional), played by a chess piece in the fumetto
    Fumetti

    Fumetti are a genre of comics illustrated with photographs rather than drawings. Fumetti are popular in Spain and Latin America, where they are called fotonovelas, and have also gained popularity in France....
     Terror Island
  • Quamrul Hassan
    Quamrul Hassan

    Quamrul Hassan was a Bangladeshi artist. Hassan was born in Kolkata, India. In Bangladesh, Hassan's fame as an artist is perhaps only second to that of Zainul Abedin....
    , designer of the flag of Bangladesh
    Flag of Bangladesh

    File:Civil Ensign of Bangladesh.svgFile:Naval Ensign of Bangladesh.svgFile:Flag of Bangladesh .svgThe national flag of Bangladesh was adopted officially on January 17, 1972....
  • Robert G. Heft
    Robert G. Heft

    Robert G. Heft is a designer of the Flag of the United States, and one of the proposed designs for a U.S. 51-star flag for the United States. He spent his childhood in Lancaster, Ohio, Ohio, where he created the flag as a school project....
    , a designer of the 50-star canton
    Flag terminology

    The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon....
     for the American flag
    Flag of the United States

    The flag of the United States consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the Flag terminology bearing fifty small, white, Star s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows of five stars....
  • Cederic Herbert, designer of the flag of the short-lived Zimbabwe Rhodesia
    Zimbabwe Rhodesia

    Zimbabwe Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, was an List of unrecognized countries state that existed from 1 June 1979 to 12 December 1979....
  • Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler

    Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born Germany politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party....
    , designer of the flag of Nazi Germany, the Reichskriegsflagge
    Reichskriegsflagge

    Reichskriegsflagge was the official name of the war flag used by the German armed forces from 1867 to 1945. A total of seven different designs were used during this period....
     and his personal standard
    Adolf Hitler's personal standard

    File:Standarte Adolf Hitlers.svgFile:LSSS AH.svgThe personal standard of Adolf Hitler was designed after Reichspr?sident Paul von Hindenburg died on 2 Aug 1934....
    .
  • Francis Hopkinson
    Francis Hopkinson

    File:Francis Hopkinson sepia print.jpgFile:Francis Hopkinson signature.pngFrancis Hopkinson , an United States author, was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey....
    , designer (according to some historians) of the American flag
    Flag of the United States

    The flag of the United States consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the Flag terminology bearing fifty small, white, Star s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows of five stars....
  • Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii
    Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii

    Syed Ameer ud din Kedwaii was an active worker of Pakistan Movement and possess the distinction of proposing and designing the flag of Pakistan in 1946 which was accepted and appreciated by the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah....
    , designer of the flag of Pakistan
    Flag of Pakistan

    The national flag of Pakistan was designed by Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii and was based on the original flag of the Muslim League. It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just days before independence....
  • Lu Hao-tung
    Lu Hao-tung

    Lu Hao-tung , born Lu Chung-gui , courtesy name Hsien-hsiang , was the first "revolutionary martyr" of the Republic of China. In the same year he died, he designed the "Blue Sky with a White Sun" emblem that came to be used as the Kuomintang party flag, national emblem of the Republic of China, and the canton of the flag of the Republic...
    , designer of the Blue Sky with a White Sun
    Blue Sky with a White Sun

    File:Naval Jack of the Republic of China.svgThe Blue Sky with a White Sun serves as the design for the party flag and emblem of the Kuomintang , the flag terminology of the flag of the Republic of China, the national emblem of the Republic of China , and as the naval jack of the ROC Navy....
     flag of the Republic of China
    Republic of China

    The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
  • King James I of England
    James I of England

    James VI and I was List of monarchs of Scotland as James VI, and List of English monarchs and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Kingdom of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary I of Scotland....
    , designer of the first flag of Great Britain
    Union Flag

    The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national Flag of the United Kingdom. Historically, the flag was used throughout the former British Empire....
    .
  • John McConnell
    John McConnell (peace activist)

    John McConnell , the founder and creator of Earth Day, has demonstrated a major passion for peace, religion, and science throughout his life. He has made efforts to relieve human suffering and promote the common good....
    , designer of the Earth flag
    Earth flag

    The flag of the Earth is a flag used to represent the Earth. Although there is no internationally agreed upon flag to represent the whole planet, some organizations have promoted designs for a flag, yet none of these designs have managed to gain much recognition outside the organizations that propose them....
  • Fredrik Meltzer
    Fredrik Meltzer

    Fredrik Meltzer was a Norwegian people businessman and politician perhaps best known for having designed the flag of Norway. A member of the constituent assembly, Meltzer was one of the signatories of the Norwegian Constitution of 1814....
    , designer of the flag of Norway
    Flag of Norway

    The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Flag of Denmark, the flag of Denmark....
  • Raimundo Teixeira Mendes
    Raimundo Teixeira Mendes

    Raimundo Teixeira Mendes was a Brazil philosopher and mathematician. He is credited with creating the national motto, "Order and Progress", as well as Flag of Brazil on which it appears....
    , designer of the flag of Brazil
    Flag of Brazil

    File:Naval Jack of Brazil.svgThe flag of Brazil has a green field on which a large yellow rhombus is centered. A blue circle is placed within the rhombus, with white stars of five different sizes and a curved white band running through it....
  • William Porcher Miles
    William Porcher Miles

    William Porcher Miles was among those ardent States' Rights advocates, supporters of slavery, and Southern United States secessionists that came to be known as the "Fire-Eaters." Born in South Carolina, he showed little interest in politics and his early career included the study of law and a tenure as a mathematics professor....
    , designer of the battle flag of the Confederate States of America
    Flags of the Confederate States of America

    File:Our Heroes and Our Flags 1896.jpgThere were several flags of the Confederate States of America used during its existence from 1861 to 1865....
  • Francisco de Miranda
    Francisco de Miranda

    Sebasti?n Francisco de Miranda y Rodr?guez , commonly known as Francisco de Miranda, was a Venezuelan revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spanish Empire failed, he is regarded as a forerunner of Sim?n Bol?var, who during the Hispanic American wars of independence successfully liberated a vast portion of So...
    , designer of the flag of Venezuela
    Flag of Venezuela

    The flag of Venezuela dates from 1811, the beginning of that nation's struggle for independence. The basic design includes a horizontal tricolor of yellow, blue, and red....
  • Friedensreich Hundertwasser
    Friedensreich Hundertwasser

    Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser, born Friedrich Stowasser, was an Austria Painting, Architecture and Sculpture.Born in Vienna, he became one of the best-known contemporary Austrian artists, although controversial,...
    , designer of the Koru Flag
    Koru Flag

    The Koru Flag has been Flag_of_New_Zealand#Flag_debate flag for New Zealand. It was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1983. It is claimed by some New Zealanders that the current flag of New Zealand is a reminder of British colonialism and does not truly represent their culture; however, those who support the current flag say that it...
     among others
  • Theodosia Okoh, designer of the flag of Ghana
    Flag of Ghana

    The flag of Ghana was adopted in 1957. It has a horizontal tricolour of red, gold, and green, charged with a black five-pointed star in the center of the middle stripe....
  • Christopher Pratt
    Christopher Pratt

    John Christopher Pratt, Order of Canada is a Canadian painter.Pratt moved to New Brunswick in 1953 to attend Mount Allison University, where he met his future wife, the artist Mary Pratt....
    , designer of the flag of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
    Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador

    The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador was introduced in 1980, and was designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt. The flag design, with the proportions 2:1, was approved by the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on May 28, 1980....
  • Betsy Ross
    Betsy Ross

    File:RossBetsy.jpgBetsy Ross , of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been widely credited with making the first American flag....
    , designer (according to legend) of the American flag
    Flag of the United States

    The flag of the United States consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the Flag terminology bearing fifty small, white, Star s arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows of five stars....
  • Gerard Slevin
    Gerard Slevin

    Gerard Slevin was born in Cork , Ireland. Slevin was assistant to Edward McLysaght, the Chief Herald of Ireland, from 1944 to 1954, at which time he succeeded McLysaght....
    , former Chief Herald of Ireland reputed to have helped design the flag of the European Union
  • Whitney Smith
    Whitney Smith

    Whitney Smith is a professional vexillologist, i.e., scholar of flags. The term vexillology, coined by him in 1958 in the article Flags of the Arab World, refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags....
    , designer of the flag of Guyana
    Flag of Guyana

    The flag of Guyana, known as The Golden Arrowhead, was adopted in 1966. It was designed by Whitney Smith, a prominent American vexillologist ....
     and other flags
  • George Stanley
    George Stanley

    Colonel George Francis Gillman Stanley, Order of Canada, Canadian Forces Decoration, Royal Society of Canada, Royal Heraldry Society of Canada was a historian, author, soldier, teacher, public servant, and designer of the current Canadian flag....
    , designer of the flag of Canada
    Flag of Canada

    The 'National Flag of Canada', also known as the 'Maple Leaf', and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag....
  • Joaquín Suárez
    Joaquín Suárez

    Joaqu?n Su?rez de Rondelo was a Uruguayan political figure.Suarez served as the first President of Uruguay in 1828 and again in 1830. He served as President of Uruguay from 1843 to 1852, during a civil war against rebels led by Manuel Oribe....
    , designer of the flag of Uruguay
    Flag of Uruguay

    The national flag of Uruguay has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The Flag terminology is white, charged with the Sun of May, from which 16 rays extend, alternating between triangular and wavy....
  • Robert Watt
    Robert Watt

    Robert Douglas Watt, Royal Victorian Order, FRHSC was the first Chief Herald of Canada. He was appointed at the foundation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, and was replaced by Claire Boudreau in 2007....
    , designer of the flag of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Flag of Vancouver

    The Flag of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada was adopted by City Council on May 17, 1983. It was designed by Robert Watt, then the Director of the Vancouver Museum, and later the Chief Herald of Canada....
  • Oliver Wolcott, Jr.
    Oliver Wolcott, Jr.

    Oliver Wolcott Jr. was United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1795 to 1800 and List of Governors of Connecticut of Connecticut from 1817 to 1827....
    , designer of the flag of the United States Customs Service
    United States Customs Service

    Until March 2003, the United States Customs Service was the portion of the Federal government of the United States dedicated to keeping illegal products outside of U.S....
  • Zeng Liansong
    Zeng Liansong

    Zeng Liansong was the designer of the Flag of the People's Republic of China. He was from Ruian, Zhejiang province.He entered the economics department at the National Central University in 1936 ....
    , designer of the flag of the People's Republic of China
    Flag of the People's Republic of China

    The flag of the People's Republic of China, the "Five-Starred Red Flag , was designed by Zeng Liansong, an economist and artist from Rui'an , Zhejiang....


See also

  • Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques
    Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques

    The F?d?ration internationale des associations vexillologiques is an international federation of 51 regional, national, and multinational associations and institutions across the globe that study vexillology, which FIAV defines in its constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their for...
  • Flag
    Flag

    A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or Mast , generally used symbolically for signaling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium....
  • Flag Institute
    Flag Institute

    Founded on St George's Day, 23 April 1971 by William Crampton and Captain EMC Barraclough CBE RN, the Flag Institute is one of the world's leading research and documentation centres for flags and flag information....
     (U.K.)
  • Flagmaster
    Flagmaster

    Flagmaster is a vexillology magazine publishing by the Flag Institute and edited by Michael Faul. Since November 2005, the magazine has been printed entirely in Color printing; it is the second periodical principally about flags to have been so printed ....
  • Flag terminology
    Flag terminology

    The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon....
  • Flags of the World
    Flags of the World

    Flags of the World is an Internet-based vexillological organization and resource. Its projects include the Internet's largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags, and an associated Electronic mailing list....
  • Heraldry
    Heraldry

    Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning Coat of arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms....
  • Nordic Flag Society
    Nordic Flag Society

    The Nordic Flag Society is an association of Nordic countries vexillologists. It has an official name in the languages of all the five countries in which its activities are principally based: Nordiska Flaggs?llskapet , Nordisk Flagselskab , Nordisk Flaggselskap , Pohjoismaiden Lippuseura , and Norr?na F?naf?lagi? ....
  • North American Vexillological Association
    North American Vexillological Association

    File:Flag of NAVA.svgFile:NAVAseal.jpgThe North American Vexillological Association is a membership organization devoted to "vexillology as the scientific study of flags." Flag researchers, designers, collectors, activists, merchants, and other enthusiasts from the United States and Canada meet annually at NAVA meetings in order to prese...
  • Sociedad Española de Vexilología
    Sociedad Española de Vexilología

    The Sociedad Espa?ola de Vexilolog?a -SEV- , is an association devoted to the study of flags. Based in Spain, most of its members are Spanish language speaking vexillologists....
  • Tincture (heraldry)
    Tincture (heraldry)

    In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to blazon a coat of arms....
  • William Crampton Library
    William Crampton Library

    The William Crampton Library, so named in honour of Dr William Crampton, founder of the Flag Institute, is the United Kingdom's largest single library devoted to the subject of vexillology....


External links

  • , discussion forum on vexillology