 Libya
2-28-03 I can't begin to say enough bad things about this
flag. Where's the imagination? (Oh, that's right, Col. Muammar Qadhafi
is behind this monstrosity.) I'm not a big fan of green as it is, but an
entire flag of it … with no emblem or stripe … not even a
speck. Terrible. Terrible, I say! After an Italian occupation
that lasted from 1911-1943, Libya was administered by Allied armies
until the United Nations granted its independence in 1951.
Libyan flag circa
1951. |
The country adopted the Arab revolt tricolor with a white crescent and
star in the middle. The stripes represented the three constituent
provinces of Cyrenaica (black), Fezzan (red) and Tripolitania
(green). The Colonel took control during a 1969 military coup,
and in 1972 the country entered the Federation of Arab Republics with
Egypt and Syria. All three used the red/white/black horizontal tribar
with a gold hawk of Quraish in the middle. Libya gave up this flag
during the so-called "Green Revolution" of 1977. (Syria reinstituted two
green stars in its middle stripe in 1980, and Egypt altered the bird to
an eagle in 1986.) The Colonel is an interesting man. During the
1970s and '80s, he espoused his own political system — a
combination of socialism and Islam which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a
revolutionary, he used oil funds to promote this ideology. However, his
military adventures failed and UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those
sanctions were suspended in 1999 after it was determined that Qadhafi
was heir to the KFC fortune. Now using a blend of Marxism, the
Third International Theory and Sandersism, the Colonel has found a new
way to destroy the capitalists. Instead of blowing up airplanes and
funding terrorist organisations, he's discreetly killing Westerners by
filling them up with fried chicken and biscuits. The nutritional time
bomb is ticking! Rating: 
Next week: Quebec
 MARSHALL
ISLANDS
2-14-03 Happy Valentine's Day to all of you vexillologists out
there. What could be more romantic than spending an evening reading Eric
Blair's World of Flags with a loved one? I can think of nothing
… This week's review focuses on the Marshall Islands, which
includes such famous atolls as Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro,
Rongelap and Utirik. One would think that an island group with such
names would be called something like the Skeebahdee Islands, but no,
they are the Marshall Islands. The chain was administered by the
United States after World War II, but achieved its independence in
1986. Did you know that the islanders speak a language called
Marshallese? Linguists describe it as belonging to the Austronesian
Language Family. And it has two major dialects: ralik and ratak. Here's
a little Marshallese 101: "hello" (iokwe), "How are you?" Ejet
am mour?, "Where is the bank?" Ewi bank eo? So how is
it that nation's capital is called Majuro in English and
Dalap-Uliga-Darrit in Marshallese? That's a mystery which may
never be unravelled. The flag is of the same proportions as the
American flag (10:19) and features two diagonal bands — one orange
and one white — and a 24-pointed star on the hoist side.
While it may have been a clever flag in 1986, it's starting to show
its age. It rather has the appearance of a generic-food brand logo. The
blue and orange combination just screams out "Marshall Brand Toasty O's"
or "Marshall Brand Lemon-Lime Soda." However, I do like the star and it
really saves the flag from a terrible review.
Rating:  Next week: Libya
 TIBET
2-7-03 WARNING: The above flag is used by the Tibetan
government-in-exile and Tibetan organizations around the world. Its use
in Tibet is FORBIDDEN, and its use elsewhere may cause offense to
Chinese authorities.
But that doesn't mean we here at TheLatchook.com can't review it,
right?
I'll tell you right off the bat, this is a four-star banner. The
colors are bright and cheery, and I particularly like the two
crazy-looking winged lions in the white triangle. If you look closely,
you can even spot a blue-and-yellow yin-and-yang symbol between
them.
The sun rises above the ferocious beasts and bursts into bands of red
and blue. Stare at it long enough and your eyes begin to phase in and
out of focus. Finally, the yellow border covers only three sides leaving
the outer side open. That's a nice touch now isn't it?
China invaded Tibet in 1950 and continues to "administer" the
territory. In addition to displacing nearly 100,000 Tibetans following
the military takeover, China has been accused of deforestation
practises, dumping nuclear waste, and persecuting Buddhists. (For more
information, please see www.freetibet.org.)  Incidentally, Tibet is also home to the little Lhasa
Apso (Tibet's capital is Lhasa). In Tibet, the hairy dog is known as the
"Bark Lion Sentinel Dog." His primary function was that of a police
watchdog. Unfortunately, he was replaced by the German shephard as
authorities needed a dog that was harder to kick across a room.
Rating:  Next week: Marshall Islands
 GRENADA
1-24-03
The year was 1983. While Americans were enjoying the benefits of
President Ronald Reagan's new supply-side economics (using their
new-found wealth to scoop up hot singles such as "Total Eclipse Of The
Heart" by Bonnie Tyler and "Maniac" by Michael Sembello, no doubt), a
group of "Marxists" (and their Cuban "advisors") were busy making their
own plans in the basement of a grass hut in the outskirts of Grenville,
Grenada.
That autumn, these "Marxists" (and their Cuban "advisors") acted and
seized control of the tiny island's government. Other Caribbean nations
protested, claiming Cuba was trying to assert its Communist ideals on
its neighbors. As soon as President Reagan heard the word "Communist,"
he leapt into action and ordered an invasion. On Oct. 19, 1983, the
military might of the United States rained down on the beaches of the
Caribbean speck. "There's no way we could say no," Reagan said.
The initial force of "Operation Urgent Fury" was made up of around
1,000 American soldiers. When they encountered stiff resistance, another
6,000 were brought in to "finish the job." After several days of
fighting on an island no bigger than Washington, D.C., the Americans
emerged victorious. By mid-December, U.S. combat forces returned home
(just in time for Christmas) and a pro-American government was
installed. The final casualty count: 19 dead Americans, 49 dead
Grenadians and 29 dead Cubans.
I preface my column with this because of the sheer ridiculousness of
the incursion. Why would a country with so much power want to invade a
state with such a pretty flag? Look at the flags of America's enemies
hitherto: Germany (a Swastika), Japan (a red dot on a white field),
Vietnam (a yellow star on a red field) … all were fairly
blasé. But Grenada has a colourful banner that says, "come, and
I'll show you a secret place of happiness."
Maybe it's not all that simple. Maybe Pres. Reagan saw those yellow
stars on the red background and was haunted by America's folly in
Indochina. Maybe, he couldn't figure out what that "thing" was on the
hoist-side green triangle. Well, MISTER Reagan, here is what it's all
about:
A rectangle divided diagonally into two yellow triangles (top and
bottom) and two green triangles (hoist and outer sides) with a red
border around, the Grenadian flag features seven yellow, five-pointed
stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the
bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of
the flag. A symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle lets
us know that Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg
(Indonesia is No. 1), and the seven stars represent the seven
administrative divisions of the country.
Now, I feel for Pres. Reagan and his illness — I'm sure he can't
possibly remember all of this — but if he absolutely had to
invade someone, couldn't he have chosen a country with a dull flag? My
best suggestion: Libya. A plain green flag is about as bad as it gets.
Plus, no one likes them anyway.
Rating:  Next week: Tibet
 CYPRUS
1-17-03 The flag of Cyprus is technically the flag of the
entire Mediterranean island, but in practise it is used only by the
Greek south. The Turks in the north unilaterally declared their own
state of Northern Cyprus in 1983. Unfortunately (for them), this is only
recognised by Turkey. The elegant banner features a
copper-coloured silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived
from the Greek word for copper) above two olive branches which symbolise
the hope for reconciliation between the currently divided state.
I like many things about the flag, but most importantly I like that
it is uniquely Cypriot. As you may have discovered in previous World of
Flags columns, I enjoy flags that incorporate something about the nation
they represent. The outline of the island was a brilliant way to achieve
this. (The shape rather looks like a genie lamp, doesn't it?) The
contrast between the copper and white is also a nice touch. And the
olive branch provides another important symbol relevant to the
island. So why is it that so many nations in turmoil have such
great flags? My theory is that these flags are such beautiful objects,
normally law-abiding citizens feel compelled to possess them. I have
many scientific studies and facts to back up this assertion, but most of
the information is copyrighted and unobtainable. Damn the United States
Supreme Court and its "higher-than-thou" judgements! They really know
how to put the "ham" back in "ham-handed."
Rating: Next week: Grenada
 BRAZIL
1-10-03
Stargazers and globetrotters will love the national flag of Brazil.
Once you get past the green background and into the yellow diamond,
you'll find a large blue globe with 27 white stars (one for each of the
country's states) arranged in the same pattern as Brazil's night sky. A
white equatorial band carried the motto "Ordem e Progresso," or "Order
and Progress" in Portuguese. What I particularly like about this
flag is that it has country-specific images: The night sky, the 27
stars, the Portuguese motto. All point to things distinctly Brazil.
The major drawback of this banner, however, is that God-awful green
background. I liked Macau's flag because of its unique central image
(see previous column) but in general, I don't like green flags waving in
my face. The worst offender, of course, is Libya with its plain
green flag. I mean, really. If you ever get a chance to visit
Brazil, may I suggest checking out a little shop called Fidelio's on
Fourth in Main in downtown Rio. They sure know how to treat a tourist
right. It's right between the Chuck E. Cheese and the Holiday station.
You can't miss it. When you get to the airport, just ask for "Joe."
He'll show you the way …
Rating:  Next week: Cyprus
 ZAMBIA
1-3-03
Sorry for the delay in flag-reviewing. The Blair Family Christmas is
not an affair to be trifled with. The holiday tea ceremony alone lasts
three-and-a-half hours. Of course, there's always plenty of discussion
and this year's roundtable turned to my "World of Flags" column. My
father, James Edward William Blair IV, had much to say about it, in
particular today's subject. "Zambia," he paused as if lamenting
the death of a dear relative, "was the end of the Crown." He went on,
"The day we gave up Rhodesia was the day the world pulled down our
trousers." Anyway … Formerly known as Northern
Rhodesia, Zambia gained its independence from the United Kingdom in
1964. With the new country, of course, came a new flag. Zambia's choice
in this matter, though, leaves much to be desired. First off,
here's what the Zambian pundits say (what, you didn't know there were
Zambian pundits?): Green represents agriculture. Red recalls
the struggle for independence. Black stands for the Zambian people.
Orange symbolizes Zambia's mineral wealth, particularly its copper
deposits. That's all fine and dandy, but couldn't they have
come up with a better design? My main problem with this flag is
that it's backward. Shouldn't the eagle and stripes be on the left side?
I can't even imagine how this thing looks on a pole. Maybe they use two
poles, I don't know. My secondary problem is the color combo.
Green, red, black and orange? Too many colors considering the
green background. If they insisted on using all these colors, perhaps a
lighter background would have helped. So why are you giving it
one and a half stars, you say? One of Eric Blair's steadfast
rules: Any flag with a bird on it gets an additional half star.
Rating:  Next week: Brazil
 GREENLAND
12-22-02
The world's largest non-continental island, Greenland (or
Kalaallit Nunaat as it is called locally) is about 84 percent
ice-capped. Though the territory is part of the kingdom of Denmark, it
was granted self-government in 1978. Only 56,000 people live on the
island.
The flag of
Denmark. |
The flag — called Erfalasorput (meaning "our flag"), and
oftentimes Aappalaaroq ("the red") — was adopted in 1985
after an extended search to replace the Danish banner (called
Dannebrog).
The first serious proposal for a new Greenland flag came in 1973 when
it was suggested that a green-white-and-blue flag might be appropriate.
Proposed
1973 design. |
This inspired other people to put forward their own designs, and in
1974 a Greenland newspaper published a total of 11 proposals. All except
one had a Scandinavian cross in its design. After a vote, however,
Dannebrog was still the most favoured flag. So it stayed.
Another design contest was organised in 1980 and more than 500
proposals were submitted. The government was unable to agree on a
design, and later invited artists to submit even more designs. In the
final decision, a red-and-white flag with a split circle narrowly
won.
Several people were dissatisfied with the decision not to adopt a
flag with a Scandinavian cross. However, the flag now seems to have been
accepted and appreciated.
Flag designer Thue Christiansen said this on the symbolism of the
flag:
"The large white part in the flag symbolises the ice cap, and our
fjords are represented by the red part in the circle. The white part of
the circle symbolises the ice bergs and the pack ice, and the large red
part in the flag represents the ocean."
Christiansen went on to add, "The colours are the same as [the Danish
flag] and thus we can also continue to call our flag ['the red']." This
was probably the reason why the design won over the proposed green and
white Scandinavian cross design.
This well-designed flag is simple and clean, and should last for
generations. It's definitely one of my favourites.
Rating: Next week: Zambia
 MACAU
12-13-02 A gambling enclave made up of a peninsula and two
islands in the South China Sea, Macau was the last remnant of European
colonialism in Asia. Ruled by Portugal from 1557-1999, Macau is now
administered by China under the "one country, two systems" formula. It's
only a tenth of the size of Washington, D.C., but has roughly the same
population (around 500,000). Portugal leaves behind its cultural
legacy in the form of architecture, cuisine, and bullfighting. Macau's
economy is heavily reliant on gambling taxes, which make up 60 percent
of its total revenue. The flag is simple, modern and anything but
European. A lotus flower sits above a stylized bridge and water against
a green background. Above it are five gold stars along an arc: one large
in the center and two smaller on each side. What I like about the flag
is that it takes an old symbol like the lotus and brings it up to date
with some clean lines and good design. Macau provides an
excellent model for a modern Minnesota. Here's how: We could separate
the Northwest Angle from the rest of the state and make it a "gambling
enclave." The additional revenue could more than pay for the $4.5
billion budget deficit. As a nod to our newfound Macanese roots, we
could also adopt a new flag: a twin-beaked loon's head above a
"stylized" Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. (A controversial part of
the plan calls for flooding 95 percent of the state to create a
peninsula and two islands, but that might not be feasible as it would
drastically reduce our tax base by killing more than 5 million
people.) If you're "on board" with these ideas, share them with
Minnesota Governor-elect Tim Pawlenty at gov.elect@state.mn.us.
Tell him Eric sent you!
Rating: Next week: Greenland
CZECH REPUBLIC
12-05-02 What do Texas and the Czech Republic have in common?
Take a look at their flags. They're remarkably similar. Both contain a
field of blue along the left edge, and a white 
The flag of
Texas. |
stripe atop a red stipe to
the right. The major difference, of course, is that the Czech flag has a
triangular blue field and the Texas flag has a rectangular
blue field with a white star.
So how is it that these two vastly different cultures have such a
similar banner? One theory is that a group of Czechs left Europe for
America sometime in the early 18th century. They formed their own state,
a kind of Utopia called Czechxas (pronounced CHECK-sas). There they
lived peacefully until a group of Mexican bandits sacked the capital
— called Praha nad Austin — and ceded the entire Czechxan
territory to Mexico. Following the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48, Czechxas
was ceded to the United States. It was renamed Texas after pioneer
animator Tex Avery, creator of such classic cartoon characters as
Droopy, Chilly Willy and Screwy Squirrel.
Of course, that theory has been totally discounted by nearly every
living (and dead) historian, but it's still fun to think about.
In summation, the Czech flag is an excellent example of how a simple
form can be so effective. The colors — used by such countries as
France and the United States — are classic. What makes the Czech
flag stand out, however, is the ease in which the fields flow into each
other.
One can only wonder what would have happened had those Mexican
bandits gone to Louisiana, or Nouvelle Ville de Jack as it was called
then. But that's another story …
Rating: Next week: Macau
THE ISLE OF MAN
11-27-02
Now that we have that nasty Angola business behind us (nasty
business, but great flag) it's time to take a look at a bit of a
curiosity in the flag world, the banner of the Isle of Man.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Isle of Man, it's a small dot of
rock located between Great Britain and Ireland in the Irish Sea. It was
part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century
when it was ceded to Scotland. In 1765, the isle came under British rule
and continues to be a British crown dependency to this day.
The bold, red flag features the Three Legs of Man emblem, or
Trinacria, in the center. The three legs appear to be modeling
some kind of underwear and have five-pointed yellow stars as spurs.
Interestingly, a two-sided emblem is used in order to have the toes
pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag.
The originality and sheer audacity of this flag sure make it a lot of
fun. However, it can really freak you out if you stare at it for any
duration. Especially disturbing are those strange yellow kneecaps and
crotch cap. My advice: Don't look at it for more than 10 seconds.
Prolonged exposure may result in unspeakable acts.
Rating:
Next week: The Czech Republic
ANGOLA 11-22-02
My first endeavour brings us to the African nation of Angola. Located
on the southwest portion of the continent, Angola has been in nearly
constant upheaval since its independence from Portugal in 1975.
Nevertheless, it has a downright splendid flag.
The American Central Intelligence Agency describes its flag as
follows: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a
centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a
cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle).
Indeed, it's the cogwheel and machete that makes this banner roar.
The old Soviet hammer and sickle represented a different, less
mechanized time. The Angolan version is smooth and clean, suggesting an
industrial modernism. It's ironic, then, as the country hasn't much of
an industrial base; it's labor force is nearly totally agricultural.
Rating:
Next week: The Isle of Man
|