The First Flood

I ventured outside of my house today for some paperwork. It was the first time I had left my neighborhood in over a month, and the first time I had been on the subway in nearly two. The sky was growing dark as I got to the station, and when I came out at my destination, I was shocked to see how heavily it must have rained whilst I was underground!

flooding in the streets after a heavy rain

I haven't lived through any major floods in Thailand. The year before I arrived in Bangkok, there was a huge flood that shut down the city for a while. This type of flooding is relatively common. It's just a massive annoyance that we have to put up with every so often during the rainy season.

sigh...

It's the first flood of the year. I hope that this means that the hot season is nearing its end (though it seems too early for that) and the rainy season is on its way.

I have to cross this street to get home...

I've been thinking about making this blog a little more exciting by adding different types of media. While it's still going to mainly focus on words and pictures, I might add a few short videos from time to time. I hope that this can help make the blog more immersive! I just want to show some short scenes of life in Bangkok!

Enjoy this first video of the big flood.

COVID-19 Update #9: Another extension and some good news

It's been a few weeks and things have been more or less quieting down around Thailand. The borders are still closed and no flights have been permitted to fly in or out of the country for over a month. The government has extended that flight ban and plans to keep the borders closed for an additional month.

While the number of cases continues to fall (yesterday there were just 15 new cases and there are currently only around 200 people hospitalized in the entire country - not bad considering Bangkok has a population similar to that of New York City!) the government isn't ready to ease restrictions yet, which I think is a good thing.

The alcohol ban has been extended throughout the month, making Thailand officially a dry country similar to Saudi Arabia or Brunei (albeit for very different reasons). Malls, parks, and offices are completely closed, though now that things seem to be well under control, they look like they might open up at least partially soon.

Thailand has reported 51 deaths in total, which is really not too terrible considering this was the second country in the world to report an infection after it spread from China. Here in Thailand, everyone is taking the virus, the quarantine, and the government regulations very seriously, which has led to the virus almost being entirely eliminated. The only fear now is that the cases will rise again after lock-down has eased up, as happened in Hokkaido, Japan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52305055

But the good news is that the government has issued a second automatic visa extension for all visa types! This time, they have automatically extended everyone's visas until the end of July! This is really great news, and something that I wasn't really expecting. I am so grateful for the Thai government's handling of this situation. I really believe that they are doing a great job.

Not too much more to share today. I haven't left my house in two weeks, and haven't been anywhere else except my immediate neighborhood in around two months. It's a little boring, but I'm coping really well! It helps that I've already gotten used to studying and working full-time from home.

Vexillology: Flags with two different sides

I had a special request for this post. My grandparents were watching a quiz show the other day, and one of the questions asked which flag has a different front and back side. I didn't know the answer, so I did some digging. I found a few flags that sort of fit the description, and one flag that I am 100% certain is the answer the show was searching for!

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

I have already ruled out the flag of the USSR for one giant reason: the country no longer exists. However, the old flag of the Soviet Union did indeed have a different front and back. The obverse of the flag featured the famous hammer and sickle, and the back was solid red.

Republic of Paraguay

The only modern country that I could find with a flag with a unique front and back was that of Paraguay. The obverse depicts the seal of the country and the reverse shows the seal of the national treasury. Still, the flag's front and back are so similar that I'm not quite sure this is what the quiz show was going for either.

Transnistria (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic)

Then there's Transnistria, a breakaway state that lies on the border between Ukraine and Moldova. Transnistria is self-governing, but does not have international recognition. Although Moldova does not control the territory of Transnistria, the region is still internationally recognized as belonging to Moldova. Interestingly, despite not being a communist country, it's the only national flag in the world that still features the hammer and sickle. I'll rule this one out too, since Transnistria doesn't really have international recognition yet and because the difference between the front and the back of the flag is so slight.

And that leaves me with the correct answer!

The only flag that I could find that had a front and back that was significantly different from one another that is still the currently-used flag is that of...


... the US state of Oregon!

Oregon

Oregon's flag is unique in being the only US state flag with a different obverse and reverse. It's also the only flag I could find where the front and back were completely different and not similar with just a small change. I searched through countries and territories, and I'm quite certain that the answer to the quiz show's question is Oregon!

The front of the flag shows the state's seal, which depicts a covered wagon going west along the Oregon Trail. The back features a beaver, the official state animal.

I enjoyed hunting for this! It was sort of like a treasure hunt. It's fun to be able to solve little mysteries like this during my quarantine time.

Vexillology: My Least-Favorite Flags

I've spent the past nine days sharing with you some of my favorite flags from around the world. Today (as I'm still stuck in quarantine with very little else to write about), I would like to write about five flags that I don't particularly care for for one reason or other. Two of the flags were retired within my lifetime, and the other three are still in use.

Disagree? That's fine! It's all just my opinion!

Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Gaddafi-era Libya)

Boring.

I mean, a plain green rectangle? Really?

This flag was adopted in 1977 and officially retired in 2011 after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi's regime. It was the only national flag in the world to be just one color without insignia or design of any type. The green color was chosen to represent Gaddafi's political philosophy, and was derived from his "Green Book", the official collection of his political writings which was distributed to citizens throughout the country during his rule.

It's a bit self-aggrandizing, but hey, they guy carried a literal golden gun.

Union of South Africa (Apartheid-era South Africa)

Weird and ugly.

The tricolor is fine, if a bit simplistic, but adding all of the former flags of South Africa in such a weird pattern in the middle of it?? The flag features a horizontal Union Flag, a vertical flag of the Orange Free State, and a horizontal flag of the South African Republic.

Seen as a symbol of Apartheid, the flag is now illegal to display. It was retired in 1994 when Apartheid ended in South Africa. It's a good thing too, because the modern South African flag is one of my favorites!

Republic of Turkmenistan (current national flag)

Way too complicated.

As I've written before, one of the requirements for a flag to be considered "good" is if it's simple enough that a child can draw it in social studies class. For anyone, the flag of Turkmenistan is just far to complex to draw. Set vertically upon a green field alongside the Islamic crescent, the red stripe is a symbol of the country's famous hand-woven carpet industry. While such beautiful patterns may look great on a richly-decorated carpet, they don't belong on a national flag simply due to their complexity.

Kingdom of Morocco (current national flag)

Boring and the colors clash.

The flag is actually really full of great symbolism, but I just don't like the bright red and green color scheme. Red is the symbolic color of the ruling house of Morocco, and green is the color of Islam. The star in the middle represents the Seal of Solomon, and the five lines of the star stand for the five pillars of Islam. There is great meaning here, but it just doesn't work for me.

Guam (current territorial flag)

Bland and uninspired.

It's just a blue field with a small picture of the beach and the word "GUAM" in the middle. Most US territories have great flags that represent the island's unique culture and heritage. The flag just doesn't do service to such a beautiful territory.

Am I running out of flags to write about?

Not yet!

I do worry that two weeks of posts about flags might get a bit much. I don't want to more my readers too much, but as I mentioned last week, I'm trying to hold myself accountable to write more posts on my blog especially when I'm stuck at home during the COVID-19 crisis. Hopefully within a few weeks, things will get back to normal around here!

Vexillology: Micronations

According to Wikipedia, a micronation is "a political entity whose members claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state lacking legal recognition by world governments or major international organizations" ("Micronation" n.d.). They have varying degrees of participation and seriousness. Some are obviously jokes, while some are real attempts that the creators have made to start their own country. They differ from microstates (such as Singapore, the Vatican, or San Marino) in that they are generally unrecognized by any world government.

Many micronations have their own flags and national symbols, and today I am going to feature five of my favorite micronational flags! Two are from two of the most famous and established micronations, two are from less serious micronations, and one is from a now defunct "miniature monarchy".

Grand Duchy of Westarctica

Perhaps I am a bit biased. I am, after all, a member of the peerage of Westarctica.

The flag's Westarctican blue represents the freezing temperatures of Antarctica, and the white represents the fields of ice in the territory. The crown is a symbol of the monarchy. The flag uses a Nordic cross to represent the country's Christian heritage, but is hollow to show respect for all faiths.

The flag has been flown over some of Westarctica's honorary consulates around the world.

Kingdom of Argonne

Argonne... I hardly knew you.

The Kingdom of Argonne was extant when I drafted this post just days ago, but sadly it is now no more. I pay tribute to the short-lived but beautiful project of the Kingdom of Argonne. It existed for just over a month, but was already in the process of developing a really unique character and culture. A "miniature monarchy" that claimed no land or territory and was designed around a modern New French North America, the kingdom was in the beginning stages of development and slowly starting to gain attention when the COVID-19 crisis forced the king to dissolve the kingdom and end the project. I had been named as the Viscount Pontchartrain of de Rosiers, a title that I intend to hold on to despite the dissolution of the kingdom.

The Chamber of Arms of Argonne had developed this beautiful flag, which sadly never got the chance to fly. Inspired by the heraldry of Canada, New France, and Quebec, the flag was really something that the kingdom would have been proud of.

Principality of Sealand

Sealand might be the best known micronation in the world. It even claims de facto recognition of its sovereignty by both the United Kingdom and Germany. While the entire "country" is just an old platform out in the middle of the ocean, the principality is fiercely independent, and Sealand's flag is a display of its independent nature.

Conch Republic

In 1982, the US border patrol put up a road block and checkpoint around the city of Key West, Florida which greatly harmed local business. As a sign of protest, the city jokingly claimed that the United States was declaring a national border and therefore recognizing Key West as an independent country. The city's tongue-in-cheek motto "we seceded where others failed" plays into the imaginary independence of the "Conch Republic". The city even adopted a new flag to promote the Conch Republic.

Today, the elected government of the Conch Republic functions as a sort of chamber of commerce for the city, using national holidays and Conch Republic events to support local businesses. There are yearly parades and celebrations, and they even sell novelty stamps and passports.

The flag features, what else, a conch shell as well as the year that the city was founded beneath the proud words reading "Conch Republic".

Kingdom of Lovely

Created for the BBC program "How to Start Your Own Country" by presenter and humorist Danny Wallace, the Kingdom of Lovely was an experiment designed to demonstrate to and educate viewers about sovereignty and what it means to actually be a country. Wallace declared his London flat to be an independent kingdom, and went about trying to gain world recognition for his tiny new country.

King Danny, as he crowned himself, approached the high-end London design firm Pentagram to commission a coat of arms and flag to represent his new modern kingdom. The internet-based nature of his country was reflected in the pixelated coat of arms that the firm created, and the flag was chosen to represent the kingdom as a modern-day establishment that was unique from other world countries with lots of history.

Quarantine is winding down. I'll write a COVID-19 update here soon to tell you all about the ongoing situation in Thailand. Let's just say that it's all very good news and that life in the Big Mango is just weeks away from being returned to normal! Until then, I may write another flag post or two. It's been a fun series to research and write about!

Vexillology: US States

Over the past week or so I have been highlighting my top favorite flags from different regions in the world. I've been discussing (with a few small exceptions like the Bikini Atoll) sovereign states and not constituent territories. Today, however, I want to write about something a bit closer to home... literally!

While the vast majority of US states fly incredibly boring flags (nearly all of them consist of a plain blue field with the state's crest in the middle), a few of them stand out as absolutely brilliant vexillology. While I love my own state flag of Texas, it's a bit too similar to the flag of Chile to include here. My rules are generally that a flag should be iconic, unique, and not too complex (no crazy coast of arms or overly-complicated design).

Interesting, four of the states I've chosen are the four newest states in the union, and one is one of the original 13 colonies.

Alaska

Alaska's flag was adopted in 1927 while it was still a US territory. The flag is a field of night sky blue and features golden stars depicting the Big Dipper constellation and Polaris, the North Star. Polaris is in reference to the state's far north geographical location. The Big Dipper, or Ursa Major, pays tribute to the bear, which is an animal native to the wilds of Alaska.

It's a simple flag, but the stars are immediately recognizable (the Big Dipper has to be one of the easiest constellations to find in the night sky) and the flag is instantly identifiable as that of Alaska. The colors are nice and it's beautiful in its simplicity and symbolism.

Arizona

Arizona's flag shows a setting sun, representing its western location within the United States. Thirteen rays emanate from the central copper star representing the original US colonies. The field of blue is "liberty blue", the exact shade as on the US flag's field of stars, and copper and gold were chosen in reference to the banners carried by Spanish explorer Coronado and his men on their 1540 expedition to search for the mythical Seven Cities of Cibola.

This flag is bright and it really pops!

Hawaii

The flag of Hawaii has a really interesting history. First of all, it's the only US flag that includes the flag of a foreign nation within it. At first glance, Hawaii's state flag looks very much like that of a British territory or commonwealth realm. However, Hawaii was never a British colony? So why the Union Jack in the corner?

A British red ensign was presented to King Kamehameha I as a symbol of friendship by Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy in 1793. The Kingdom of Hawaii (known at the time as the Sandwich Islands) and the United Kingdom developed a close friendship, and the Hawaiian king would often fly the Union Jack as a symbol of respect and friendship. During the War of 1812, the United States government was unhappy with such a partisan display of loyalty in the Pacific, so Hawaii made the decision to add American-inspired stripes to their flag as a show of neutrality. The stripes use the colors of the Hawaiian king's standard, and represent the eight islands of the Hawaiian chain.

Unfortunately, this neutrality did not please the wealthy American plantation owners who were leasing land in Hawaii. Eventually, the American tycoons staged a coup, forced the abdication of Hawaii's last queen. and handed Hawaii over to the US government as a territory. The territory, and the successor state, use the same flag as the once independent Kingdom of Hawaii.

New Mexico

New Mexico's flag is one of my favorites, and it was voted by the North American Vexillogical Association as the best flag among all US states and territories and Canadian provinces.

New Mexico's flag takes the colors of the flag of Spanish Hapsburg (House of Burgundy) and features the Zia sun symbol, a sacred Native American symbol which represents the four directions, the four times of day, the four stages of life, and the four seasons.

I'm really fond of New Mexico in general, and I love the state's flag. Simple, iconic, eye-catching.

Maryland

Maryland's rather heraldic flag dates back to before the United States, during its foundation as a crown colony. The flag features the alternating family shields of the Calvert and Crosslands family, which was the coat of arms of Baron George Calvert, the Lord Baltimore. Interestingly, it's not the only US flag to consist of a personal coat of arms! The flag of Washington D.C. displays George Washington's coat of arms.

Maryland's flag is by far the most European-looking flag of all the states, which is appropriate due to Maryland's age and colonial history. It's also one of the most famous and recognizable flags, and even appears on the seal of Johns Hopkins University.

Well...

I'm still in quarantine.

I've been writing this series partially to occupy myself during this time and partially to keep myself accountable and to stay in the habit of blogging regularly.

Since the quarantine doesn't look like it's quite ready to finish (though things in Thailand are getting much, much better), I might have to look for something else to write about. I've already written about the flags of sovereign countries and US states. What else can I feature? Hmmm...

Come back tomorrow to find out!

Vexillology: The Antarctic Territories

While a number of countries claim territory in Antarctica, technically none of the claims are recognized. The Antarctic Treaty means to preserve the continent purely for scientific research and ecological conservation. However, there are still a number of really cool (and rarely-seen due to the remoteness of the territory) flags that fly over the frozen southern continent.

The Graham Bertram Flag (unofficial)

The most recognizable flag the Graham Bertram Flag which, while unofficial, is usually utilized to represent the whole continent. It's the only Antarctic flag that has been recognized as a standardized emoji (🇦🇶). The flag was modeled off of the flag of the United Nations, using the same color scheme of UN blue and white, and features an Antarctica undivided by national or territorial borders. It stands for the unity of the continent as an international territory.

While still technically unofficial, it's become more or less universally recognized. The Graham Bertram Flag first flew over the Antarctic continent in 2002.

British Antarctic Territory

Another one of my all-time favorite flags is that of the British Antarctic territory. Unfortunately, since the field of the flag is white, it doesn't show up very well on my blog... Interestingly, I'm almost certain it's the only white flag of a country or territory.

Anyway, the white field is, of course, in reference to the snow and ice of the continent, but also in tribute to the plain white flag which British explorers flew on the earliest expeditions to Antarctica.

The flag features the coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory. It's got a penguin, an ice burg, and a sailing ship. The motto reads "research and discovery". Just an all around cool (haha) flag.

Argentine Antarctica

Technically this is the flag of the Argentine province of Tiera del Fuego, but the mainland South American continental portion of the territory is so tiny and the Antarctic portion of the territory is so large that it's worth including here. The flag is flown over Argentinian research bases.

The flag features the Southern Cross and is bisected by a stylized albatross, a southern bird that serves as the symbol of Tiera del Fuego.

Chilean Antarctic Territory

Chile's Antarctic claim is a part of the country's Magallanes Region (named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan and the Magellan Strait). The blue stands for the night sky and is filled with the constellation of the Southern Cross. The six golden peaks represent the mountainous geography of the region and are capped with snow.

Although the flag is a regional flag, the territory of the region also encompasses the Chilean Antarctic claim and is flown above research bases and on expeditions in Antarctica. Recently, the Magellan people have adopted the flag as a symbol of regionalism, which some Chileans denounce as separatism.

Ross Dependency (unofficial)

The Ross Dependency is the name of New Zealand's claimed territory in Antarctica. While the official flag of the territory is just the national flag of New Zealand, this unofficial flag is flown over research bases in Antarctica.

The flag features the New Zealand flag in a lighter, icier shade of blue. There's a white bar at the bottom of the flag (again, hard to see on this blog) which represents the Ross Ice Shelf.

I would be happy to see this flag officially adopted. It's already in use and I think it looks really nice.

But wait...

...there's more.

Tomorrow, let's have a look at my favorite US state flags!

I mean, I'm still stuck in quarantine. What else have I got to write about these days?

Vexillology: Oceania and Australasia

While by far the two largest countries in the Pacific are Australia and New Zealand, their flags are far too similar to one another to earn a place on my list. Generally, I'm not a fan of flags that display the Union Jack in the corner of a blue field. There are literally dozens of flags that have that basic design. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Union Jack flag! It just has to be set against a field that really makes it stand out, like the British Indian Ocean Territory which I featured yesterday or two of the flags that I've chosen to feature today.

Oceania and Australasia is a region rich in tiny island countries and territories. While I generally try to feature sovereign states, some of the countries in the Pacific are of ambiguous sovereignty, and one flag I chose to feature today was so interesting that I felt it deserved its spot, despite being a regional flag.

Republic of Kiribati

I have seen a lot of vexillologists saying that the flag of Kiribati is one of their favorites, and I have to agree. The 17 rays of sun represent the various islands of the republic, and the golden frigatebird symbolizes power over the sea, freedom, and authority. The flag developed out of the old coat of arms of Kiribati while it was a British territory.

The waves naturally represent the Pacific Ocean, and the sun, which is located right in the center of the flag, represents the country's location on the equator.

This is one of the few flags that is actually a scene, which is a hard thing to pull off while still having a flag that looks nice.

Papua New Guinea

Like the flags of Australia and New Zealand, the flag of Papua New Guinea features the Southern Cross, the predominant constellation in the southern sky. The colors red, white, and black pay tribute to the flag of the German Empire, which colonized Papua New Guinea prior to 1918, when it became a British territory. The bird of paradise is a symbol of the country.

This flag was adopted in 1971 to replace a previous national flag that the population was largely unsatisfied with. A contest was held to choose a new flag. The winning design, which is now proudly the flag of the country, was designed by a 15 year-old student!

Bikini Atoll

The Bikini Atoll is not actually a country. It's a coral reef in the Marshal Islands, which is an Associated State of the United States (essentially a protectorate) despite being a sovereign country. However, the flag is so interesting and has such a deep and powerful meaning that I thought it deserved to be featured. Looks familiar, doesn't it?

The Bikini Atoll is probably most famous as the testing site for the US nuclear weapons project during the Second World War. The tests rendered the island uninhabitable, poisoning the population and forcing the full evacuation of the Atoll. Today, the population still cannot return. The flag was chosen by the people of Bikini Atoll to reflect the islanders belief that they are still owed a great debt by the United States government.

The 23 white stars represents the islands of the atoll. The three black stars represent the islands which were used as test sites for the atom bombs. The two black stars at the bottom of the flag represent the two islands where the Bikinian population now have to live in exile, away from their homeland. The words on the flag mean "Everything is in the hands of God".

It's a powerful and sobering flag rich in a painful symbology.

Niue

Now that's more like it! Finally, a flag that features the Union Jack but sets it apart against an outstanding field and really makes it its own! 

Niue is a bit strange. It's a self-governing country, but does not hold a seat in the United Nations. It's a country in "free association" with New Zealand, who handles Niue's diplomatic relations and defense. Elizabeth II is the head of state of Niue, but in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. In short, Niue is of ambiguous sovereignty, but does function, for all intents and purposes, as a sovereign nation.

The The yellow field symbolizes both the bright sunshine and the warm feelings of friendship between Niuean people and New Zealand. Like many other Pacific countries, the stars which spangle the Union Jack represent the Southern Cross.

I love the colors, I love the stars on the Union Jack, and I love how the flag represents the unique diplomatic relationship between Niue and New Zealand. 

Tuvalu

Like Niue, Tuvalu has turned the classic British territory or commonwealth flag on its head and twisted it into something unique that it can really be proud to fly. Tuvalu is a fully independent Commonwealth realm, and maintains close ties with Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.

As you can imagine, the blue field represents the ocean, and the stars represent the islands that make up Tuvalu. In fact, they are laid out in a geographically-correct arrangement.

So now we've covered the flags of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Think we're through? Not even close! Come back tomorrow for more! The world of vexillology is endlessly fascinating.

Tomorrow might actually be the day that I've been most looking forward to!

Vexillology: Asia

Asia has some great flags! Many of the flags of Asian countries date back hundreds of years and, unlike those equally old flags in Europe, are designed to be different and to reflect the unique heritage of the country over which they fly. I've been looking forward to this!

Kingdom of Bhutan

Bhutan has one of my favorite flags! The tiny Himalayan Buddhist kingdom is also called the "Dragon Kingdom" and is ruled by a monarch called the "Dragon King". What else to put on their fantastic national flag, then, but a dragon?

Yellow symbolizes tradition and royalty while orange symbolizes Buddhism (the color of a monk's robes). The dragon is in reference to the kingdom's nickname, but is also believed to be an homage to the old flag of Imperial China.

Seriously, what a great flag!

Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace

Let's move on to the flag of Brunei, a small sultanate located right in the middle of Malaysian Borneo. First of all, I like the colors. There just aren't a whole lot of yellow flags, and the bold slash of white and black bars make the flag look really striking.

Yellow is the color of royalty in Southeast Asia (the standard of the King of Thailand and the King of Malaysia are both yellow). The crescent represents Islam, the official religion of Brunei and the parasol represents the monarchy. The words on the crest mean "Always render service with God's guidance" in Arabic.

Tibet Autonomous Region (China)

Tibet is not actually a sovereign nation since its invasion and annexation by China in 1951. China banned the Tibetan flag, but it is still used by the Dalai Lama's Tibetan government-in-exile. While sympathetic to Tibet's cause, I do recognize that it is currently a part of China. The flag now not only represents the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, but also the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan diaspora, and the Free Tibet movement as a whole. Needless to say, it's controversial within China. I was hesitant to include the flag of a current government-in-exile rather than that of a sovereign state, but the Tibetan flag is so beautiful and evocative that I decided to go with it anyway.

The flag shows two snow lions, the national symbols of Tibet, standing before a Himalayan mountain with the sun glowing overhead. It's rich in symbolism, but it's honestly also just interesting to look at.

Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is non-quadrilateral. That alone was enough to earn it a spot on my list. The flag was developed throughout the 19th century, and was originally two separate pennants, each representing one of the two branches of the Royal Family. Although Nepal is no longer a monarchy (it was, until 2008, the world's only Hindu Kingdom) the republic retained the traditional flag. The two pennants are also said to stand for the two main religions in Nepal: Hinduism and Buddhism.

The two pennants were eventually merged into one flag with the official ratio of:

(seriously, that's the official ratio of the flag)

The two symbols on the flag represent the moon and sun. The moon represents peace, calm demeanor and purity of spirit, and the cold of the Himalayas. The sun represents hard work, fierce resolve, and the high temperatures of the Nepali lowlands.

How could I not choose this flag?

British Indian Ocean Territory

The BIOT... I didn't really know where to put this one. The territory itself is not exactly in Asia. It's way out in the ocean, about halfway between Indonesia and Tanzania, but it's such a cool flag that I had to include it somewhere.

I'm a sucker for flags that use the Union Jack with an interesting field (not just the standard blue or red field with the crest like so many British territories use). The flag is one of the very few British overseas territories that actually has a unique flag, and it's just so representative of the territory itself. I mean, just looking at it puts you in the tropics, doesn't it? Besides, it also really looks a lot like my coat of arms, so that's a big plus in my book as well.

Interested in more flags? Stay tuned tomorrow as we move further south towards Oceanaia and Australasia! There's a lot more down there than just Australia, New Zealand, and a bunch of British island territories (though there are plenty of those).

Vexillology: Africa

Africa has some truly unique flags, especially those belonging to some of the lesser-known countries. Like with my post about European flags, it was hard for me to pick five, but unlike the previous post, it wasn't that the flags were too similar but rather that many of them were so unique and interesting as to make it difficult to choose! Many African countries have some really beautiful flags.

Republic of Seychelles

The colors on the flag represent diversity and unity, but what colors! And what a cool design! This is the only flag that I know of where the bars of color radiate out from the corner rather than simply being horizontal or vertical stripes. This small island nation off of the eastern coast of Africa really set itself apart with one of my all-time favorite flags after its independence from the United Kingdom.

Central African Republic

Again, the colors! Interestingly, this flag has nearly the same shades as the flag of Seychelles. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It is still easy enough to draw (one of the hallmarks of a good flag), but is strikingly different from the flags of other sovereign nations.

One of the main problem that a lot of flags have is that they are either identical (Chad/Romania, Indonesia/Monaco, Luxembourg/Netherlands, etc., etc. Actually, there are an upsetting number of identical national flags in the world) or too simple (tricolor, etc.). This flag is just beautiful; four brightly colored horizontal stripes, one bold vertical bar, and a bright star. The blue and white represent the nation's colonial past (France, of course), and green and yellow represent the African people. The red bar represents the mutual respect that both peoples should have for one another, and the yellow star stands for independence.

Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland)

The flag is based on the military flag given by King Sobhuza II to the Swazi Pioneer Corps in 1941 and was adopted by the tiny kingdom then known as Swaziland in 1968 upon its independence from the United Kingdom. The flag features a traditional Nguni shield and two spears, which stands for strength and the defense of the country and its culture. I just think it's super cool!

Republic of South Africa

The flag of South Africa is thus far the only flag I've featured of a country that I have actually been to. On one of the very first nights after I arrived in Stellenbosch, a group of our South African hosts from the university held a welcoming ceremony for us. During that time, they sang the national anthem, and I was amazed at how moved I felt by the song. The anthem is a mashup of two different songs; the previous anthem of South Africa as well as a famous African Methodist hymn. Four parts of the anthem are sung in five of the country's official languages: Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English. It's a symbol of unity and reconciliation.

Like the anthem, the flag has similar symbology. It replaced the frankly hideous flag of Apartheid-era South Africa in 1994 (seriously, what self-respecting flag has three other flags inside of it?) and was very deliberately designed.  The colors of black, green, and yellow were chosen in reference to the African National Congress. Red, white, and blue were chosen in reference to the flags of both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The specific shade of red, chili red, was picked for the flag specifically as a compromise between the true red which was favored by South Africans of English descent and the orange, which was favored by the Afrikaners.

The African Union

The EU is by far the best-known supernational regional entity, but there is an African Union as well! It was established in 2001, with the current flag adopted in 2010. The flag is green, a common color in African flags. The color represents the hope of Africa, and the golden stars represent the member states. I think it's a beautiful flag, and I feel very hopeful about the future of the African Union.

Tomorrow is when things start to get really interesting. We will be moving on to Asia, a region known for its unique, and colorful vexillology!