Flag of the Andorinhões

The Andorinhões

Use	National flag
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	5 June 1992 (1992-06-05)
Design	a white cross bordered red and lined gold on a blue field.
Designed by	Alexandre Caixas
Variant flag of The Andorinhões
Use	National ensign
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	5 June 1992 (1992-06-05)
Design	a blue cross bordered red and lined gold on a white field.
Designed by	Alexandre Caixas

The flag of the Andorinhões is the national flag of the Andorinhões. It was adopted upon independence on 5 June 1992.

The current flag is blue with a white cross, with a red border and a gold line in the center. The colours have no meaning but have been in used on the islands since 1487.

Design

During the Democratic Revolution, the Andorinhões expressed the desire to change every aspect of its society and this included the flag. Alexandre Caixas, a well-known artist was tasked with coming up with a new design for the new Constitutional State.

Taking inspiration from the historical flags of the Andorinhões, Caixas came up with a design that incorporated the tradition colours of the Order of the Holy Cross of the Andorinhões as well as the iconic cross within its design. He also designed a reverse-coloured flag which became the ensign of the country. Caixas was tempted to use the republican green which had been in used during the Republic of Martlet but preferred to go with a design that could be universally accepted by the population and resorted to using the colours of the highest decoration in the country.

Colours

Colours scheme	Blue	Red	White	Gold
RGB	40-58-51	177-26-41	248-248-248	255-255-0
Hexadecimal	283A97	#B11A29	#F8F8F8	#FFE100
CMYK	100, 92, 2, 0	21, 100, 94, 12	2, 1, 1, 0	2, 7, 99, 0

History

1412-1487

Before the proclamation of the Sovereign Land of the Holy Cross, the heraldic banner of the Order of the Holy Cross was used on the islands by Maurício de Corvos as he discovered the islands of Santa Maria and São Vicente. It was also this banner that was used by the first settlers. This flag is still being used by the Order today.

1487-1914

With the proclamation as an independent and sovereign land, Salomão Campos, first Chancellor of the Sovereign Land introduced a new flag to be used on the islands. This flag was also joined with an heraldic banner that was used by the Chancellor himself. The flag was vertical tricolour of blue, red and gold with the cross of the Order of the Holy Cross in the canton.

Provisional Government of the Martlet

During the Lúpulo Revolution, the Provisional Congress adopted a flag with a green hops centred on a white field with a green border. The choice of green was used to differentiate the flag from the one used by the government of the Sovereign Land.

1914-1971

The newly established Parliament of Martlet adopted a new flag in 1804 to serve as the flag of the Republic of Martlet. This flag featured the golden martlet in the centre of a horizontal tricolour of green, blue and red. The choice to maintain the blue and the red was taken in an effort to please with the people who fought agains't the republican forces. The civil flag and ensign was of the same design but without the golden martlet.

1971-1973

The Socialist Republic of the Martlets Islands replaced the golden martlet, a symbol they considered to be associated with the aristocratic government, with a red star, symbol of the socialism ideology that characterized the new regime. The civil flag and ensign remained the same under the Socialist Republic.

1973-1992

With the coup d'État and the newly established People's Republic of the Andorinhas, Octávio Forte replaced the flag with his own creation. He removed the green which was again associated to the artistocratic form of government of the previous Republic of Martlet and made red the predominant colour of the flag.

Gallery of historical flags

• 

  Flag of the Order of the Holy Cross (1412-1487)

• 

  Flag of the Sovereign Land of the Holy Cross (1487-1914)

• 

  Heraldic Banner of the Sovereign Land of the Holy Cross (1487-1803)

• 

  Flag of the Provisional Government of Martlet (1912-1914)

• 

  Flag of the Republic of Martlet (1914-1971)

• 

  Flag of the Socialist Republic of the Martlets Islands (1971-1973)

• 

  Flag of the People's Republic of the Andorinhas (1973-1992)

Other flags

Military flags

The Andorinhean naval jack is only hoisted at the prow of docked or anchored Coast Guard ships, from sunrise to sunset. The national flag is permanently hoisted at the stern, when sailing, and from sunrise to sunset, when docked. It is a square flag (ratio 1:1) bearing a blue-bordered red field with the golden martlet on the centre.

• 

  Naval jack

Government flags

The Governor uses a flag that consist of the emblem of its office on a blue field. It is usually hoisted at the Governor's official residence, the Palace of São João, as well as on the official car, as small-sized flags.

• 

  Flag of the Governor

See also

• Coat of arms of the Andorinhões