Antarctica - Norwegian Proposal

Officially the flag of the Norwegian Antarctic territorial claim is the flag of Norway. There has however been a proposal for a distinct flag based on the swallow-tail Norwegian War Flag. On the proposal, the red of the flag has been replaced by a light blue background.[1] Assuming the flag is of the same construction as the Norwegian War Flag the overall proportions of the flag should be 16:17 and the construction 6:1:2:1:6:11 horizontally and 6:1:2:1:6 vertically.

The colours of the flag are unspecified, however, assuming that the dark blue cross is the same as on the Norwegian flag, it would be Pantone Blue 287.[3] The light blue taken from the image is approximately Pantone Blue 284.


[1] VexiWiki, http://flags.wikia.com/wiki/Norwegian_Antarctic_Territory
[2] Proportions of Norwegian War Flag, Mark Sensen, Flags of the World, http://www.fotw.net/flags/no_fact.html
[3] Semi-official PMS matches recommended by the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Norway, Flags of the World, http://www.fotw.net/flags/no.html
[fig1] Oleg B. Kozlov, Encyclopaedia Heraldica, http://eh.lenin.ru/english/2eu/norway/nat.htm

Antarctica - Hamilton Proposal

Another less well known proposal for an Antarctic flag is suggested by Hamilton. The pale blue strip represents pack ice, the dark blue stripe represents the night sky and the yellow stripe is a representation of the aurora australis. The famous stellar constellation the Southern Cross is shown in the dark blue stripe at the right.

Antarctica - Bartram Proposal

Another proposed flag due to Antarctica’s unique situation is that of Graham Bartram. The Graham Bartram design uses the flag of the United Nations as its model. A plain white map of the continent on a UN blue background symbolizes neutrality (Bartram was well aware of the overlapping territorial claims of the United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina when he designed the flag). This flag has actually been flown on the Antarctic continent as recently as 2002, when Ted Kaye (editor of Raven, the scholarly journal of the North American Vexillological Association) took several full-size copies of the flag on an Antarctic cruise. The bases of Brazil, Ukraine, and the UK all flew it from their flagpoles, making its raising "official". He presented a paper ("Flags Over Antarctica") which described the first flying of the Bartram design over Antarctica in Stockholm in 2003, at the 20th International Congress of Vexillology. It is perhaps the most popular flag for Antarctica, as seen by is prevalence on the Internet.

Antarctica - Whitney Proposal

Several proposed flags exist, due to the unique situation of Antarctic territory. At the 1978 annual meeting of the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), Whitney Smith gave a talk entitled “Flags of Antarctica”. In it he proposed his design for Antarctica: an orange flag with two hands under a sort of bowl.

The Whitney Smith design uses the high-visibility colour orange as its background (it is the international rescue colour, it contrasts the best against snow, and to avoid any confusion, is unlike almost any other national flag on Earth). The emblem consists of several components. 'A' stands for Antarctica. The bottom segment of the globe represents Antarctica's "position" on Earth (according to the modern convention of drawing maps with north on top), while the two hands holding up the globe segment represent peaceful human use. The emblem is coloured white to represent the snow and ice of Antarctica and is offset toward the hoist of the flag so as to maintain its integrity should the flag fray badly in the high winds prevalent upon the continent. However, there is no record of it ever being fabricated or used, despite being displayed in some atlases.

Antarctica - New Zealand Claim

There are also several proposed flags associated with Antarctica.The Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica) uses the New Zealand flag, but vexillologist James Dignan's design concept was seen flying there at one time. The New Zealand flag is the basis for his design, though with an 'Ice Blue' background representing the Ross Sea, and the white horizontal bar at the bottom of the flag representing the Ross Ice Shelf.

Antarctica - French Claim

The French claim in Antarctica consist of the TAAF(Terres australes et antarctiques françaises) which are a French overseas territory with administrative and financial autonomy, as prescribed by the Law of 6 August 1955.
The territory is composed of five districts:
- Kerguelen Islands (7,215 sq. km), with a permanent base (Port-aux-Français, 68 inhabitants)
- Crozet Archipelago (115 sq. km), with a permanent base (Alfred Faure on Ile de la Possession, 29 inhabitants)
- Amsterdam Island (or New Amsterdam, 54 sq. km), with a permanent base (Martin-de-Viviès, 29 inhabitants) and Saint-Paul Island (uninhabited, 7 sq. km)
- Adelie Land (Terre Adélie, 432,000 sq. km) in Antarctica, which is supposed to have 32 inhabitants in 1994 (most probably to maintain claims on Antarctica despite the Treaty on Antarctica, signed by France, which does not recognize any territorial claim beneath the Southern Polar Circle.)
- Outlying Islands of the Indian Ocean (Îles Éparses de l'ocŽan Indien.
The first four districts (Kerguelen, Crozet, Amsterdam and Adelie) were prescribed by the Territorial Decree of 20 October 1956.
The fifth district (&Icir;les Éparses de l'océan Indien) was prescribed by Decree 23rd February 2007, creating the district of Outlying Islands of the Indian Ocean. Beforehand, these islands have been placed under the direct authority of the Ministery of the Overseas (Ministère de l'Outremer) since 1 April 1960. Since the Decree of 19th September 1960, the Outlying Islands were administrated by the Prefet of Reunion. A Decree signed on 3rd January 2005 transferred the administration of the Outlying Islands to the Prefet, Senior Administrator of TAAF.
The Outlying Islands are made of four islands located in the Mozambique Channel (Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorieuses), and Tromelin, isolated in the north of Reunion.
Bassas da India is an emerging, circular madreporic atoll, with an area lower than 1 sq. km. At high tide, Bassas de India is nearly completely submerged.
Europa is the biggest of the Outlying Islands (30 sq. km). From 1905 to 1910, two families from Reunion settled there and attempt to grow sisal and collect turtle shells. However, agriculture proved to be impossible on the island because of the huge number of rodents. A meteorological station was set up on Europa in 1949.
On Juan de Nova (5 sq. km), guano has been harvested there since the 19th century. The guano workers maintain a meteorological station.
Glorieuses Archipelago (7 sq. km) is made of Grande Glorieuse and Ile du Lys, as well as of the islets of Roches Vertes and Ile aux Crabes. A coconut plantation was grown on Grande Glorieuse from 1912 to 1958. A meteorological station was set up on Grande Glorieuse in 1960; the aims of the station are the prediction of cyclones hitting the north of Madagascar and the Comoros and assistance to maritime and aerial navigation.
Tromelin (1 sq. km) is completely isolated and scoured by the trade winds; landing is extremely difficult and agriculture is impossible because of the wind and the lack of water. A meteorological station was set up on Tromelin in 1954 upon request of the World Meteorological Organization; most cyclones threatening Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius scour Tromelin.
The Outlying Islands are nature reserves and their access is strictly restricted. Since 1973, detachments from the French Armed Forces in the South Zone of Indian Ocean are stationed on Grande Glorieuse, Juan de Nova and Europa. All the islands but Bassas da India are inhabited by meteorologists, a gendarme (except Tromelin) and scientists doing short-time missions.
Tromelin was recently claimed by Mauritius. Following the Convention on Maritime Rights adopted in 1982, with effect in 1994, the Mauritian Parliament recently extended Mauritius' territorial waters to 350 nautic miles, encompassing Diego Garcia (Britain), Coetivy (Seychelles), Saya Malha (Maldives) and Tromelin (France). In late February 2005, Brigitte Girardin, the French Minister of Overseas, "visited" Tromelin, Europa and Juan de Nova; her visit was of course more political than touristic. Madagascar and the Comoros also claim the Outlying Islands of the Mozambique Channel.

The flag of TAAF was officially adopted on 23th February 2007. The flag (without any prescribed proportions, therefore, by default 2:3) is blue with the interlaced letters "T", "A", "A" and "F" and five stars under, all white, and the national flag in canton. The flag is used in front of the office of the Pré,;fet, administrateur sup&ecute;rieur des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises in Saint-Pierre (La Réunion). The flag can also be used in the districts of the TAAF if the "inhabitants" wish to display it and if weather permits it. There are no rules of use of the flag, so that everybody can use it. It seems logical that the five stars on the new flag should stand for the five districts of the TAAF.

Antarctica - British Claim

Britain’s claim in Antarctica consists of The British Antarctic Territories (20°W to 80°W). Britain’s claim in Antarctica differs from those of Chile and Argentina in that it does not include any lands outside Antarctica.

The history of the flag is as follows, on 11th March 1952, the Falkland Island Dependencies (constituted in 1908, divided in 1963 into British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands) were granted arms by Royal Warrant:

Arms: Per fess wavy barry, wavy of six Argent and Azure, and Argent on a Pile Gules, a Torch enflamed proper.
Supporters: In Dexter a Lion Or and in Sinister an Emperor Penguin proper upon a compartment divided per pale and representing in Dexter a grassy Mount and in Sinister an ice Floe.
Motto: Research and Discovery.
This coat of arms was transferred to the B.A.T. on 1st August 1963, with the addition of helm, crest and mantling:
Mantling: in Dexter Or doubled Gules and in Sinister Argent doubled Azure. Crest: Upon a Wreath of the colours of the Mantling a representation of the research Ship Discovery.

The Blue Ensign with the arms of the B.A.T. in the fly was introduced by Royal Warrant on 30 May 1969. On 21st April 1998 a white ensign was authorized by Her Majesty The Queen. The flag for use on land is a white ensign (without cross) with the arms of the territory, quite large, in the fly. The flag is for flying at British Antarctic bases (which previously flew the British flag) and at the British Antarctic Survey headquarters in Cambridge, England.

The British Antarctic Territory flag also has the unique trait of being mirrored on the reverse with the exception of the ribbon below which reads correctly.

The British Antarctic Survey also has a blue ensign for use on vessels at sea.

Antarctica - Argentinean Claim

Argentina has also made a claim for territory in Antarctica and like Chile has incorporated territory outside the region. The claim known as Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur includes Tierra del Fuego (on mainland South America), the Argentine claim to the Antarctic continent and the Argentine claim to the Falkland Islands, the South Georgia Islands and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Malvinas, Islas Georgias del Sur, Islas Sandwich del Sur). It is known that Argentina, in order to add strength to it’s claim over the British territories of Falklands Islands and South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and also to it’s Antarctic claim (25°W to 74°W, overlapping the British and Chilean claims), joined all these territories to it’s (undisputed) mainland province of “Fireland”.

In June 1999 a celebrated contest about new flag of the province of Tierra del Fuego was held. The winning flag was designed by Teresa Beatriz Martínez, an architect from Entre Ríos. The design is called “the Albatross“. The orange part, fire colour, stands for the geography of the larger island. The blue colour stands for the sky and the sea surrounding this province and bonds it to the national flag; the stars of the Southern Cross, which guided so many travellers to these regions, also symbolize the southern location of the islands and other territorial elements that make up the province. The Albatross is a local bird and its flight symbolizes freedom.

Antarctica - Chilean Claim

Of the countries that have laid claims to territory in Antarctica, Chile has adopted a flag for its Magellen and Antarctic Region (Magallanes y Antártica Chilena). Chile has taken the care of putting under this flag territories outside the Antarctic claim as well.

It is rectangular, having the height two thirds of its length, and is divided in two fields. The upper one is blue where the constellation grazes in the fields of the Southern Cross, and the lower with the edge serrated symbolizing a mountainous horizon, in ochre yellow. The fields are separated by a narrow white stripe. The ochre yellow is the colour of the typical vegetation of the steppe, the physiographic form most characteristic of the regional, expressive geography as well of the wealth of its ground and its subsoil. The parallel white band to the serrated edge symbolizes the snow that crowns the mountains.

Antarctica - Unofficial

Antarctica has no official flag as it has no government or adopting authority of its own, and no state has a excepted territory claim. This has lead to may different flags being used or suggested for the continent. Due to this situation I will cover the subject of flags for Antarctica over a series of posts.

The Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was set up to create treaties between nations claiming land below the 60°S parallel and its flag has become the most widely accepted to represent the continent.

The flag consists of a white map of the continent in a blue field. It is overlaid with lines of latitude and longitude, in white on the blue field and blue on the white map.