An ethnic flag is a flag that symbolizes a certain ethnic group. Ethnic flags are often introduced to the ethnic community through the respective cultural or political ethnic movements.
They are popular among diasporas, ethnic minorities, and some ethnic majorities, especially in multiethnic countries.
History
Like the concept of a state's national flag itself, that of an "ethnic flag" is modern,
first arising in the late 19th century; strictly speaking, the national flags of nation states are themselves "ethnic flags", and often so used by ethnic minorities in neighbouring states, especially in the context of irredentism (e.g. the flag of the Republic of Albania used as an "ethnic Albanian flag" by Kosovar Albanians).
Ethnic flags are often used in irredentism, representing the "national flag" of a proposed or unrecognized state.
The first such flags were designed at the end of the 19th century, such as the Basque flag (1894) or the "Flag of Zion" used to symbolize Zionism from 1898, which became the national flag of Israel 50 years later.
The concept of using ethnic flags to symbolize ethnic groups within a multiethnic state, not necessarily connected with irredentism, became popular in the later 20th century, such as the Australian Aboriginal flag (1971), the Assyrian flag (1971),[4] the flag of the Romani people (1971), the Berber flag (1970s), the Sami flag (1986) or the national Māori flag (1990).
Designing ethnic or tribal flags has become very popular since the 1990s, especially for online use, and mostly do not have any kind of "official" status and must be judged based on de facto use.[citation needed] In many cases, the national flag of a sovereign state is often seen and used as a de facto ethnic flag by its people.[5][6]
This is a list of links to ethnic flags with referenced entries in Wikipedia articles, including flags of irredentist or nationalist movements motivated by ethnic nationalism. For a looser (unreferenced) collection of proposed or claimed ethnic flags see Flags of ethnic groups on Wikimedia Commons.
The saltire appears to have become the official national flag in 1385 when the Parliament of Scotland agreed that Scottish soldiers should wear the white cross as a distinguishing mark.
Original adopted during the Arauco War between the Mapuche and the Spaniards; a simple blue field with a white Guñelve (Mapudungun: Wünelfe) star centered, representing the Morning Star. The modern rendition approved by Aukiñ Wallmapu Ngulam, also known as Council of All Lands, in 1991. It was chosen in a contest of 500 entries, and is called Wenufoye (in Mapudungun "The Heaven's Winter's Bark"); however, instead of the Guñelve star, a Kultrum (Mapuche drum) is centered.
Adopted by the Kingdom of Hawaii, and continued to be used by the protectorate, republic, and territory before statehood. The flag was last modified in 1898, and is noteworthy as still being used after the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Thomas Francis Meagher commented in 1848: "The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between Orange and Green and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood." It was confirmed as the National Flag in 1937.[8]
First flag adopted in 1860 before the United States Civil War, becoming the first Native American Tribe to adopt a flag; the second form was approved by the Tribal Council in the 1970s and altered in the late 1980s to present form.
Designed in 1894 for the province of Biscay, adopted in 1895 by "Euzkeldun Batzokija" (predecessor of the Basque Nationalist Party), adopted it as the flag of the Basque Autonomous Region in 1936, prohibited in Francoist Spain 1938–1977, official adoption as the flag of the Basque Country in 1978.
The flag was designed in 1918 by Vicenç Albert Ballester i Camps.[10] It came from combining the traditional four red stripes over a yellow field of the Catalan Senyera with a blue triangle at the hoist containing a five-pointed white star, inspired by the flags of Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico; the lone star motif symbolizes Catalan independence.
A coat of arms designed in 1950 by Hans Diplich has been adopted by many Danube Swabian cultural organizations.[12][13] Its blazon is "Parti per fess wavy 1 Or, an eagle displayed couped Sable langued Gules; 2 parti per fess Argent and Vert, a fortress Argent roofed and turreted Gules surmounted with Sun and Crescent waning Or; chief wavy Azure".
Inspired by the historic flag of the County of Toulouse, the modern rendition which included the seven-point star was designed by the Occitan Nationalist Party.
Green and white are the colours of the Tudor dynasty, and the Welsh Dragon is an ancient symbol of Celtic Britons. The current design was officially adopted in 1959.
The circle of eight teepees on the flag represent the nine districts of the reservation: Porcupine, Wakpamni, Medicine Root, Pass Creek, Eagle Nest, White Clay, LaCreek, Wounded Knee, and Pine Ridge. The red field represents the blood shed by the tribe in defense of their lands.
The flag was created in 1967 by Melvin Charles and Gleason T. Jackson.[14] The idea to create the flag came about when Charles realized that every other group of people had a flag at parades except Black Americans. He designed the flag alongside Jackson and they would later travel the country to visit various churches, schools, and public events to promote the flag.[15]
The color red represents the blood shed by African Americans for freedom and equality in America. The color black represents pride in the black race. The color gold represents intellect, prosperity, and peace.[14]
Based on the Hiawatha Belt, the four squares and one tree represent the original five nations of the Confederacy, and the tree also represents the Tree of Peace.
The tricolor design comes from the original Armenian flag, while the white pattern represents the mountains of Artsakh, and also forms an arrow pointing westward to symbolize the aspiration for eventual union with Armenia.
Approved by the International Chaldean Association of Professional Visual Artists and various other Chaldean organisations.[21] Designed by Amer Fatuhi.
This flag, with a white star and crescent and two white horizontal stripes on a light blue background, was first adopted as Flag of Iraqi National Turkmen Party in 2007,[23] a constituent political party of the Iraqi Turkmen Front.
Hausa Emblem Flag, traditionally established emblem of Hausa identity – the 'Dagin Arewa' or 'Northern knot' – in a star shape, used in historic and traditional architecture, design and hand-embroidery.[27][28]
^Abū Khaldūn Sati' al-Husri, The days of Maysalūn: A Page from the Modern History of the Arabs, Sidney Glauser Trans. (Washington D.C.: Middle East Institute, 1966), 46.
^ abMyers, Brian Reynolds (2011). "North Korea's state-loyalty advantage". Free Online Library. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018. Judging from the yin-yang flag's universal popularity in South Korea, even among those who deny the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea, it evidently evokes the [Korean race] race first and the [South Korean] state second.
^ abMyers, Brian Reynolds (20 December 2017). "North Korea's Unification Drive". Sthele Press. Retrieved 9 January 2018. When the average [South Korean] man sees the [South Korean] flag, he feels fraternity with [ethnic] Koreans around the world.
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