Flag of Georgeland
The Flag of the United Islands of Georgeland is a bicolor flag with a light blue stripe in the fly, with the remaining two-thirds of the flag a darker blue colour. An assembly of seven five-pointed stars, in gold, adorn the dark blue field. Each star represents one of the seven States, and the stars are arranged in a rough approximation of the location of each state within the archipelago. The flag's ratio is 2:3.
The current flag was first flown on July 1, 2000, when the new states of East Mainland and West Mainland replaced the former state of Mainland, increasing the number of stars from six to seven. Prior to this, a flag of six stars had been flown from July 1, 1958. The original flag, with five stars, was first flown on April 13, 1930, the winner of a design competition launched nation-wide after Georgeland became a Republic. The flag's original designer is officially James Scott; however, in the 1980s evidence was unearthed suggesting Scott's original design was stolen, and that a number of people in Long Island designed the original flag. This theory has gained strength in recent years by the publication of diaries belonging to Scott which fail to mention the flag at all.
History
Other flags of Georgeland
Presidential Standard
The Presidential Standard, or informally the Presidential Flag is flown at all occasions in which the President is an official guest. The Standard resembles the national flag, but contains two vertical light blue stripes on either side and the stars in the centre on a dark blue background. It is flown at Martin Hall, the President's official residence, when the President is there - it is removed when the President leaves. The flag is also flown at the Houses of Parliament when the President attends the opening of Parliament. The President's car also flies the flag, along with the national flag, from its bonnett. The flag adorns the official presidential aircraft.
The flag was first commissioned in 1929, and revised with the addition of new states in 1958 and 2000.
The flag is also flown at Presidential funerals, though the national flag is draped over the coffin.
All Presidents except Lance Lester Rothschild have used the Presidential flag. President Rothschild opted not to use the flag.
The naval ensign is flown from all United Islands Navy vessels while at sea and in the presence of the Navy Chief of Staff. It is the same proportions as the national flag, but the fly stripe and stars are white, and the background to the stars is light blue. The naval ensign dates from 1967; prior to this, Georgeland did not have a naval ensign. The flag originally contained six stars, in line with the national flag at the time, and was updated in 2000.
Air Force Flag
The flag flown by all official United Islands Air Force installations replaces the dark blue background with a lighter blue, rendering the entire background the same colour (other than the gold stars). This flag also dates from 1967, though the number of stars has increased.
Civil Ensign
The Civil Ensign is flown by merchant vessels and civilian ships. The flag has the fly stripe removed and the stars moved towards the middle (slightly off-centre). The Civil Ensign was an original proposal for the flag's design, and dates from 1936 in an official capacity.
Civil Aviation Ensign
This flag is almost identical to the Air Force flag, above, but features a dark blue border around the stars. It was officially adopted in December 2001, and has always had seven stars.
Flags Prior to 2000
Union Flag (1767-1872)
The British Union Flag was the first to be flown in Georgeland, being planted on Delmago Island, the site of Juan Delmago's first landing, in 1760. Delmago, though a Spaniard, was at the time in the pay of King George III of England. Seven years later, the same flag was hoisted at Georgetown, the first settlement in the archipelago. This remained the only national flag flown in Georgeland for official occasions until the granting of a formal Colonial flag in 1872.
While only one version is displayed here, there were two different Union Flags flown in the British Empire, including Georgeland. The version shown here became the official flag with the admission of Ireland to the United Kingdom in 1801. Prior to this a simpler Union Flag, without the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick, was used.
Colonial Flag (1872-1894)
Georgeland's official colonial flag was proclaimed by Queen Victoria on June 19, 1872. The flag consisted of the British red ensign defaced by a unique coat-of-arms, which was Georgeland's official coat-of-arms until 1931.
The coat-of-arms features the Crown and is similar to those seen (at the time) in Canada and as the British royal coat of arms. Notably, in addition to the lions and the harp (representing England and Ireland respectively), it features a crenellation identical to that found in the Coat of arms of Spain, in tribute to Delmago.
This flag continued as Georgeland's national flag from 1891 until 1894, when a new, Dominion flag (see below) was established.
Dominion Flag (1894-1930)
Upon Georgeland's inauguration as a Dominion of Great Britain, with full autonomy, in July 1891, the government of Robert Pearce issued tenders for the design of a new national flag, with the guidelines that it resemble the colonial flag and retain the Union Jack. The winning design was by a Scotsman, Donald Macleith, whose design featured five gold stars to represent the five islands (Delmago Island was, notably, excluded from the flag's design).
This flag became Georgeland's national flag, with the addition of a crown underneath the Union Jack. Georgeland forces in the Boer War fought under the Union Flag - though a number of soldiers flew this flag unofficially.
During World War I, the flag was hoisted officially for the first time on a battlefield by Georgeland troops fighting in France and Belgium.
The same flag, but with the crown and Union Jack removed, became the flag of the Georgeland republican movement in the 1920s.
Historians have noted the similarity of this flag to that of the People's Republic of China and Communist Vietnam. It is known that Macleith did, in fact, have ties to Marxist movements.
Five Stars (1930-1958)
This flag, the original as designed by Scott, was Georgeland's national flag from 1930 until 1958. The five stars represented the five states at the time - Scoita, Bradmarch, Mainland, Capitalia and Long Island. As with the Dominion Flag, Delmago Island is not represented.
Six Stars (1958-2000)
This flag was used between 1958 and 2000. The sixth star represents Delmago Island, which became a State in that year and recieved representation on the flag for the first time.
James Scott conducted the official unveiling of this flag, as he had with the original in 1930.