Ethnic flag

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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.

Most early ethnic flags imply a connection with an unrecognized state claimed by the respective ethnicities, such as the flag of Kurdistan which originates as the flag of the Republic of Ararat (1927). A flag of the Hispanic People was designed in 1932.^[1]

Alternatively, an "ethnic flag" may represent a Pan-nationalism, such as the Pan-Arab flag which originates as the flag of the Arab Revolt during World War I,^[2] the proposed flag of Pan-Slavism (1848),^[3] Pan-Iranism or Pan-Turkism.

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 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]

Individual flags[]

• Media related to Cultural flags at Wikimedia Commons
  • Media related to Flags of ethnic groups at Wikimedia Commons
  • Media related to Flags of active autonomist and secessionist movements at Wikimedia Commons
  • Media related to Native American flags in Latin America at Wikimedia Commons
  • Media related to Native American flags in the United States at Wikimedia Commons

image	name	group	world region	linguistic phylum	introduction	notes
	A bandera Corsa	Corsicans	Europe, West	Corsican	1755	From an older tradition, but with uncertain origins, this banner was officially adopted by the Corsican Republic of Pasquale Paoli.
	Métis flag	Métis people	America, North	mixed; Michif	1814	Received from Alexander Macdonnell of the North West Company in 1814 and used by the Canadian Métis resistance in the Battle of Seven Oaks (1816).[7]
	Circassian Flag	Circassians	Europe, Caucasus	Northwest Caucasian, Adyghe	1830; 1992	Used by Circassians since the 19th century and Adygea since 1992.
	Pan-Slavic colours	Slavs	Europe, Eastern	Indo-European, Slavic	1848	Adopted by the Prague Slavic Congress, 1848, used as the ethnic flag of Sorbs, Moravians, and other Slavic-speaking minorities.
	Flag of Acadia	Acadians	America, North	Indo-European, Romance, French	1884	Adopted at the Second Acadian National Convention held in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, on 15 August 1884.
	Ikurriña	Basque people	Europe, West	Basque	1895	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 Franco Spain 1938–1977, official adoption as the flag of the Basque Country in 1978.
	Flag of Upper Silesia	Silesians	Europe, Central	Silesian	1919	Similar to the former flag of the Province of Upper Silesia. A popular symbol of the Movement for Silesian Autonomy.
	Bosanski Ljiljan	Bosniaks[8]	Europe, South	Serbo-Croatian	1992	Formerly the national flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina until 1998.[9]
	Flag of the West Herzegovina Canton	Bosnian Croats[10]	Europe, South	Serbo-Croatian	1992	Formerly the flag of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia from 1992 to 1996.
	Flag of Serbs of Croatia	Serbs of Croatia	Europe	Serbo-Croatian	2005 (1997 in eastern Croatia)	Adopted by the Serb National Council (2005) and the Joint Council of Municipalities (1997)
	Flag of Zion	Jews	Asia, Western	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Hebrew	1898	Introduced as the flag of Zionism at the Second Zionist Congress held in Switzerland in 1898; adopted as the state flag of Israel in 1948.
	Flag of the Arab Revolt	Arabs	Asia, Western Africa, Northern	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Arabic	1917	Introduced as the flag of the Arab nationalist revolt against the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hejaz in 1917. It became the basis of a number of flags using the Pan-Arab colors later in the 20th century.
	Flag of Armenia	Armenians	Europe, Western Asia	Indo-European	1918	The Armenian Supreme Soviet adopted the current flag on 24 August 1990. On 15 June 2006, the Law on the National Flag of Armenia, governing its usage, was passed by the National Assembly of Armenia.
	Crimean Tatar flag	Crimean Tatars	Europe, Eastern	Turkic, Crimean Tatar	1917	Introduced under the Crimean People's Republic (November 1917), now used as ethnic flag.[11]
	Pan-African flag	Black Africans	Africa	—	1920	Adopted in 1920 by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, now used in black nationalism and Pan-Africanism.
	Flag of the Swedish-speaking Finns	Finland-Swedes	Europe, Northern	Indo-European, Germanic, Swedish	1922	Used by the Swedish People's Party of Finland from 1922, based on a 1917 design.[12]
	Flag of Livonians	Livonians	Europe, Northern	Finnic, Livonian	1923	Used by Livonian Society (Līvõd Īt) in 1923.
	Flag of the Korean National Association	Koreans	Asia, Eastern	Korean	1928	Designed by Yong-man Park. Due to the inherently ethnic nature of Korean nationalism, the South Korean flag is also seen and used as a de facto pan-Korean ethnic flag by many South Koreans.[6][5]
	Flag of Somalia	Somalis	Africa, Horn	Somali	1954	Used by the Somali Republic after independence from the UK and Italy, Blue field with the Star of Unity
	Flag of the Kurds	Kurds, Kurdish irredentism	Asia, Western	Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Kurdish	1927	Used by the Republic of Ararat in 1927, based on earlier designs used in the 1890s revolt.
	Hispanic flag	Hispanidad, La Raza	Americas	Indo-European, Romance, Spanish	1932	Winning entry in a contest organized by Juana de Ibarbourou in 1932.
	Flag of the Romani people	Romani people	Europe	Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Romani	1933	Introduced by the General Union of the Roma of Romania in 1933, adopted at the First World Romani Congress in 1971.
	Malay tricolour	Malay people, Malayness	Asia, Southeast	Austronesian, Malay	1946	Introduced by the United Malays National Organisation (1946).
	Fleurdelisé	Québécois people	America, North	Indo-European, Romance, French, Quebec French	1948	Adopted by the government of Quebec during the administration of Maurice Duplessis.
	Druze flag	Druze	Levant, West Asia	Semitic	1948	Adopted by the based on "Five Limits Star .
	Flag of Biafra	Igbo people	Africa, West	Niger-Congo, Igbo	1967	Flag of the irredentist Republic of Biafra, after 1970 used as ethnic flag.[13]
	Assyrian flag	Assyrian people (Syriac Christians)	Asia, Western	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Aramaic	1971	A 1968 design adopted by the Assyrian Universal Alliance in 1971.
	Australian Aboriginal Flag	Aboriginal Australians	Australia	Australian	1971	Designed in 1971, given official recognition by the Australian authorities in 1995.
	Flag of the Oglala Sioux Nation	Oglala Lakota	America, North	Siouan, Teton Sioux	1961	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 and an allegorical reference to the term "red man," by which they were referred to by European Americans. The flag is sometimes used to represent the Great Sioux Nation at large and is the flag of the unrecognized Republic of Lakotah.
	Flag of the Navajo Nation	Navajo people	America, North	Southern Athabaskan	1968	In 1995 the Navajo flag became the first Native American tribal flag in space when Bernard Harris carried it aboard the space shuttle Discovery.
	Flag of the Cherokee Nation	Cherokee Nation	America, North	Iroquoian	1978	Approved by the Tribal Council in 1978, altered in 1989 (addition of a black star).
	Flag of the Choctaw Nation	Choctaw Nation	America, North	Muskogean, Western	1860; 1970s	First flag adopted in 1860 during 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.
	Flag of the Hopi Nation	Hopi people	America, North	Uto-Aztecan	2002	[14]
	Flag of the Mapuches	Mapuche Nation	America, South	Araucanian, Mapudungun	16th-17th century; 1991	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.
	Flag of Hawaii	Native Hawaiians	Polynesia	Hawaiian	1845	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.
	Flag of Rapa Nui	Rapanui	Polynesia	Rapanui	2006	A similar flag was used from the 13th century until 1899 during its period of independence.
	Flag of Tonga	Tongans	Polynesia	Tongan	1875	The only ethnically Polynesian nation to never relinquish its sovereignty to any foreign power. The contitution states the flag can never be changed.
	Tino Rangatiratanga flag	Maori	Oceania, New Zealand	Austronesian, Maori	1990	Designed in 1990 and made the subject of an activist campaign until its official recognition by New Zealand authorities in 2009.
	Torres Strait Islander flag	Torres Strait Islanders	Australia	Creole, Torres Strait Island	1992	Recognised by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in June 1992, granted official status Australia in 1995.
	Flag of Greenland	Greenlandic Inuit	Arctic	Greenlandic	1989	The only national flag of a Nordic country or territory without a Nordic Cross.
	Tornedalians Flag	Tornedalians	Europe, Northern	Finnic	2007
	Flag of Merina people	Merina people	Africa, Madagascar	Austronesian, Malagasy	1997	Since 1997.[15]
	Berber flag	Berbers	Africa, North	Afro-Asiatic, Berber	1998	Adopted by the World Amazigh Congress based on 1970s proposals by the Berber Academy.
	Aramean-Syriac flag	Aramaeans (Syriac Christians)	Asia, Western	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Aramaic	1980	Used by the Bahro Suryoyo journal in 1980.
	Sami flag	Sami people	Europe, Northern	Finnic, Sami	1986	Adopted by the 13th Nordic Sami Conference on 15 August 1986.
	Chaldean Flag	Chaldean Christians	Asia, Western	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Aramaic	1999	Approved by the International Chaldean Association of Professional Visual Artists and various other Chaldean organisations.[16] Designed by Amer Fatuhi.
	Flag of the Aromanians	Aromanians	Europe, Balkans	Indo-European, Romance	Unknown	Variations of this flag exist according to the country in which the Aromanians are located.[18]
	Flag of East Turkestan	Uyghurs	Asia	Turkic	1934
	Flag of the Iraqi Turkmen Front	Iraqi Turkmen/Turkmeneli	Asia	Turkic	2008	[citation needed]

See also[]

• List of former sovereign states
• Flags of subnational entities
• Flags of unrecognized states
• Flags of micronations

References[]

• Znamierowski, Alfred (2001). The World Encyclopedia of Flags. London, UK: Hermes House.
• Flags of the World - FOTW

External links[]

• Media related to Flags of ethnic groups at Wikimedia Commons