State flag

There are two separate meanings for the term of state flag in vexillology, the flag of the government of a sovereign state and the flag of an individual subnational state.

Government flag

A state flag is a variant of a national flag (or occasionally a completely different design) specifically designated and restricted by law or custom (theoretically or actually) to use by a country's government or its agencies. For this reason they are sometimes referred to as government flags. In many countries the state flag and the civil flag (as flown by the general public) are identical, but in other countries, notably those in Latin America, central Europe, and Scandinavia, the state flag is a more complex version of the national flag, often featuring the national coat of arms or some other emblem as part of the design. Scandinavian countries also use swallowtailed state flags, to further differentiate them from civil flags.^[1]

In addition, some countries have state ensigns, separate flags for use by non-military government ships such as guard vessels. For example, government ships in the United Kingdom fly the blue ensign.^[2]

State flags should not be confused with the national flag as used by military organisations; these are referred to as war flags and naval ensigns.^[3]

National flags with separate state and civil versions

• 
  Optional Civil Flag of Andorra
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Andorra
• 
  Optional Civil Flag of Argentina
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Argentina
• 
  Civil Flag of Austria
• 
  State Flag of Austria
• 
  De facto Civil Flag of Belgium (ratio 2:3)
• 
  Official State and Civil Flag of Belgium (ratio 13:15)
• 
  Civil Flag of Bolivia
• 
  State Flag of Bolivia
• 
  Civil Flag of Costa Rica
• 
  State Flag of Costa Rica
• 
  Civil Flag of Denmark
• 
  State Flag of Denmark
• 
  Civil Flag of Ecuador
• 
  State Flag of Ecuador (not forbidden for civil usage)
• 
  Civil Flag of El Salvador
• 
  State Flag of El Salvador
• 
  Alternative State Flag of El Salvador
• 
  Civil Flag of Finland
• 
  State Flag of Finland
• 
  Civil and Alternative State Flag of Germany
• 
  State Flag of Germany
• 
  Civil Flag of Guatemala
• 
  State Flag of Guatemala
• 
  Civil Flag of Haiti
• 
  State Flag of Haiti
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Hungary (ratio 1:2)
• 
  Alternative Civil Flag of Hungary (ratio 2:3)
• 
  Optional State Flag of Hungary
• 
  Civil Flag of Iceland
• 
  State Flag of Iceland
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Lithuania
• 
  Historical State Flag of Lithuania
• 
  Civil Flag of Monaco
• 
  State Flag of Monaco
• 
  Civil Flag of Norway
• 
  State Flag of Norway
• 
  Civil Flag of Peru
• 
  State Flag of Peru
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Poland
• 
  Optional State and Civil Flag of Poland
• 
  Civil Flag of San Marino
• 
  State Flag of San Marino
• 
  Civil Flag of Serbia
• 
  State Flag of Serbia
• 
  Optional Civil Flag of Spain
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Spain
• 
  State and Civil Flag of Tuvalu
• 
  Alternative State Flag of Tuvalu
• 
  Civil and State Flag of Uruguay
• 
  Alternative State Flag of Uruguay (Flag of Artigas)
• 
  Alternative State Flag of Uruguay (Flag of the Treinta y Tres)
• 
  Civil Flag of Venezuela
• 
  State Flag of Venezuela

Flag of a subnational state

The Flag of Massachusetts on display in the Financial District of Boston.

In Australia, Brazil, the United States, and some other federal countries, the term state flag can have a different usage, as it frequently refers to an official flag of any of the individual states or territorial sub-divisions that make up the nation.^[4]

To avoid confusion with the first meaning of the term, however, such a flag would be more precisely referred to as "the flag of the state of X", rather than "the state flag of X". For this usage, see also:

• Flags of the Australian states and territories
• Flags of Brazilian states
• Flags of the U.S. states
• Flags of German states

Notes

1. Znamierowski. "Government Flags". p. 66. Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. Znamierowski. "The Union Jack". p. 108. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Znamierowski. "Naval Ensigns and Flags". p. 88. Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. Znamierowski. pp. 180, 192, 208. Missing or empty |title= (help)

References

• Znamierowski, Alfred (2002). The world encyclopedia of flags: The definitive guide to international flags, banners, standards and ensigns. London: Hermes House. ISBN 1-84309-042-2.