NorthStar Flags

The Zurich and London Agreement paved the way for the proclamation of Cyprus as an independent state, of which a Constitution was drafted and out of it the Cyprus National Flag was born.

The official national flag had the map of the entire country featured with the inclusion of two olive branches placed over a white background, an emblem both signifying peace. Cyprus was the only nation that displays its entire country on the flag, except of course when the Republic of Kosovo adopted their current flag. The map on the custom flag is copper yellow, symbolizing the large copper ore deposit on the island (in the form of chalcopyrite) that obviously suggests the name of the country.

The flag adopted upon its independence in 1960, deliberately used peaceful and neutral colors in an attempt to project harmony between the Greek and Turkish community in the island. But contrary to the desire of the citizens, Cyprus remained divided to this day, 37% of the island is with the Turkish Cypriots and the remainder is controlled by the Greek Cypriots.

The rift started in 1974 and the United Nations deployed peacekeeping forces and patrols the dividing line and works to settle ethnic differences in the hope of re-uniting the island before May 2004. But, differences continue to haunt the peacekeepers and the Turkish Cypriots declared the northern part as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while the southern part of the Greek Cypriots, joined the European Union.

Although divided, the economy of the island draws revenue from its various export products (citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement), from its industry (food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products) as well as agriculture (potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley).

The Zurich and London Agreement paved the way for the proclamation of Cyprus as an independent state, of which a Constitution was drafted and out of it the Cyprus National Flag was born.

The official national flag had the map of the entire country featured with the inclusion of two olive branches placed over a white background, an emblem both signifying peace. Cyprus was the only nation that displays its entire country on the flag, except of course when the Republic of Kosovo adopted their current flag. The map on the custom flag is copper yellow, symbolizing the large copper ore deposit on the island (in the form of chalcopyrite) that obviously suggests the name of the country.

The flag adopted upon its independence in 1960, deliberately used peaceful and neutral colors in an attempt to project harmony between the Greek and Turkish community in the island. But contrary to the desire of the citizens, Cyprus remained divided to this day, 37% of the island is with the Turkish Cypriots and the remainder is controlled by the Greek Cypriots.

The rift started in 1974 and the United Nations deployed peacekeeping forces and patrols the dividing line and works to settle ethnic differences in the hope of re-uniting the island before May 2004. But, differences continue to haunt the peacekeepers and the Turkish Cypriots declared the northern part as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while the southern part of the Greek Cypriots, joined the European Union.

Although divided, the economy of the island draws revenue from its various export products (citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement), from its industry (food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products) as well as agriculture (potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley).

When scent of perfume permeates the air, think of Bulgaria, for its exports of rose oil supplies major perfume manufacturing firms around the globe. This is only possible because of the famous Valley of the Roses found in Bulgaria’s central town – Kazanluk. Likewise, tourists flock to the resorts in the Black Sea and to Rila National Park, Bulgaria’s largest.

Located in southeastern Europe, Bulgaria is dominated by rugged mountains, and the Danube lowlands in the north that it borders with Romania. It is a least densely populated country, characterized by rich and flourishing farmland in the Danube Valley; 130 kilometers of sandy beaches on the Black Sea and a population of over 7million of whom 83% are Orthodox Christians and some 12% Muslims.

Bulgarian’s partially lean towards the Russians, because of the tradition of gratitude when they (Russians) liberated the country from almost five centuries of the Ottoman Empire. Thus after World War II the communists gained control of the country and thrives solely on the agriculture based economy until the 50’s, when the Russians from the USSR helped in the rebuilding process. In so doing, steel mills, chemical plants and machine shops were constructed, which fed the economy until 1989 when communist rule ended and democratic reforms began.

It was only in 1991 that officially the current Bulgaria National Flag was re-established through the tenets of the Constitution of Bulgaria and was confirmed only in a 1998 law. The flag is a tricolor composed of three equal sized horizontal bands (starting from the top) of white, green and red.

The flag was first used after the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78), when Bulgaria gained independence, but was later replaced when the communists took over.

To our Christian brothers, Turkey is popular because of Mount Ararat the highest peak at 16,854 feet and is believed to be the resting place of the biblical Noah’s Ark. Although this is debatable and is almost a myth, archaeological information on the subject, points to the stark place as the final destination of the Ark after the biblical 40days flood.

At the foot of continents Europe and Asia, Turkey tries to be the bridge between western and eastern civilization. Istanbul the largest city in Turkey rests on the European side, and is considered to be the third most populous European urban area, after Moscow and Paris. Meanwhile the Asian side is dominated by the dry plateau of Anatolia; fertile lowlands on the coastal areas; and northern Turkey that suffers severe earthquakes.

Turkey was the heart of the Ottoman Empire 600 years ago, it controlled vast areas in northern Africa, southeastern Europe and western Asia, only to fell to the allied armies in World War I. The Father of the Turks, Kernal, also known as Ataturk founded the republic in 1923 and envisioned to transform a conservative Islamic society into a secular westernized state.

The country has an overall population of almost 73million and the citizens pledge allegiance to its national flag. The Turkey flag has a white crescent moon and a star on a red background and is called the Ay Yildiz (literally translated as moon star) or Alsancak (red banner) in Turkish.

The complex origin of the world flag is ancient and uses the parallel symbol of the late flag of the Ottoman Empire, but was officially adopted in 1844 with the Tanzimat reforms, though shape, scheme and color varies.

The official National Flag of Albania adopted on April 7, 1992 is red with a two-headed eagle at the center and it is the only known emblem of its kind of a recognized sovereign state. Some attribute the creation of the flag as a replica of a similar seal of Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, a 15th century Albanian patriot who led the revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The revolt resulted in the brief independence for some regions of Albania from 1443 to 1448.

Albania is located along the Adriatic Sea in southeastern Europe. The narrow coastal plain is characterized by the presence of mountains that rises to over 6,500 feet, which covers almost the entire country. Though these mountains are rich in natural resources (chrome, iron, nickel, and copper), Albania could not tap the bounty because mining requires huge investment, which the country does not have. Due to this, Albania is considered the poorest country in Europe and the only one with a Muslim majority.

The economic condition in Albania turned to worst after 40years of communist rule, which ended only in 1991. Adding to the economic turn around is the war in neighboring Kosovo that brought in 480,000 ethnic Albanian refugees in 1999, further straining the already fragile economy. Only the resolve of its citizens, particularly the remittances from Albanian workers abroad (mostly in Greece and Italy) had propped up the largely agricultural based economy.

The over 3million residents of Albania made extra effort to sustain its growing economy through industry (food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, oil); on agriculture produce (wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, meat); and exports as well (textiles and footwear, asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil).

Legend had it that Vlad Tepes’ (the Impaler) inspiration for Dracula had its roots in Romania, particularly the Bran Castle or “Dracula’s Castle” that is spectacularly situated in the Transylvanian Alps. Although Dracula may never have stayed in the castle, still the legend persists to this day that it already becomes synonymous with the country.

So, if Count Dracula was a citizen of Romania, then he must have sworn allegiance to the Romania Flag, a tricolor of blue, yellow and red. This color scheme has been mandated by the Constitution of Romania, vertically arranged and follows the sequence with blue at the hoist side. The flag though is coincidentally similar to the Andorra flag and the state flag of Chad .

Romania borders the Black Sea Coast of southeastern Europe. The country is composed of three historical regions brought about by the presence of the Carpathian Mountains and the Transylvanian Alps; Wallachia in the south; Moldavia in the northeast; and Transylvania at the center.

A former colony of imperial Rome, Romania under communist rule since 1947 is a producer of grains and oil is also a favorite Black Sea vacation spot. The people however, enjoyed little relief under communism and the country wallowed in foreign debts. To pay the burgeoning debts, petroleum and agricultural products were exported during the 80’s, while imports were restricted. In turn this resulted in electricity being rationed, basic commodities was scarce, and there was marked decline in production.

Then in 1989, a revolution ensued that resulted to the execution of President Ceausescu and his wife, thus ending a period of repression, deprivation, and ethnic discrimination. The succeeding democratic government labored under the massive foreign debt, levels of corruption that impede economic growth and nationwide sentiment and mistrust.

The lifeblood of Hungary the grand Danube River flows through its center, dividing the landlocked European country almost in half. This accessibility to the waterway may have prompted the mighty Magyars (Hungarians) to move to this area from Asia more than a thousand years ago. These hardy aborigines are distinct from the Germanic and Slavic races that surround them.

East of the Danube River are fertile plains, while hills characterize the western and northern portion of the country. Hungary became the model for a hybrid communist rule, Eastern Europe’s purveyor of “goulash communism,” a blend of personal freedom, prosperity, and a free scent of free enterprise. So, while other countries in the regions suffered shortages, Hungary on the other hand had the upper hand with boutiques, cafe’s and caviar sold in the streets of Budapest.

However by the late 80’s, reform minded Hungarians had lost faith in communism, particularly when met with sagging productivity and the highest per capita debt among countries in Eastern Europe. Thus in 1989 the government finally abolished censorship, dismantled the barriers along the Austrian border, and executed laws for the privatization of the industry, reinstated religious freedom and ordered free elections.

Since then, foreign investment and private companies have flourished, the economy have grown strong and so far is experiencing low inflation and falling interest rates. Signs that Hungary is finally following a pattern to strengthen its resolve and fuel national pride.

Hungary’s National Flag, a horizontal tricolor of red, white and green, adopted as the official emblem since October 1, 1957 best exemplified the struggle for self-determination. The custom flag coexisted with the people’s desire for change and has since stood for the ideals attained in the process.

Ask any child what he/she likes most in Florida, and the answer would be the Magic Kingdom – part of the Walt Disney World Resort that opened on October 1, 1971 in Lake Buena Vista, a few miles off southwest Orlando. The property is so huge (twice the size of Manhattan) and only about a quarter had been developed so far.

The Walt Disney Resort had become the most popular tourist destination on Earth, it contains four theme parks, two water parks, the best in shopping and entertainment complex, 20 top of the line resort hotels and eight fully designed golf courses.

If you’re a retiree, then Florida would be appealing because of the mild to moderate weather and the miles of endless beaches fronting the Atlantic; then if on vacation, this is the best destination for you and your family due to many resorts in the area; and if you are contemplating of moving your family to a new city, then coming to Florida is the best option because works related to tourism abounds.

Aside from Disney that contributes to the revenues of the state, other attractions like Sea World and Universal Studios are also tourist draws, and it somehow supplements income coming from agriculture, mainly from citrus fruits, tomatoes, landscaping plants, and sugarcane.

True blooded citizens of Florida root for National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.

Fifty percent of the citizens of Florida are Hispanics (mostly Cubans) and all render allegiance to the State Flag of Florida, a red saltire (diagonal cross) on a white background with the seal of the State superimposed at the center. The flag had been in use since 1985 after the seal had been modified.

The National Flag of Poland consists of two equal horizontal bands of white on the upper part and red on the lower half. These were ordained and defined in the Polish Constitution as the national colors and is witness to the country’s various struggle for sovereignty. The shade of the Polish flag is relatively popular and two other countries sport similar arrangement, like the one that Indonesia and Monaco flies.

The flag like its people though popular has made several contributions to world consciousness. Who would forget Pope John Paul II, if you are religious then you would know that his Holiness was the first prelate to occupy the highest seat of Roman Catholicism at the Vatican City that is not Italian by descent. And he made the Polish proud as he energized the religious community and sects around the world.

Not to be left behind is the concentration camp in Auschwitz built in 1939 by the invading foreign power, and turned it into a human laboratory where 1.35 million Jews and more than 100,000 were experimented on and murdered.

Then in 1947 the Communist took reigns of the government but it did not deter the citizens away from Roman Catholicism. And when conditions became unbearable because of soaring prices and tumbling wages, Solidarity (Eastern bloc’s first free-trade union) was born. Thus Solidarity’s popularity became the beacon for the struggle that eventually reached its peak when the first free election in Poland in more than 40years was held in 1989.

Solidarity swept the elections, thus paving the way and moving USSR’s satellite country towards democracy and free enterprise.

It is written in history books as the first country in Eastern Europe to overthrow communist rule.

In Architecture the Greeks stand out as the source of all inspiration in the design of buildings, whether it delves into planning or the dictates of the ornament. The quotation “the beauty that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome” aptly describes the contribution of Greek culture to world civilization.

A testament to the Greek penchant for design perfection are the buildings that were designed following the classical lines of Architecture characterized by the use of the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic columns and the proportions employed on the tympanum.

When it comes to governance, the Greeks also gave us the blueprint for a democratic system of government. Abraham Lincoln’s idea of a government solely devoted for the welfare of the people, by the people, and for the people may have come from the Greeks model, for who could otherwise envision an environment that is free, provided it does not violate existing laws.

Culture speaks volumes of Greek influence as we are treated to the grief and sorrow in Greek inspired haunting drama’s ending in tragedies. Music also had its beginning in Greek stage plays accompanying the execution of actors in live performances. Literature as well produced works that were the foundation of succeeding generation of poets and writers the world over.

The craftsmen of ancient Greece may have inspired our veneration to a national symbol. To this day the National Flag of Greece could have evolved through the centuries, called as the “blue-white” is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white and a blue canton on the upper hoist side corner bearing a white cross.

Greek orthodoxy (the established religion), is symbolized by the cross and the stripe represents the phrase “freedom or death.”