The
Flag of Bulgaria - Description of the Bulgarian Flag
As the
above picture of the Bulgarian Flag indicates the background is
tri-color - Red, green and white
The description of
the Bulgarian Flag is as follows:
three equal
horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the Bulgarian flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
Green -
hope, joy and love and in many cultures have a sacred
significance
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the Bulgarian flag is described as 2:3 ( length 1½ times the
height )
The Meaning
& History of the Bulgarian Flag - the national emblem
formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed
from the flag - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of
wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon
bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and
1944 (liberation from Nazi control)
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
Bulgarian
Flag Etiquette
Bulgarian Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic
Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including Bulgarian as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
Bulgarian
State Flag of
Bulgarian
Military Flag of
Bulgarian (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
Bulgarian
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the Bulgarian Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of
Bulgarian should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The Bulgarian flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
Bulgarian should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the Bulgarian flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of Bulgarian, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in Bulgarian Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the Bulgarian flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the Bulgarian flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the Bulgarian flag to the top, then lowering the
Bulgarian Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the Bulgarian flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The Bulgarian flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the Bulgarian flag
The Bulgarian flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The Bulgarian
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
Bulgarian flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to
Bulgarian
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding Bulgarian Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource.
Bulgaria
Location:
South-eastern Europe, bordering the Black
Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Bulgarian Main Industries :
electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco;
machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke,
refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Main Colors of the
Bulgarian Flag :
Red, green and white
The Slavs
The Slavic
people who were the most numerous ethnic group in Europe:
The 'West
Slavs' were the Poles, the Czechs and the Slovaks
The 'East
Slavs' consisted of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians
The 'South
Slavs' consisted of Bulgarian, Romanian, Croats, Macedonians Serbs and
Slovenians
In the early
Middle Ages Slavs were often used as slaves which is possibly
the origin of the generic term 'Slavs'
Concise History of
Bulgaria & its Flag
4,000 BC
First known inhabitants were Thracians who lived in the area of
Varna on the Black Sea
359-336BC
Philip II ruled the Kingdom of Macedonia
585BC The
Greeks, Byzantines and Turks settled in the area
15 BC The Romans had begun to
extend their empire to include Bulgaria
50-100AD - The spread of
Christianity
476 AD The Roman Empire collapsed
650 The
Bulgars founded a kingdom in the south-eastern Balkans that
became known as Bulgaria
864 Khan Boris of the Bulgarians is
baptized as an Orthodox Christian; the Bulgarians adopt
Christianity from Constantinople
867 Basil I becomes the Byzantine emperor and establishes the
Macedonian dynasty
1014 Oct 6,
The Byzantine Emperor Basil earned the title "Slayer of Bulgers"
after he ordered the blinding of 15,000 Bulgarian troops
1878 Mar 3,
Russia and the Ottomans (Turkish Empire) signed the treaty of
San Stefano and lost its possession of Bulgaria and Romania
Russians
gained influence over the Ottoman Empire and an autonomous
Bulgarian state
was created
1885 Nov 17,
The Serbian Army, with Russian support, invade Bulgaria but re
repulsed by the Bugarians led by Stefan Stambolov
1885 Nov 26
Bulgaria moves into Serbia
1886 Mar 3,
The Treaty of Bucharest concludes the Serb - Bulgarian war
1886 The
Cathedral of the Assumption was built in Varna
1894 Jan 30
- Boris III czar of Bulgaria (1918-43) was born (1894 -
1943)
1903 Sep 8 -
Monastir Massacre when between 30,000 and 50,000 Bulgarian men,
women and children were massacred in Monastir by Turkish troops
seeking to check a threatened Macedonian uprising
1912 Oct 17
- Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declare war on Turkey starting the
First Balkan War
1913 Mar 26
- The Bulgarian capture of Adrianople, ending the First Balkan War
1913 Jun 30,
Fighting broke out between Bulgaria and ex-allies Greece and
Spain starting the Second Balkan War
1913 Aug 10,
The Treaty of Bucharest ended the Second Balkan War
1914 - 1918
First World War - Bulgaria fights on the losing side
1919 Nov 27,
Bulgaria signed peace treaty with Allies and recognizes
Yugoslavian independence
1930
Oct 4, King Boris Cobourgh-Gotha III married Giovanna of Savoy,
the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele
1933 Feb 27,
Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag, caught fire. The
Nazis blamed the Communists and used the fire as a pretext for
suspending civil liberties and increasing their power
1939-1945
World War 11
1943 Dec 10,
Allied forces bomb Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria
1943 King
Boris Cobourgh-Gotha III dies shortly after he yielded to
pressure from Adolph Hitler to ally with Nazi Germany
August 1945
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Prince
Simeon accedes to the thrown
1946 Sep 8
Bulgaria abolishes the Bulgarian monarchy
1950 Feb 21
The United States formally broke relations with Bulgaria
1955 May 14
Representatives from eight Communist bloc countries: Soviet
Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary,
Poland & Romania, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland
1971 May 18
Bulgarian constitution is created based on Communism
1989 Nov -
Communist ruler Todor Zhivkov was thrown out of office after a
35-year Bulgarian dictatorship
1990 Feb 3
The Bulgarian parliament elected Andrei Lukanov to replace a
hard-line Communist as Bulgarian premier
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The
Bulgarian Flag and Nation
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Bulgarian Flag and Country has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
Flags and Nations Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
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