Flag of Montserrat - Description of the Montserrat Flag
As the
above picture of the Montserrat Flag indicates the overall
background is
blue
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the Montserrat flag represent the
following:
Blue -
vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
The
basic style shown in the picture of the Montserrat flag is
described as Emblem reflecting the
central design of the flag pattern
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the Montserrat flag is described as 1:2 ( length twice the height )
The upper
left quarter of the flag, hoist side, is called the Canton and pictures
the British Union Jack
The right
half of the flag is called the Fly and pictures
the Montserratian badge
The
emblem on the Montserrat flag pictures
a woman standing
beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
The Meaning
& History of the Montserrat Flag - The Montserrat flag depicts
the badge of Montserrat, which shows Erin, the symbol of freedom
for Ireland, holding a gold, or deep yellow harp by her left
hand
The emblem
of Montserrat is the shamrock, in honour of its earliest
European settlers, who were of Catholic-Irish
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
Montserrat
Flag Etiquette
Montserrat 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 Montserrat as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
Montserrat
State Flag of
Montserrat
Military Flag of
Montserrat (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
Montserrat
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the Montserrat Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The National flag of
Montserrat 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 Montserrat flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
Montserrat should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the Montserrat flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of Montserrat, 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 Montserrat Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the Montserrat flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the Montserrat flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the Montserrat flag to the top, then lowering the
Montserrat Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the Montserrat flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The Montserrat flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the Montserrat flag
The Montserrat 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 Montserrat
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
Montserrat flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to
Montserrat
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 Montserrat Flag Etiquette has provided a useful
resource
Montserrat
Location:
Much of this island was devastated and
two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption
of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on
18 July 1995
Land Size of
Montserrat : 102 sq km
Climate / Weather
of Montserrat : tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature
variation
Population of
Montserrat : 9,245
Former Name(s) :
n/a
Capital City of
Montserrat : Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic
activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades
Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest
end of Montserrat)
GDP of Montserrat :
$29 million (2002 est.)
Main Industries :
tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Currency of
Montserrat
: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Main Colors of
Montserrat Flag : red, white and blue
Commonly mis-spelt
as Montserat
Concise History of
Montserrat & its Flag
The island
of Montserrat, in the Caribbean Sea, was named after the
mountain by Christopher Columbus in 1493
Montserrat is a mountain
near Barcelona, in Catalonia, in Spain.
The name
Montserrat literally means "jagged mountain"
The Ciboney, Arawak
and the Carib
Indians first inhabited Montserrat
The Caribs
and the Arawaks were tropical forest people who probably
originated in South America and were related the people found
anywhere from Panama to Brazil
Not
discovered by Europeans until 1492 when Christopher Columbus
first landed in the New World
Before the
arrival of the Spanish the Carib males had a justified
reputation as the most feared warriors of the Caribbean
In 1555 the
Spanish claimed the Islands
The Caribs
and the Arawaks were progressively wiped out by the
after-effects of the Spanish conquest, with the more peaceful
Arawak tribes suffering the greater losses
The Spanish
were continuously harassed by the native Caribs and by pirates
and buccaneers who attacked the Spanish galleons which were
carrying riches back to Spain
The pirates
who operated in the Islands included Blackbeard, Calico Jack,
Anne Bonny, Henry Morgan, Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake
1632 Thomas
Warner brings English and Irish Catholics from St.Kitts to
establish a colony on Montserrat
1649 Oliver
Cromwell transports Irish political prisoners to Montserrat
1651 Irish
bring first slaves to Montserrat
Slave
rebellion - 1768 on St. Patrick’s Day
The slaves
were emancipated in the 1830's
1914 - 1918
WW1
1939 - 1945
WW11
August 1945
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Montserrat
is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom
The eruption
of the Soufriere Hills,Chances peak, volcano that began on July
18, 1995 and still continues has made much of the island
uninhabitable
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The
Flag and Nation of Montserrat
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Flag and Country of Montserrat has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your knowledge
of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the Flag 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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