Flag of Albania

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Albania
Flag of Albania.svg
Name Albania
Use National flag
Proportion 5:7
Adopted 1912 (original flag)
7 April 1992 (current flag)
Design A silhouette of an open-winged bicephalated eagle on a red field.

The Flag of Albania (Albanian: Flamuri i Shqipërisë) is a red flag with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The red stands for bravery, strength and valor, while the double-headed eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania located in the Balkans.

History

Elements of the flag's design such as the double-headed eagle were borrowed from the banner of the Byzantine Empire (specifically the emblem of the Palaiologoi dynasty).[1][2][3] The eagle was used for heraldic purposes in the Late Middle Ages by a number of noble families in Albania (it is said that Skanderbeg used it on his flag) and became the symbol of the Albanians.[4] The Kastrioti's coat of arms, depicting a black double-headed eagle on a red field, became famous when he led a revolt against the Ottoman Empire resulting in the independence of Albania from 1443 to 1479. This was the flag of the League of Lezhë, which was the first unified Albanian state in the Middle Ages.[5][6][7]

The symbol of the double-headed eagle was re-used by Albanian nationalists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a symbol of their campaign for their country's independence from the Ottoman Empire.[4][1] On 28 November 1912, the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Vlora and the flag, raised by Ismail Qemal, was adopted as the symbol of the new nation.[4][1]

The Albanian flag has gone through a number of changes over the years as different regimes have modified it. During the reign of King Zog (r. 1928–1939), a crown was added to the flag and was replaced by two fasces during the Italian occupation of Albania. After World War II, the communist regime added a five-pointed golden star, which was removed on 7 April 1992 after the communist government in Albania collapsed.

Albania's maritime flags—the civil ensign and the naval ensign—are both different from the national flag. The civil ensign consists of three horizontal bands of red, black, and red. The naval ensign is similar to the national flag, except that the eagle is on a white field, and the lower portion of the flag has a red stripe. The eagle of the flag of Albania is depicted on the reverse of the Albanian five lekë coin, issued in 1995 and 2000.[8]

Beginning in 1969, the flag of Albania was widely unofficially flown in Kosovo by the country's ethnic Albanian population.[9] It was the symbol of the unrecognized Republic of Kosova during the 1990s. The current independent state of Kosovo uses a different flag that was designed to avoid any symbols associated with a particular ethnic group.

Incorrect version

File:Albanien feiert 100 Jahre Unabhängigkeit (8232495148).jpg
The correct version on the left and the incorrect on the right.

There is an incorrect version of the flag still commonly used by Albanians and officials, most notably used in 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania. The flags had deformed eagles, a detail which didn't go without notice. The flags were ordered from a Chinese company that didn't get all details right. These flags were quickly removed after Independence day, but few specimens are still active around the World.[10]

Gallery

Chronological

Ensign and standard

  • Insignia of the Royal Albanian Army.

  • Civil Ensign of Albania 1945-1992.svg

    Civil ensign of Albania (1945–1992).

  • Naval ensign of Albania (1946–1954).

  • Naval Ensign of Albania 1954-1958.svg

    Naval ensign of Albania (1954–1958).

  • Naval Ensign of Albania-1958-1992.svg

    Naval ensign of Albania (1958–1992).

  • Government Ensign of Albania-1958-1992.svg

    State ensign of Albania (1958–1992).

  • Albanian Coast Guard Ensign-1958-1992.svg

    Coast Guard ensign of Albania (1958–1992).

  • Presidential Standard (1946–1992).

  • Presidential Standard (1992–2014).

  • Civil ensign of Albania (1992–present).

  • Naval ensign of Albania (1992–present).

  • Government Ensign of Albania.svg

    State ensign of Albania (1992–present).

  • Albanian Coast Guard Ensign.svg

    Coast Guard ensign of Albania (1992–present).

  • Presidential Standard (2014–present).

Other

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Elsie 2001, "Eagles", p. 78.
  2. ↑ Grumeza 2010, p. 99: "During John Hunyadi's campaign at Niss in 1443, Skanderberg and a few hundred Albanians defected from the Turkish ranks; for twenty-five years he scored remarkable victories against the Ottomans. He adopted the Byzantine double-headed eagle flag, and his spectacular victories brought him the papal title Athleta Christi."
  3. ↑ Mucha, Crampton & Louda 1985, p. 36.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Elsie 2010, "Flag, Albanian", p. 140: "The eagle was a common heraldic symbol for many Albanian dynasties in the Late Middle Ages and came to be a symbol of the Albanians in general. It is also said to have been the flag of Skanderbeg...As a symbol of modern Albania, the flag began to be seen during the years of the national awakening and was in common use during the uprisings of 1909-1912. It was this flag that Ismail Qemal bey Vlora raised in Vlora on 28 November 1912 in proclaiming Albanian independence."
  5. ↑ Matanov 2010, p. 363.
  6. ↑ Pickard & Çeliku 2008, p. 16.
  7. ↑ Schmitt 2009.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Malcolm 1998, p. 325.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Sources

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Further reading

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External links

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