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Flag of Macedonia (Greece)
Encyclopedia
The flag of Macedonia, the largest Greek
region
, represents a Vergina Sun
with 16 rays extending from the blue field. The Vergina Sun on a blue background is commonly used as an unofficial flag of the three peripheries, the prefectures and the municipalities of Greek Macedonia. It is also used by organisations of the Macedonian Greek diaspora, such as the Pan-Macedonian Associations of the United States
and Australia
, as well as numerous commercial enterprises.
Although the Vergina Sun is an official state emblem of Greece, no such provisions have been made for the flag of Macedonia, which remains unofficial.
It is unclear when the flag was adopted, but it was most likely in use by the late 1980s. The similarity of the first flag of the Republic of Macedonia
, which had the same design but on a red background with proportions 1:2, caused controversy in Greece, which was already using that symbol for its own province of Macedonia, and the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag to the current design.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
region
Regions of Greece
The traditional geographic divisions of Greece were also the official administrative subdivisions of Greece until the 1987 administrative reform )...
, represents a Vergina Sun
Vergina Sun
The Vergina Sun — also known as the Star of Vergina, Macedonian star, or Argead Star — is the name given to a symbol of a stylised star or sun with sixteen rays. It was unearthed in 1977 during excavations in Vergina, in the northern Greek region of Macedonia, by archaeologist Manolis Andronikos...
with 16 rays extending from the blue field. The Vergina Sun on a blue background is commonly used as an unofficial flag of the three peripheries, the prefectures and the municipalities of Greek Macedonia. It is also used by organisations of the Macedonian Greek diaspora, such as the Pan-Macedonian Associations of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as numerous commercial enterprises.
Although the Vergina Sun is an official state emblem of Greece, no such provisions have been made for the flag of Macedonia, which remains unofficial.
It is unclear when the flag was adopted, but it was most likely in use by the late 1980s. The similarity of the first flag of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, which had the same design but on a red background with proportions 1:2, caused controversy in Greece, which was already using that symbol for its own province of Macedonia, and the Republic of Macedonia changed its flag to the current design.
See also
- Flag of GreeceFlag of GreeceThe flag of Greece , officially recognized by Greece as one of its national symbols, is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white...
- List of Greek flags
- Flag of the Republic of MacedoniaFlag of the Republic of MacedoniaThe national flag of the Republic of Macedonia depicts a stylised yellow sun on a red field, with eight broadening rays extending from the centre to the edge of the field. It was created by Pr...
- Vergina SunVergina SunThe Vergina Sun — also known as the Star of Vergina, Macedonian star, or Argead Star — is the name given to a symbol of a stylised star or sun with sixteen rays. It was unearthed in 1977 during excavations in Vergina, in the northern Greek region of Macedonia, by archaeologist Manolis Andronikos...
- Flags of country subdivisions