What countries have a Union Jack on their flag?
The Union Jack is also incorporated into the flags of four independent countries of the British Commonwealth - Australia, Fiji, Tuvalu, and New Zealand. How the United Kingdom Became an Island Nation. What Makes the Relationship Between the U.S. and the U.K.
Why is the UK flag called the Union Jack?
Even if the term "Union Jack" does derive from the jack flag, after three centuries, it is now sanctioned by use and has appeared in official use, confirmed as the national flag by Parliament and remains the popular term. Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945, referred to the flag of the United Kingdom as the Union Jack.
What is the ratio of flag to Union Jack?
Specification The Union Jack is normally twice as long as it is tall, a ratio of 1:2. In the United Kingdom, land flags are normally a ratio of 3:5; the Union Jack can also be made in this shape, but 1:2 is for most purposes.
What country flags have the Union Jack?
The Union Flag, or Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is so called because it combines the crosses of the three countries united under one Sovereign - the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom).
Which country removed Union Jack?
The most recent country to drop the Union Flag from its flag was South Africa in 1994, after adopting a new national flag. The only overseas territory without the Union Flag on its current flag is Gibraltar. The list also includes overseas territories, provinces and states.
What 4 flags make up the Union Jack?
Let's start with the one we all recognise, the Union Jack, so-called because it represents all four flags of the kingdoms of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Why does Hawaii still have the Union Jack?
The inclusion of the Union Jack of the United Kingdom is a mark of the Royal Navy's historical relations with the Hawaiian Kingdom, particularly with King Kamehameha I. The flag continued to be used after the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Will the UK change its flag?
We are not advising changing the flag. We are not encouraging a change to the flag.
What is the real flag of England?
Flag of the United KingdomNameUnion Jack, Union Flag, British flag, UK flagUseNational flagProportion1:2Adopted1 January 1801DesignA white-fimbriated symmetric red cross on a blue field with a white-fimbriated counterchanged saltire of red and white.27 more rows
What are the 5 British flags?
The United Kingdom has 5 flags, one for each nation:England.Wales.Scotland.Northern Ireland.to which is added the famous Union Jack (or Union Flag).
What does Black Union Jack mean?
In 2003, a private individual started a campaign – dubbed "reflag" or "Union Black" – to introduce black stripes in the Union Jack in order to represent the increasing diversity in the United Kingdom.
Which country voted to remove the Union Jack from their nation's flag in 2015?
On 3 February 2015, Bainimarama confirmed that the flag of Fiji would be replaced. He announced that a national competition to design the new flag would be held, with the aim of hoisting this flag on 11 October 2015, the 45th anniversary of independence.
When did the Union Jack become the British flag?
Flag of the United KingdomNameUnion Jack, Union Flag, British flag, UK flagUseNational flagProportion1:2Adopted1 January 1801DesignA white-fimbriated symmetric red cross on a blue field with a white-fimbriated counterchanged saltire of red and white.27 more rows
When did England change their flag?
This rule was relaxed by the early nineteen century when the sailing term could be used when referring to the national flag everywhere. The first version of the flag was created in 1606, featuring only the English and Scottish flags. The Union Jack was amended in 1801 to incorporate the cross of St.
Would the UK flag change if Scotland left?
According to the College of Arms, the authority for official flags for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Countries, an independent Scotland would have no effect on the current Union flag.
Which state has union jacks?
The country's six state flags have union jacks too. image copyright. Thinkstock. image caption. Hawaii. More surprisingly, perhaps, Hawaii, which in 1959 became the 50th state to join the United States, also includes the union jack.
What is the union jack?
Its official name is the union flag, but the BBC refers to it as the union jack, as per common parlance. New Zealand, after much discussion of whether the union jack represents a legacy of colonialism, has voted to keep it in the top left-hand corner of its own flag.
What is the flag of Fiji?
The flag is our symbol, a symbol of our unity.". Fiji is currently debating Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama's plans to replace the current flag, featuring the union jack as part of its flag, amid considerable opposition. It also forms part of the flags of Bermuda ...
What is the flag of the United Kingdom?
Red, white and blue. They're the colours of the union jack, the flag the United Kingdom has presented to the world since 1801. It features the crosses of three patron saints - George (England), Andrew (Scotland) and Patrick (Ireland - although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the UK). Its official name is the union flag, but the ...
Why is the St Helena flag?
The flag of St Helena, in the mid-Atlantic, was commissioned in 1983 to commemorate 150 years as a Crown colony. Its union jack stands alongside a crest bearing a wirebird - the national bird - and a ship beside a rocky cliff.
What is the British Antarctic flag?
The flag of British Antarctic Territory consists of a union jack on a white background, reminiscent of snow, with a lion and a penguin on the crest. image copyright. Thinkstock.
What is the flag of Falkland Islands?
The flag of the Falkland Islands features a union jack, alongside their coat of arms, showing a ram - symbolic of the local sheep industry - and the Desire, the ship whose crew were said to have discovered the islands in the 16th Century . image copyright. Thinkstock. image caption.
Which country has a flag with a Union Jack?
Scotland also contributed a patron-saint flag to the Union Jack. Their national flag, Saint Andrew’s Cross, was first adopted in the fifteenth century. It honors their patron saint, Saint Andrew. As the legend goes, St. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Over time, iconography developed to show the apostle on the cross, ...
What countries does the Union Jack represent?
During our research, we were intrigued by the manner in which the Union Jack represents the four countries of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
What is the national flag of the United Kingdom?
Few flags are as recognizable as the Union Jack , the national flag of the United Kingdom. We’ve been a fan of this flag for some time, and became even more interested in its history when we created our wooden Union Jack replica.
What country has a red cross on a white background?
As you might guess, these flags have roots in the countries that comprise the United Kingdom. Here’s how it breaks down. England contributed St. George’s Cross to the Union Jack. This flag—a red cross on a white background—honors Saint George, England ’s patron saint.
When was the Union Jack created?
While the flag’s origins are unclear, its association with Saint Patrick dates back to the 1780s. It wasn’t until 1801 that Great Britain and Ireland were united. This resulted in a change to the flag of Great Britain: the cross of Saint Patrick was added to the existing flag of Great Britain, and the Union Jack was created.
What was the flag of Great Britain in 1603?
Here’s the flag: The year 1603 saw the Union of the Crowns, the event that brought Scotland and England together. When this went down, a combined British flag was created. This flag—the flag of Great Britain—is the predecessor to the modern Union Jack. This is what it looked like:
Is there a special representation of the Union Jack?
Because of this, it has no special representation in the Union Jack. Both the Union Jack and its individual components are steeped in rich history. We hope you’ve learned something about this iconic flag. If you’re interested in owning your own piece of Union Jack wall art, check out our wooden replica of the Union Jack.
Where is the Union flag?
The Union flag on display in Portadown in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom in its current form since 1921. The Union Jack is used as a jack by commissioned warships and submarines of the Royal Navy, and by commissioned army and Royal Air Force vessels.
What is the Union Jack?
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. Though no law has been passed officially making the Union Jack the national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become the national flag through precedent. The flag has official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, ...
Why does the Irish flag not have symmetry?
The flag does not have reflection symmetry due to the slight pinwheeling of the St Patrick's and St Andrew's crosses, technically the counterchange of saltires. Thus, there is a correct side up. The flag does have two-fold rotational symmetry, though. The original specification of the Union Flag in the Royal Proclamation of 1 January 1801 did not contain a drawn pattern or express which way the saltires should lie; they were simply "counterchanged" and the red saltire fimbriated. Nevertheless, a convention was soon established which accords most closely with the description. The flag was deliberately designed with the Irish saltire slightly depressed at the hoist end to reflect the earlier union with Scotland, giving as it were seniority to the Saint Andrew's cross.
What is the width of a flag saltire?
In this interpretation, the width of both saltires is 1⁄15 of the flag's height, with fimbriations of 1⁄30 of the flag's height on either side of the red saltire. The crosses and fimbriations retain their thickness relative to the flag's height whether they are shown with a ratio of 3:5 or 1:2.
Why is the Union Jack so iconic?
This is chiefly due not only to its iconic and unusual design, but the influence of British culture across the globe as a result of the British Empire, and its resulting presence in several Commonwealth nations' flags and heraldry. While most of the former colonies of the British Empire have chosen to omit the Union Jack in their national flags, some countries such as Australia and New Zealand have chosen to keep the Union Jack as a symbol of their British heritage.
What is the flag on the stem of a ship called?
The Jack – A small flag worn on a jackstaff on the stem of Naval Vessels. The Royal Navy wears the Union Flag ... This is the only occasion when it correct to describe the flag as the Union Jack". However, this assertion does not appear in any Reed's Nautical Almanac since 1993.
How big are the Queen's colours?
The Queen's Colours of Army regiments are 36 by 43 inches (910 mm × 1,090 mm); on them, the bars of the cross and saltire are of equal width; so are their respective fimbriations, which are very narrow. In South Africa, the Union Jacks flown alongside the National Flag between 1928 and 1957 were 2:3 flags.
What countries have the Union Jack?
The Union Jack on Other Flags. The Union Jack is also incorporated into the flags of four independent countries of the British Commonwealth - Australia, Fiji, Tuvalu, and New Zealand. Rosenberg, Matt. "Union Jack.".
When was the Union Jack created?
In 1606 , when England and Scotland were both ruled by one monarch (James I), the first Union Jack flag was created by merging the English flag (the red cross of Saint George on a white background) with the Scottish flag (the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew on a blue background).
Why Is It Called the Union Jack?
As for "Jack," one explanation states that for many centuries a "jack" referred to a small flag flown from a boat or ship and perhaps the Union Jack was used there first.
What is the Irish flag?
Then, in 1801, the addition of Ireland to the United Kingdom added the Irish flag (the red Saint Patrick's cross) to the Union Jack. The crosses on the flags relate to the patron saints of each entity - St. George is the patron saint of England, St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.
When did the Union Jack change to the current form?
The Union Jack has been in existence since 1606, when England and Scotland merged, but changed to its current form in 1801 when Ireland joined the United Kingdom.
Who is the author of the Union Jack?
The Union Jack Flag. Matt Rosenberg is an award-winning geographer and the author of "The Handy Geography Answer Book" and "The Geography Bee Complete Preparation Handbook.". The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the flag of the United Kingdom.
Where did Jack come from?
Others believe that "Jack" could come from the name of James I or from a soldier's "jack-et.". There are plenty of theories, but, in truth, the answer is that no one knows for sure where "Jack" came from.
Overview
Use in other flags
As the national flag of the entire British Realm, the Union Flag was found in the canton (upper flagpole-side quarter) of the flags of many colonies of Britain, while the field (background) of their flags was the colour of the naval ensign flown by the particular Royal Navy squadron that patrolled that region of the world. Nations and colonies that have used the Union Flag at some stage have includ…
Terminology
The terms Union Jack and Union Flag are both used historically for describing the national flag of the United Kingdom. Whether the term Union Jack applies only when used as a jack flag on a ship is a matter of debate.
According to the Parliament of the United Kingdom: "Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms (Wales had been annexed into The Kingdom o…
Design
The current flag's design has been in use since 1801. Its original blazon, as decreed by George III of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801, reads:
"the Union flag shall be azure, the crosses-saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick quartered per saltire counter changed argent and gules; the latter fimbriated of the second [viz., argent]; surmounted by the cross of St. George of the third [vi…
History
In 1603, James VI of Scotland inherited the Kingdom of England (and the newly created client state, the Kingdom of Ireland) as James I, thereby uniting the crowns in a personal union. With Wales annexed into the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, James now ruled over the all of the island of Great Britain, which he frequently described as a unified kingdom …
Status in the United Kingdom
The Union Jack is used as a jack by commissioned warships and submarines of the Royal Navy, and by commissioned army and Royal Air Force vessels. When at anchor or alongside, it is flown from the jackstaff at the bow of the ship. When a ship is underway, the Union Jack is only flown from the jackstaff when the ship is dressed for a special occasion, such as the Queen's official birthday.
Status outside the United Kingdom
The Union Flag was used as a flag of Australia until 1953, although the Australian blue ensign saw use as a governmental flag of Australia, and an informal national flag of the country since the early 20th century. From 1911 to 1956, schools in South Australia were required to fly the Union Jack for the "national salute".
In popular culture
The Union Jack remains one of the most instantly-recognisable flags in the world. This is chiefly due not only to its iconic and unusual design, but the influence of British culture across the globe as a result of the British Empire, and its resulting presence in several Commonwealth nations' flags and heraldry. While most of the former colonies of the British Empire have chosen to omit th…