Lloret de Mar - Spain

Lloret de Mar is the place to be in the summer if you go on vacation, the first vacation without your parents. Youngsters mostly from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom come over here to go party in this beach town. Located in the northeast of Spain in the autonomous region of Catalonia, precisely in the province of Girona. Lloret de Mar is one of the many tourist destination on the Costa Brava literally translated as "wild coast". Its started at the French borders and the coastal region ends at the populair beach town of Blanes, other places are Tossa da Mar, Platja d'Aro, Palamos, L'Estartit and Roses. Back to Lloret de Mar normally in this town has an population of around 30 thousand, but in the summer months its boost up to around 160 thousand. Originally an fishers town its now place to party, don't get an sunburn and some summer love. Special for the Dutch visitors there are a lot of Dutch food tents, cafes and discos. So lets take an look at the flag.

The flag use the colors of the shield, white and green, there is no explanation about it. So lets continue with the shield because its on the flag. The image is an laurel or bay tree and the name Lloret is derived from it. The old Latin name of the town is Lauretum and the meaning of that is "where laurels grow". The tree is native all around the Mediterranean. The design is simple and solid.

Drenthe - The Netherlands

Drenthe the Dutch province which can be found in the northeast of the Netherlands. This province is inhabited by mankind since the Stone Age about 150 thousand years. The prove can be seen around the area, there are 52 hunebedden (dolmen), most of them are found in and around the city of Emmen. The hunebedden are made of big boulders left after the retreating polar cap at the end of the Ice Age. But who and why they are build it is still not certain, maybe an burial site or something religious. Most of history the province of Drenthe was an backward region, even in the golden age of the Dutch Republic of the Seven United Provinces. Because it was so poverty it become not an province but it was part of the republic without representation. Still its an agricultural and rural province with some industry around the biggest city Emmen and the capital Assen. So lets take an look at the flag.

The flag has the traditional Saxon colors red and white. east of the border is the German state of Niedersachsen (Lower-Saxony) their coat of arms contains the colors. Also the red and white are the colors of the Dutch province of Utrecht. In medieval times Drenthe was an part of Oversticht and that area was an possession of the archbishop of Utrecht, 

The six stars stands for the ancient "dingspelen" of Drenthe, a kind of counties. 

The castle stands for the Castle of Coevorden from this place the viscount ruled Drenthe in name of the archbishop of Utrecht. 

Personally i like this flag of its cleverness, only you will need to now the meaning of it. 

  

Tampa - United States / Florida

Tampa is the biggest city around the Tampa Bay and with Saint Petersburg and Clearwater opposite of the body of water its formed the second biggest metropolitan area in Florida. The three cities and the rest of the Tampa Bay Area are connected with several bridges. Its estimated that the area contains around the 4 million people and the city of Tampa is good for around 335 thousand people. I can write something about the history but the flag will tell that later. One thing make Tampa really big was the cigar industry in 1885 after the place get an railroad link in 1883. Responsible for the cigar industry was Spanish entrepreneur Vicente Martinez-Yborm, which started initially on Cuba and later in Key West his cigar manufacturies till he found out that Tampa has an great port and good railroad links with the north of the United States. He found the neighborhood Ybor City with cigar factories and houses for people to live and work there, and anything else what was needed for an community. He was so beloved that the entire city of Tampa attend his funeral. So lets take an look at the flag.

The busy looking flag in an unusual shape looks like swallow-tail only with three points. At first the flag symbolize the eras, growth and characteristics of  Tampa. All those colored stripes and stars are elements of other flags of nations that has something to do with Tampa in history. Lets begin with the red and yellow stripes, those stands for Spain. Spain discovered Tampa in 1528 and colonized Florida twice, also symbolize the influx of Spanish and Cuban immigrants to work in Ybor City. On the left you see red, white and blue stripes and the latter has stars in vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions. That symbolize the countries of France, the United Kingdom and United States. France Huguenots tried to establish an colony in 1562 to 1565, but Spain kicked them out of Florida. The United Kingdom bought Florida in 1763 from Spain, the diagonal stripes stands for the U.K. Also its stands for Florida because the state flag contains an red St.Andrews cross. In 1821 Florida was purchased by the United States from Spain, the blue, white, red and stars are stands for the U.S. The green and red at the end stands for the Italian immigrants that came to Tampa. If you look in multiple positions you see three letters, the H, F and T. The letter H stands for Hillsborough County, Tampa is the county seat. The letter F stands for the state of Florida and the letter T stands for Tampa. At last if this flag not busy enough there is an seal of the city of Tampa. That seal shows the date when Tampa was incorporated as an city, the ship symbolize the connection with the world and the name of that ship is "mascotte". This flag is subject of ridicule on the internet, its very busy and that is an typical American cityflag thing. 

Paraíba - Brazil

Paraíba is an Brazilian state which can be found in the northeast of the country. The meaning of the name of the state is probably from the Tupi people, they called the area "pa’ra a'iba" the first parts is river and the second part is impractical. Historical point of view it take an while that the Portuguese began to exploit Brazil economically. Also it take an while to get control of the area, native people attacked Portugese settlers. The French instigate the natives to get an hand of the area, but the Dutch tried it also. When the 16th century end the Portuguese ultimately prevailed. The third oldest city of Brazil is found here, its the capital of Paraíba. Found in 1585 as Nossa Senhora das Neves and Frederikstadt when the Dutch take it over for an while. After the assassination of the governor of Paraíba named João Pessoa Cavalcanti de Albuquerque who was trying to become vice-president of Brazil, to pay hommage to him they renamed the city. João Pessoa is also the most easternmost city of the America's and that fact attracts tourist and the long beaches helps to. So lets take an look at their flag.

The flag has two colors, one-third black and two-third red. The red stand for the blood of the assassination of João Pessoa Cavalcanti de Albuquerque. The black stands for the mourning of his death. Then we get the big no of vexillogists, letters on the flag. Its an Portuguese word sais "Nego" what means "i deny". That has also to do with the assassinated governor, he was opposed the election of president-elect Júlio Prestes. That guy was elected but become never president of Brazil, the government was overthrown before he can takes office. João Pessoa was supporting the opposition of Getúlio Vargas who wanted João Pessoa to become his vice-president. So this an kind of macabre flag with an dark history.

Pretoria - South Africa

Pretoria is one of the capitals of South Africa, in this case the administrative one. Bloemfontein is the judicial its houses the Supreme Court and Cape Town the legislative its houses the parliament. Pretoria houses the president of South Africa and his cabinet, legally the country has no legal capital. In 1910 the colonies of Cape of Good Hope, Natal and former republics Transvaal and Orange Free State formed the Union of South Africa and the capitals of those colonies become the capitals we know today. But the capital of Natal Pietermaritzburg was compensated with money. The idea of the three capitals was to spread out the power and not to concentrated in one city. Pretoria was original the capital of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek also informal known as Transvaal, until they get annexed by the British after the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Also its now part of the province Gauteng but the capital is South Africa's powerhouse Johannesburg. So lets an look at the flag.

Its an quick look, two vertical colors red and yellow. The colors are taken from the coat of arms, so let take an look at that for some explanation. The supporters are on the right an common eland and on the left an greater kudu, two indigenous antelope species. In the shield is an red background with eight flying bees, an symbol of industry. The mimosa tree is an symbol of growth. The escutcheon on the tree you see an Roman praetor is an pun of Pretoria, also the mural crown in the shape of an castle symbolize that to. The motto "Praestantia Praevaleat Praetoria" is Latin for "May Pretoria be pre-eminent in excellence". The flag and coat of arms are very European influenced, pretty solid design.

Western Australia - Australia

Western Australia is the second biggest subdivision in the world behind the Russian Sakha Republic. Its slightly smaller then the nation of Argentina and it covers an third of the continent of Australia. Dutch discovered this part of Australia or better said the stumbled on it, they called it Nieuw Holland (New Holland). As the Dutch like good business opportunities they don't see it there, so leave the area alone. Until the French get interested the British take the western part of the colony, the named it Swan River Colony. The name New Holland invoked for many decades until the name Western Australia become official 1832. The area is mostly made up of desert and two-third of the state is sparsely populated. There are two exceptions, the southwest part has an mediterranean climate and 92% of the people lives here mostly around the capitol Perth. The most northern part named the Kimberly has an hot tropic climate with an short monsoon-like wet season. But that desert attracted initially the most people to Western Australia because of gold but also huge deposits of iron ore are there. And also mentioned in the most southwest part of the state is very suitable for wine growing. But lets take an look at the flag.

Like the other Australian state flags also with this one an British Blue Ensign with an badge on it. The origin of the Blue Ensign can be found in the British royal navy, used by ships which are commanded by an Royal navy officer or ships in public service. And where those ships operating at possible oversea British possessions the Blue Ensign will be used with an defaced emblem or badge. In this case an badge with an black swan on a yellow disc. The yellow has no meaning but the black swan is an long time symbol of Western Australia. Dutch explorers in 1697 discovered the only black swan species in the world at the mouth of the Swan River, and where astonished of the black bird. On the first flag from 1870 the swan was facing the opposite direction against the hoist. Vexillogists has an guideline for animals on the flag, the animal must face the hoist and Western Australia changed it in 1953. An simple but distinctive flag proud of the black swan.

Amman - Jordan

Amman the capitol of the kingdom Jordan, the most populous city. Also an important economical, cultural and political center with an population around 4 million. One of the most modern Arabian cities and major tourist destination to go or use starting point to explore the country. The area in and around this city has been inhabited for several millennia, there is an archaeological site close to Amman dated more than 10 thousand years old. The place is mentioned in the bible as Ammon the capitol of the Ammonites, the name of the city derived from this people. The ruthless Assyrians take the city. During the Greek and Roman times it was know as Philadelphia, because of that there plenty ancient sites of that era to visit. There was an decline during the Islamic period around medieval times. At the end of the Ottoman era it was taken by the allied forces in World War I with help of the Hashemites. Those people eventually formed the current kingdom of Jordan. So lets take an look at the flag.

The foreground shows an golden archway and and flows smoothly into a text below, it is the name of Amman in Arabic using an type of font named serif. The golden archway represented the archaeological architecture of Amman. Behind there are three brown colored crescents pointing down, not really found what it meant some said it symbolizes the hills and houses. About the green background i also didn't found an explanation about it. Its an neat flag try to capture the history of Amman, i think the Arabic letters are not noticeable to upset the vexillogists.