Birmingham - United Kingdom

Birmingham nicknamed City of a Thousand Trades and the second largest city in the United Kingdom. The metropolitan area is good for around 4 million people and the city proper around 1.1 million Brummies. Also its the capital or better the admin hq of the county West Midlands, exist since 1974 and formed out of parts from Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham always the center of coal got its big boost in the Industrial Revolution and became the center of steel factories. Also it was the center of weapon manufacturers there is an neighborhood named the Gun Quarter. Today is it still the center of jewellery manufacturers and there are around 300 producers. Also there is an neigborhood with the name Jewellery Quarter, the largest concentration of businesses in to jewellery. Also big in music some music groups: Spencer Davis Group, Black Sabbath, Electric Light Orchestra, The Moody Blues, Judas Priest, Napalm Death, UB 40, Duran Duran, Fine Young Cannibals and Dexys Midnight Runners. For people like to shop Birmingham is second to London and its attracted millions visitors each year. So lets take an look at the flag.

Three colors were the yellow vertical divided the blue en red, this flag is adopted in 2015. The blue part is an abstract "B" stands for Birmingham, an good way to bypass the vexillogists which don't like the use of letters and numbers. The yellow zigzag can be seen as an "B" to but its the Roman number "M" for 1000, if you look it from the side. And 1000 has to do with Birmingham's nickname "City of a Thousand Trades". The bull represented the Bullring the commercial center for centuries in Birmingham. Initially an bull baiting arena were bulls harassed en fight with (bull)dogs. The colors and design are inspired by the coat of arms of the city. Clever modern design of an flag to avoid using letters and numbers.

Sparta - Greece

Sparta that does ring a bell, the ancient historical prominent city-state that dominated Greece for an period of time. Somewhere founded in 900 BC with an peak of power around 500 BC to its slow but ending decline in 192 BC. It was at its peak the most powerful land army of all Greek city-states and clashes the most times with their rivals Athens, don't forget the leading role in war to stop the Persians invasion. In antiquity Sparta was de settlement in an area called Lacedaemon, we know it as Sparta especially after the movie 300. Sparta was unique with its social system that the Spartans got an rigorous military training and that result in an disciplined army that won many battles and wars. Also unique Sparta didn't have city walls like other Greek city-states, so their well trained military act as an moving wall with shields and spears and that we called an phalanx. Modern Sparta was re-founded in 1834 to revive some old Hellenic heritage when Greece got its independence in 1832. The city has wide streets, large squares and orange trees which gives an nice smell of orange blossoms in spring. The city was initially planned for 100 thousand inhabitants but there only around 20 thousand. So lets take an look at the flag.

The flag has an celestial blue back ground with the municipal seal of Sparta on it. Showing an ancient Greek helmet with an olive branch. The helmet obviously represented the glorious past and olive branch symbolize victory in those days. I think this is the meaning because i don't found any information about it. An big no of the vexillogists, letters even Greek letters and don't use it. Its translated to "municipality of Sparta". Leave those letters and the flag is very cool.

Sardinia - Italy

Sardinia the second largest island in the Mediterranean just south of the island of Corsica and north of Tunisia. Sardinia is also an region of Italy and comprises the provinces Cagliari, Nuoro, Oristano, Sassari and South Sardinia. Also the island act as an micro-continent with an subtropical and Mediterranean climate. Summer can be hot and the winters are mild, but snow in the mountains are no exception. The coastal areas are always prevented against snow and four winds always influenced the island. The mistral is an strong cold wind from southern France that blows into the Mediterranean, present in winter and spring. The sirocco is an strong wind from the Sahara and the rain from it is mixed with red desert sand, nicknamed "blood rain". The wind is normal in the seasons of spring and autumn. The libeccio is coming from the west and arises from the Mediterranean Sea and gives problems with extreme storms in the summer. The levant is the wind that build up from the east slowly but grows bigger when its move trough the narrower parts of the Mediterranean. This eastern wind is at is peak in the summer month. So lets an take an look at the flag.

Flag of the Four Moors and that the name of it, white background, red cross and four heads with white headbands. The heads looking in the left direction but once they look to the right and the headbands over there eyes. This still showing on the coat of arms. There are many stories of the origins of this flag but the most accepted one is this story. King Peter I of Aragon was besieging Hueasca in current northern Spain in 1096. The relieving forces of Al-Mustain II of Zaragoza arrived at Alcoraz to battle Peter I but he defeated the Al-Andalus rulers with help of Sardinian forces. For this help he granted them the use of an Saint George's Cross flag with the four heads on it. Flag with an legendary status and some mystery.

Milwaukee - United States / Wisconsin

Milwaukee the largest city of the American state of Wisconsin, the metropolitan area has an population around of 2 million. Due the large influx of German immigrants around 1840's has this city an big brewing tradition. Over the next 60 years the German immigration continues and so Milwaukee became te most German city in the United States. Milwaukee's German heritage is still present to today and they are proud of it. But don't forget the Polish immigrants they came around the same time to Milwaukee and there presence are still there too. For more history i can better dissect the flag, there is an lot on it. So lets take an look at the flag.

The flag has an light blue background. Let starts left with the stalk of barley which symbolize the brewing industry and at the far right the year of incorporation as a city. In the center is an big gear of the industrial history. In the four quadrants we see upper left an Native American to represented the origin of the city, next to it an lamp to symbolize the library of Milwaukee. Down left an flag from the Civil War-era that symbolize the military service and down left the plumes of the factories symbolize the thriving of Milwaukee. An ship is on the waves of Lake Michigan to symbolize it importance as an port city. Next we see the skyline of Milwaukee. At the left we see the now demolished County Stadium to symbolize the love of sport. Next to it the Milwaukee Arena symbolize another entertainment then sports, and conventions. Lets continue to the tall build which is the City Hall to symbolize the government. Finally next to the ship you see the symbols for the Milwaukeean's house, church and school. At last unnecessary letters, also the year is unnecessary. This typical busy designed flag can give an headache to vexillogists. 

Charente - Frankrijk

Charente is an French departement which can found in the larger region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwest of France. Like most French departements its named after an river and its rural. The main agriculture products from this departement is pineau and cognac. Cognac is an town and an variety of brandy, because of appellation d'origine contrôlée it can only called cognac if its from here. Always made from white grapes and after two distillations, two years of aging on wood, blended with different ages that makes cognac. Famous brands are Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin. Officially called Pineau des Charentes or simply pineau is an fortified wine an also appellation d'origine contrôlée, it comes from Charente and neighbouring departement Charente-Maritime. There are variants of white, red and rosé, made of grape juice, lightly fermented grapes and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy). All this is matured on oak wood for around two years, 8 month versions are also available. So lets take an look at the flag.

Actually its an flag-shape of the coat of arms and its an combination of two coat of arms of two old abolished French provinces. The upper half is the province of Orléanais and the current departement Charente was oddly not an part of it. Blue field with three fleur-de-lis which comes from the royal house of Capet, king Phillip VI created the dukedom of Orléanais for his youngest son Phillip. The white thing above the lilies is called an tournament collar, so his son know his plays in the picking order. An tournament collar is the barrier that seperated knights when they charge each other in jousting. The wavy white line represented the Charente river. The botten half is the province of Angoumois and Charente is almost corresponded with those borders of the old province. It is an slanted or oblique looking chessboard in the colors red and yellow. I don't found the meaning but it were the colors of the counts of Angoumois. Noticeable French with an busy coloring. 

Brielle - The Netherlands

Brielle or known in the English speaking world as Brill is the city was in the Dutch history an turning point. The Lowland countries were fed up with the Spanish rule, the Eighty Years  War (1568-1648)broke out. The first succes was when the Protestant rebels known as the Watergeuzen found out that the Spanish the city of Brill was poorly defended. The city is strategically located at Dutch coast in region of Holland, nowaday South Holland. It was an bold move but the action take the Spanish by surprise, they capture more cities and the rebellion against grew bigger. The date of the Capture of Brielle was 1 april 1572 and many think in the Netherlands that April Fool's Day is originated from this event. One thing for sure it was not an joke for the Spanish, when the Dutch rebels got an foothold in Holland. Brielle is an small fortified city and is the seat of the municipality of the same name that also comprise the villages of Vierpolders and Klaaswaal. The place can be found in the southern part of the province South Holland on he former island of Voorne. Another historic fact that Brielle was for an while an English possession from 1585 to 1617. Given to Elisabeth I in exchange for military and financial assistance in the fight against Spain. So lets take an look at the flag.

Three horizontal stripes two white ones and one red, the colors are derived from the noble family Van Voorne which granted city rights to Brielle. The meaning of it is not clear but the coat of arms has more to show. The supporter is an mythical creature named centaur but originally it was an capirussa, with an human head, body of an horse and ears and tail of an dog. People in medieval days thought an capirussa roams the land. But the creature changed from an capirussa to an centaur, maybe that one looks friendlier. Below an motto in Latin which meant "The first fruits of freedom", Brielle is the first liberated city of the Dutch Revolt. No information of that crown but it can derived from the noble family Van Voorne. Many old cities in South Holland and Noord Holland uses an horizontal striped flag, this one is solid. 

Vaals - The Netherlands

Vaals is located in the Dutch province of Limburg in most extreme southeastern part of the Netherlands. Vaals is an village and the seat of the municipality with the same name, with three villages and nine hamlets. The villages are: Vijlen, Lemiers and Holset and the nine hamlets are: Camerig, Cottessen, Harles, Mamelis, Melleschet, Raren, Rott, Wolfhaag. Then is there the fact that the highest point in the Netherlands with an whopping height of 322.4 mt (1,058 ft). Very close to the summit is the tripoint border with Belgium and Germany. In the Dutch its called "Drielandenpunt" and those two facts made the spot an touristic destination, on the Dutch and Belgian side. Another border fact Vaals is one of four Dutch municipalities that borders Belgium and Germany. The other three are: Sittard-Geleen, Echt-Susteren and Gulpen-Wittem. Nowadays Vaals acts as an suburb of the German city Aachen, 26% of the 10 thousand inhabitants are Germans. So lets take an look at the flag.

The flag has an white background and there runs a narrow red lane at the top and bottom. And in the center an red lion with double tail. That lion is the same as from the coat of arms of the German town of Herzogenrath. Vaals was once part of the Herrschaft of Herzogenrath when at the Congress of Vienna they split the small territory. Herzogenrath became part of Prussia and Vaals part of the Netherlands in 1819. They get the lion from the dukes of Limburg when they granted Herzogenrath cityrights in 1282. The small city of Limbourg in Belgium in the province Liège, it was once the capital of the old dukedom of Limburg. This Limburg has nothing to do with the current Belgian and Dutch province of Limburg, when those provinces were formed they needed an strong historical name. But the red lions are on those flags are taken for that old dukedom, thereby the lion represented dukedom Limburg that exist from 1082-1795. The lion is was given away many times, so expect that Limburg lion come by again soon.