Mississippi - United States

Mississippi is an American state named after the river with an length of 3,730 km (2,320 mi) and it's also the western border of the state. In the Native American language of the Ojibwa it means "great river". The state has an slavery past and long time after it's abolishment big segregation and discrimination issues which enden in the 60s when Afro-Americans regained fully voting rights. Mississippi is still one of the conservative states and also the poorest, lowest education level and life expectancy, wages are low. All this problems are reasons for the Afro-Americans looking for an better prosperous life elsewhere in the United Stated. Maybe of those problems is Mississippi is the most religious state of the United States, when people needs hope they tried to find it in religion. Mississippi is the cradle of American music styles like the blues, gospel and rock 'n roll and the earlier mentioned leaving people of the state, the music spread around the country and eventually the world. This mostly flat and rural state has an population of around 2.9 million. So let's take an look at the flag.

This conservative state use an controversial symbol in it's flag, the Confederate Battle Flag in the upper left part. Also there are three horizontal stripes in the colors blue, white and red. Those colors have to do with the Confederate States of America who fight for secession in the Civil War against the United States of America. The flag of the C.S.A. used those colors, so it's an kind of tribute. The Confederate Battle Flag is also an tribute for the fallen from the Civil War. It is not surprising that African-Americans are against this flag and others with an sensible mind. At least there are efforts made to try change this flag over the years but not successful yet. It's something like when put an swastika on the Bavarian flag to remember the fallen in the Second World War. Flags can't hurt but only people who made them can.

Cochabamba - Bolivia

Cochabamba is an city and departement in the South American nation of Bolivia. The place is located close to the center of Bolivia near the Andes and the soil is fertile, cause of this the departement Cochabamba is called the granary of Bolivia. The city of Cochabamba has also an nickname it's called "City of Eternal Spring" because the yearly average temperature is 24.5℃ (76.1°F). The location is just perfect and not like the frigid winds of La Paz or the heat of Santa Cruz. Other thing Cochabamba is known for it's cuisine and it;s Bolivia's gastronomic capital. Try at least the Sillp'ancho a egg-meat-tomato-onion-rice-potato dish and the Sopa de Maní which is a creamy peanut soup. Try also the alcoholic corn-based drink Chicha and i means the commercial one, homemade one can be tricky and dangerously. Or go for the much easier Huari beers which is refreshing too. The departement has an population of around 1.7 million. So let's take an look at the flag.

This is an quick one with only an celestial background and there is some symbolism. The blue stands for desire of freedom when fight for independence against Spain they use this flag. The departments of Oruro and Beni using also an plain colored flag, but that it's for an other moment. In this case the city and departement of Cochabamba use both this flag. To simple this flag, much to simple ans so let's go to the next one.

Xanten - Germany

Xanten is an small city German city with an population of around 21 thousand, located in the state North Rhine-Westphalia next to the river Rhine. Founded by the Romans as Colonia Ulpia Traiana and was the second important place in the Roman province of Germania Inferior. Colonia Agrippinensis was bigger and is nowadays known as Cologne (Köln), Köln is today the fourth city of Germany and Xanten stays small. But in Roman times Xanten thrives and has even an amfitheater but that is all destroyed. To get an impression the Roman days of Xanten are reconstructed at the Archäologischer Park. The archaeological park is one of the most visited attractions in Germany. Also the medieval city center is an visit worthwhile with many sights, many are renovated after World War II. The St. Victor's Cathedral can not be missed, although it's an church an not an cathedral because it was never an seat of an bishop. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has two black horizontal stripes and an wider white one within the center the coat of arms. The colours are derived from the coat of arms. The keys are attributes of St. Peter which is patron of Cologne (Köln). Once Cologne (Köln) was archbishopric which Xanten was once part of, little black cross is also from the Archbishopric of Cologne (Köln). The coat of arms are encircled with 11 bezants which are coins from Constantinopel or Byzantium, in heraldry it's stands for purity. I don't found an real explanation of the usage of the bezants. Solid medieval looking coat of arms and strict looking colors.

São Paulo - Brazil

São Paulo en lets look at the Brazilian state an not the city, mostly. Located in in the southeast of Brazil with the largest population of all Brazilian states around 45.5 million. The capital with it's suburbs is good for 21.5 million and that made it the 9th populous metropolitan area in the world. If the of São Paulo was an country it is richer then it's neighbors of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia combined. The nickname of the state is "locomotive of Brazil" and it's an true economical and industrial powerhouse. Historically the first Portuguese settlement in Brazil is the city São Vincente it was founded in 1532. More inland the village of São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga was founded in 1554 and that will place will grow after 1870 into São Paulo. Also in 1822 the independence of Brazil from Portugal was declared in São Paulo. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has 13 stripes, 7 of them are black and 6 are white. In the upper left corner an red rectangle. The 13 stripes stands for the days and nights that the colonial explorers or Bandeirantes looking for riches after the discovery of Brazil. The red has also to do with the Bandeirantes, the blood they shed. The stars stands for the constellation Southern Cross which used on the national flags of Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. In the rectangle is in blue the outline of Brazil, that stands for strength brought by the Bandeirantes. The white circle stands for the world. The colors represented the races of the Brazilian people. Black represented the Afro-Brazilians, White is obvious for the whites and the red represented the Amerindians. This flag was designed in 1888 to become the Brazilian national flag, but it became the flag of São Paulo instead. Personally i think the flag is an bit ugly, an little redesign can make it better.

Isle of Wight - United Kingdom

Isle of Wight is the largest English island and also the second smallest county. However when it's high tide then Isle of Wight is the smallest behind Rutland. Since the Victorian era it's an vacation destination and the name giver of the era Queen Victoria came here to stay and eventually died here. The place where she and her husband Prince Albert retreat was Osborne House which the couple built in Italian Renaissance style, it's now open for tours. End 60s they held the Isle of Wight Festival for three consecutive years and the music events attracted many fans. The first edition in 1969 draws an modest crowd of 10 thousand, next year the attendance was 150 thousand and the one 1970 an staggering 700 thousand music fans. Then there was an hiatus of 32 years and the festival is now held every year with an modest average attendance of 50 thousand. The island is separated from mainland England by the strait the Solent an busy shipping lane and easiest way to reach the Isle of Wight is by ferry from Southampton or Portsmouth. The island has an population of around 141 thousand. So let's take an look at the flag. 

The background is light blue with an white diamond shape, below wavy stripes of white and blue. The diamond shape represented the Isle of Wight and the indention is the river Medina with an length of 17 km (11 mi). On aerial photo of the island is this image comparable. The wavy stripes symbolize the sea and maritime character of the county. The flag is okay with me, at least there is gladly no text on it. 

Zeewolde - the Netherlands

Zeewolde is an municipality in Flevoland the youngest province of the Netherlands. If we don't include the municipal merger in recent years, Zeewolde the youngest municipality created from scratch in 1984. Flevoland is reclaimed land from the former sea called Zuiderzee, now it's called IJsselmeer an freshwater lake. In 1968  the southern part was reclaimed, in the 70s the first farmers came and early 80s citizens slowly flocked in. Initially the idea was to grow at an population of 5 thousand to keep it an village. It steadily grow to an small town with an population of around 22 thousand. So the history is recent but that is not entirely true because before the Zuiderzee there was land in the early Middle Ages and there was map with an place called Seaewald around the 8th century. Like other places in Flevoland most named after places of that era. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an blue bsckground with three ever-widening stripes in colours green and yellow. The name Zeewolde had the do with the colours. The part "zee" means "sea", the colour of the sea is blue. "Wolde" is old Dutch for forest and the colour for that is green. The yellow comes from the agricultural weekly years grain was the main crop, so that the explanation for yellow. Clever symbolism of an modern looking flag of an young municipality. 

Linköping - Sweden

Linköping is an city with an population around 158 thousand and this make it the 7th city of Sweden. Also it's the capital of Östergötland County which can found in the southern part of Sweden. Beside the Linköping Cathedral the city has an important university since 1975. But it's started as an branch of the Stockholm in 1969 and despite it's young age the learning institution have gained an good reputation. The aerospace company Saab build it's fighter jets and other aerial related things in Linköping and co-owned the local airport. Due that aviation industry the city lacks high buildings beside the cathedral but it's have all the advantage of an big Swedish city. So let's take an look at the flag.

Swedish city user banners of their coat of arms as flags, banners waves too. The animal head is not an bear or an dog-like creature it's an lion. Linköping use an lion head since the 13th century and people didn't have an good idea how an lion looked like. Because there are no lions in Europe in those days, so they guessed it. The then ruling royal house of Bjelbo granted Linköping city rights and that house use an lion as arms. In gratitude the lion is used since then. An medieval interpretation of lion looking kind of silly but has it's charm.