Vosges - France

Vosges is an French departement in the region Grand-Est and it's named after an mountain range. Before Vosges was part of Lorraine and this region merged in 2016 with Alsace and Champagne-Ardenne. Vosges has an population of around 369 thousand and 38% of the area is agricultural, 47% is forested and the rest is for residential, industrial and commercial. The eastern part of the departement is dominated by the Vosges Mountains, the highest summit Grand Ballon with an elevation of 1,424 m (4,672 ft) can be found in the departement. Vosges has the special feature that it lies in the catchment area of three major rivers, namely Rhine, Meuse and Rhône. The tiny village of Domrémy-la-Pucelle is the birthplace of Jeanne d'Arc, an national hero of France. The young peasant girl played a decisive role in the Hundred Years War between England and France, innocent she died at the stake. So let's take an look at the flag.

Typical French departement flag where a lot happens. The upper part represented the duchy of Lorraine where Vosges was historically part of it. An legends tells that the dukes of Lorraine where descendants of Godfroid of Bouillon, he killed three birds with the same arrow at the siege of Jerusalem in 1099. Such he put it on it's arms. The lower part are three fir trees which symbolize the forests and the different colors the seasons. The white triangle symbolize the snowy mountains. Departement flags always kind of busy with old banners mixed with new symbols. This one tells what Vosges was and is now, but still busy.

Pierre - United States / South Dakota

Pierre is the capital of the American state of South Dakota, the second smallest capital of any state. With an population of around 14 thousand it's an small town, it was chosen after voting about it. Three other towns namely Huron, Mitchell and Watertown tried to get votes but Pierre's has an better central location. It became capital in 1889 when the Dakota Territory split in to new states, obviously the other is North Dakota. Pierre was founded 9 years earlier on the east bank of the Missouri river and named after Fort Pierre which can be found on the other side of the river. Fort Pierre was founded in 1832 by St Louis industrial fur trader Pierre Chouteau, Jr, initially his surname was part of the name of the fort but was dropped later. Many geographical names in the United States lacks originality and Pierre is no exception. So let's take look at the flag.

The flag has an white background with the seal of Pierre in the center let's focus on that because the white background has no meaning. The text says "City of Pierre" and it's year of becoming an city in 1883. Continue with the rest, the sun is setting symbolize that Pierre is the gateway to the west, the hills is are also located in the west. The Missouri river in the foreground symbolize that the river was and is an integral part of Pierre’s quality of life. The riverboat and the train symbolize the growing and mechanization of the west. The grain and grass symbolize the agricultural economy of the area. The image is not that busy as other seals like this, an redesign is desirable. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is an province of Pakistan which is located in the northwest of the Asian country. For an long time this province has an English name dated from colonial times which was North-West Frontier Province. The major ethnic people group the Pathans which also live in neighboring Afghanistan, called the province Pakhtunkhwa what means "Land of the Pathans" or Afghania what also means the same. The other people groups has province names which derived it's name for the people group living there, due of fear of annexation or secession by Afghanistan the Pakistan government wasn't eager to change the name. But an compromise was made to put Khyber in front of Pakhtunkhwa, Khyber Pass is an mountain pass to Afghanistan and was part of the Silk Route for centuries. Many empires, kingdoms and nations fight over this pass for millennia, the area is still hostile with the Taliban fighting the Pakistan army. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is mostly mountainous with extreme climate difference, the north has extreme cold winters and the south extreme hot summers. The east suffers of the monsoon rains and the central regions have every weather in an mostly mildly way. Nevertheless Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have breathtaking nature and cultural diversity, but pay attention with it's instability with that Taliban mess. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an dark green background and an white emblem, the colors comes from the Pakistan national flag and such it's also the national colors. The green symbolize de Muslims and the white symbolize the dedication to the Islam. At the top of the emblem there is the crescent moon with star also from the national flag but in mirror image. The crescent stands for progress and the star stands for knowledge and enlightenment. The fort image represented the fortress in Jamrud which is the entrance and defense of the Khyber Pass, behind the fort are the mountains of the Hindu Kush which formed the border. The dove and olive branches stands for the desire and maintaining the peace, it's kind of needed over there. Didn't found an explanation of the text, maybe it's the name of the province and so that is thing for next time. Solid Islamic emblem flag which i expected.

Dublin - Ireland

Dublin the capital of the Republic of Ireland an city with an long history and the current Irish name of the city is Baile Átha Cliath. That means "town of the hurdled ford" but Dublin starts as small Celtic settlement close to to Dublin Castle, the named it Dubhlinn what means "black pool" and in 841 the Vikings came and took over and named the place Dyflin. The Irish tried over the years to kick the Vikings of the Emerald Isle, what eventually succeed for an short time. Next the English came in 1171 took over the place and slowly the entire island and that succeed in the 16th century till after some action most of Ireland get independent in 1922. Dublin has to something of an cultural divider and that's is the river Liffey that split the city. Traditionally the Northside is where the working class to middle class live and work. The Southside is where the middle class to upper class live and work. The postcode system starts with Dublin 1 to Dublin 24, the odd numbers at the north and the evens can be found in the south. Greater Dublin area has an population of around 1,9 million and one thing for sure this city don't bore you at all. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an green background and an blue canton in the upper left. Both colors are considered Irish, the Irish coat of arms and the Standard of the President of Ireland use an blue background with an golden harp. For an long time an green flag with the harp was use as the unofficial Irish flag in the 17th and 18th century. The flag of the Irish province is also almost the same as the unofficial flag but the green is sightlier darker. In the end the golden harp represented Ireland and Leinster. The blue canton contains three burning castles and its taken from the coat of arms of Dublin. There are three theories about the meaning. 

1: The castles are watch towers outside the city walls.

2: The castle is Dublin Castle and is repeated three times because of the mystical significance of the number three.

3: The castles are not castles at all, but represent 3 gates into the ancient Viking city of Dyflin.

But it's also symbolize the zeal of the people of Dublin to defend the city. So we got an merger of an unofficial national flag, official province flag with city arms which feel's kind of cheap. Those burning castle is enough.

Ehime - Japan

Ehime is an Japanese prefecture on the island of Shikoku, smallest of the four big islands of Japan. Located in the northwest of Shikoku and faces the Seto Inland Sea and borders the three other prefectures of Shikoku, namely Kagawa, Tokushima and Kōchi. Ehime has an population of around 1.3 million and it's capital is Matsuyama. Fishing is for centuries important in the prefecture and the agriculture of citrus fruits is Ehime known for. Around the capital Matsuyama shipbuilding, chemical industry, oil refinery and paper and textile production are present. In Matsuyama has the oldest Japanese hot spring named Dōgo Onsen, this bathhouse is more than 1200 years in use and very populair. Even the imperial family has it's own bathroom with the name Yushiden and the emperor use exclusively the bathroom Gyokuza no Ma. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has three horizontal stripes two yellow ones and one wider green with an flower image off-center. The yellow stands for happiness, the green stands for peace, the white stands for purity. Finally the flower stands for quality and it grown on the citrus trees of Ehima. Solid Japanese prefecture flags as many others, keep it and don't change it.

Wavre - Belgium

Wavre or in Dutch called Waver is the capital of Wallon Brabant, an French speaking Belgian province. It's an city and also an municipality which comprises the towns of Bierges and Limal. Side note the name of one of Belgium's biggest amusement parks Walibi is an acronym of the first two letters of the three towns of the municipality. And also the park mascotte is an orange wallaby, an small species of kangaroo. With an small population of around 34 thousand is the capital when they split Brabant for linguistic reasons since 1995. The Napoleonic wars ended here at the Battle of Wavre, it was fought on 18-19 June 1815. On 18 June the more famous Battle of Waterloo was in progress, when an French army under Marshal Grouchy who was order to pursuit the retreating Prussian army. Only the 17 thousand Prussians managed to block the 33 thousand French soldiers long enough to help Napoleon. The Battle of Waterloo was already finished when an day later Marshal Grouchy at last won, but it was eventually to late. Of course there are "what if" theories when those French soldiers came earlier to Waterloo but it's an end of an ere and an start of an new one. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an white background with three green images of an water lily. The water lilies represented the towns of Wavre, Limal and Bierges and the area around Wavre was once swampy. Also the area was an possession of the medieval noble family of Saint-Géry from Brussels who owned an island there in an swampy area and used an water lily too for their personal arms. Old descent symbols on an flag, kind of solid.
 

Zandvoort - the Netherlands

Zandvoort is an Dutch municipality and town which located in the southern parts of the province North Holland, also it's comprise an part of the village of Bentveld the other part belongs to Bloemendaal. Historically fishing was an main industry but since 1828 it became an beach town. Especially after 1881 when the trainstation opened and once a week an train from Basel, Switzerland arrived with notable persons such empress Elisabeth of Austria. Also it was connected with nearby Haarlem by tram in 1899, which the common people could also enjoy the beach. During World War II it's was forbidden to enter the beach and many coastal buildings where demolished for the Atlantik Wall. After the war slowly tourism recovered and in 1948 the Circuit Zandvoort opened and for decades until 1985 the Formula 1 races were held here, and it's back on the roster. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has two horizontal stripes yellow and blue and it's derived from the coat of arms. So let's check that out. The arms have an blue background with three golden herrings. Only the herrings Tare not placed side by side or below each other, but placed together by each other. The fish symbolize two things and first fishery, what once was an important industry. Second it has to do with Jesus Christ because the fish formed an Byzantine Christ monogram. It's symbolize the Greek letters Chi (I) and Rho (X) which are the first letters of Jesus Christ in fish form. Simple and solid Dutch municipality flag, always safe.