Community of Madrid - Spain

Community of Madrid is an autonomous region where the Spanish capital is part of it. With an population of around 6,6 million but 6,5 million but Madrid and it's suburbs are good for 6,2 million and the rest is spread out in the region. The region is located in the center of Spain and has triangle shape. Despite that the city of Madrid is large and populated the rest of the region is surprisingly unspoiled, there are mountains rising 2000 m (6561.6 ft) with dense forest. Also there is an large vulture colony in the region and the endangered Iberian imperial eagle can be found too. So we have an bustling metropolis what turns into a serene peaceful surrounding when traveling out of the city of Madrid. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an red background with 7 white stars. The red comes from Castile where the Community of Madrid is historically part of it. The stars has to do with the city of Madrid because in the coat of arms in that city comprise an bear and there is the constellation Ursa Major also known as Great Bear. This group of stars in the night sky is to called too Big Dipper and there we get, it's comprise out of 7 stars. Also the stars represented the 7 administrative units of the province of Madrid, beside it's an region it is also an province. The units are Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, Torrelaguna, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, El Escorial, Getafe en Chinchón. Solid flag that needs some explanation.

 

O'Higgins Region - Chile

O'Higgins Region is an Chilean region but officially the name is longer namely, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins. Named after one of the founding fathers of Chile, the first head of state after independence and made the flag of Chile official. As leader of Chile from 1817 to 1823 he was successful until he make some mistakes and coups are in South-America of those days quite normal, they exiled Bernardo O'Higgins to Peru. Nevertheless he is honored in Chile with many things, in this case an region, Chilean navy named ships after him, an professional football(soccer)club, several place names. O'Higgins Region can be found somewhere in central Chile, within the east the Andes and Argentinian border and on the west the Pacific Ocean. It has an population of around 900 thousand and 240 thousand live in the capital Rancagua, where we find that football(soccer)club O'Higgins F.C. The region is mainly rural with a lot of apple and pear orchards, also copper mining is still going on. There are 3 provinces in O'Higgins Region namely, Cachapoal Province, Colchagua Province and Cardenal Caro. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an white background with the name of the region in Spanish on the flag, the big no of vexillologists. In the center is the coat of arms and the meaning is not clear. The red stands for the Andes, green for agriculture and yellow for copper. The spur can stand for Bernardo O'Higgins because he was an military officer in the independence war against Spain. Don't get information of the pink, star and sun yet. Drop everything and use only vertical or horizontal stripes with the colors of the coat of arms.

Heuvelland - Belgium

Heuvelland is municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders comprise of 8 villages. If you think that Flanders is flat comes out cheated when translated Heuvelland to English, it means literally "hill country". There are 6 hills in the municipality which are used in cycling events and cycling tourism, the highest has an elevation of 156 m (512 ft). Heuvelland is part of the West-Flemish Hills, there are other hills in surrounding municipalities and across the border with France. Once the area was forested but centuries of agriculture and the bloodshed of World War I leaving only the hilltops are covered with trees, but they try to reforestation the area slowly. The municipality is thinly populated with an population of around 7800. The names of the villages are Dranouter, Kemmel, Loker, Nieuwkerke, Westouter, Wijtschate, Wulvergem en De Klijte, the town hall can be found in the village of Kemmel. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has three horizontal colors black, yellow and green, with an yellow star in the green stripe. The black and yellow represented the traditional colors of Flanders. The green the rural environment of the municipality. The points of the stars representing the 8 villages. Solid design this flag from an hilly Flemish municipality.

Baku - Azerbaijan

Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan the most important port at the Caspian Sea. It is a scientific, cultural and industrial center in the Caucasus and still developing. the location of Baku has made it an important place for millennia with ups and downs, now they are clearly in the up. Times of independence are experienced but also years of be conquered by the Persians, the Ottomans and Russians. Also for centuries is the oil industry known since the 10th century but boomed after the 1870s and around World War II it was the biggest supplier of the black stuff. The city has three major phases of building styles, Caucasian Medieval, Soviet-era and the period after independence. The greater Baku area has an population of around 4,6 million. Keep an eye on Baku's development. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an blue background which comes from the coat of arms and it's centered on flag also, so continue with that. The arms consist of three flames and an wavy pattern below. The blue waves symbolize the Caspian Sea and the black wave symbolize the oil industry. The three flames or torches are characterizing natural fires. The flag can use in mine opinion for an petroleum company.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands - France

French Southern and Antarctic Lands or in French Terres australes et antarctiques françaises are mostly an group of mostly uninhabited islands and an slice of Antarctica which claim is not recognize due the Antarctic treaty. The islands can be found in the southern part of the Indian Ocean and some around the island of Madagascar. From now i use the acronym TAAF for this French overseas territory. It's consist of 5 districts.
1: Kerguelen Islands are approximately equidistant between Africa, Australia and Antarctica in the southern Indian Ocean. It's also known as the Desolation Islands because it's one of the most isolated places in the world. The islands are the summits of an sunken mini-continent and they found petrified forest there of more than 90 million years old. (45 inhabitants)
2: St. Paul and Amsterdam can be found north of the Kerguelen Islands, two volcanic islands. St. Paul is an heaven for birds and there is no permanent population but there is an research cabin. Amsterdam have an village named Martin-de-Viviès with no permanent inhabitants, only researchers and scientist are active here. (20 inhabitants)
3: Crozet Islands can be found in between Madagascar and Antarctica, it's an sub-antarctic archipelago. The archipelago is of volcanic origin and formed by an hot-spot, it's has continued forming islands to the west over 9 million years. Also no permanent inhabitants so there are only researchers and scientist. (15 inhabitants).
4: Scattered Islands or in French Îles Éparses can be found around Madagascar and are five islands. Used as meteorological stations to predict cyclones and also used as nature reserves. Mauritius, the Comoros and Madagascar are in dispute over the sovereignty because it's close to them. (inhabitants 56).
5: Adélie Land is the slice of the Antarctic pie and an non-recognize claim, like the one's from Argentina, Chile, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Norway. Jules Dumont d'Urville discovered the area and named it after his wife, also the researchstation is named after Jules. (inhabitants 80).
TAAF covers an lot of area mostly ocean and snow with no permanent population. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has in the upper left the French tri-colour because it's part of France. It's has an blue background with white stars and interlaced letters. The stars are represented the 5 districts of the TAAF. The letters are the TAAF acronym and for one time the complete name in French Terres australes et antarctiques françaises. The blue has no meaning but you can see it as the ocean. Looks like an military flag to me in an French way.

Oost Gelre - the Netherlands

Oost Gelre is an municipality which located in the Achterhoek, an region in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It's comprises of the city of Groenlo, the town of Lichtenvoorde and the parishes of Harreveld, Lievelde, Mariënvelde, Vragender, Zieuwent and finally two hamlets Zwolle and Eefsele. The municipality have an population of around 30 thousand. Groenlo may have the city hall but the council will gather in Lichtenvoorde. Before 2005 Groenlo and Lichtenvoorde where own municipalities until the merger happened. The name Oost Gelre can be translated as "East Gelderland", Gelre is the old spelling Gelderland. The area is an excellent place for holiday, for relaxation, cycling, walking and history. So let's take an look at the flag. 

The flag has an purple background with lot of logo's on it which forms an butterfly figure logo, this is an modern logo flag. Let's try sum up the logo's and it can be hard to identify them all, to be honest i copy paste it from other site. 

Ball (sports, games, clubs) 

Flowers (flower parade, creativity, strong bonds) 

Farmhouse (country life)

Tree (green, nature, shelter) 

English sconce (historical richness) 

Cyclist (recreation and recreatieve facilities)

Corn & grass (barley/beer history, growth, harvest)Industry (employment, favorable climate) Canon (Groenlo)

Four-leaved clover (luck, prosperity)

Clinking wine-glasses (Burgundian lifestyle, cosiness)

Cow (agrarian landscape) - Ring of people (co-operation, societies)

Cross (religion, parishes)

Lion on rock (Lichtenvoorde)

Dragon-fly (wealth of natural regions)

Midwinterhorn (music, societies, cultural history)

Three-cornered hat (carnival, creativity, strong connections)

The butterfly itself stands for for the development that the old municipalities of Lichtenvoorde and Groenlo have experienced. Also it's stands for beauty, friendliness, independence and nature. The color purple and the have also an red version flag and those colors stand for Burgundian living environment, but is also surprising, active, friendly and clear. In the end a lot is going on with this flag, normally i would say it's too busy but this one works on an modern manner. And it's also an puzzle.

Blanes - Spain

Blanes is an seaside resort and municipality in the Spanish province of Girona, which is located in the autonomous community of Catalonia. It's nicknamed the "Gateway to the Costa Brava" if you come from south, Blanes is bordered next to the Costa del Maresme one of the lesser known Costa's. Blanes have an population around 38 thousand and in the summer months sunbathers from Northern European comes for an holiday. Tired of beaches and such the town has two botanical gardens to visit. The first one named Marimurtra has more than 4000 plant species and is very colorful. The second one Pinya de Rosa has over 7000 plant species with big collection of cacti and aloe plants, many of those plants are one of the best in the world. If your journey is planned in the third or fourth week of July, can enjoy an fireworks competition which last for 5 days. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an red background with an white cross and it's has to do with an Frankish conquest. Around the year 800 Charlemagne conquered Catalonia from the Moors and for the effort he gave the Blanes to one of his vassals, the count of Savoy in all likelihood. But the flag of Savoy has been there since the Crusades that was couple centuries later than the conquest of Catalonia. Some historical freedoms have been taken with the choice of the flag in 1993. No meaning for the flag i have found but i think it has to do recognize which army group is who on the battlefield in the days of the Crusades. Semi-historical flag to represented an Savoy past, kind a work here an bit.