Westland - the Netherlands

Westland is an Dutch municipality in the province of South Holland just south of The Hague. It came in 2004 in existence after an merger of 5 other municipalities. Which are De Lier, 's-Gravenzande with the hamlet Heenweg, Monster with the villages of Ter Heijde en Poeldijk, Wateringen with the village of Kwintsheul and Naaldwijk with the villages of Maasdijk and Honselersdijk. The named it after the region Westland where all those places are in, however the towns of Schipluiden en Maasland also part of the region Westland but part of another municipality. Close to the municipality are the important cities like The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam with it's enormous port, the western border is the North Sea with it's dunes and beaches. Don't expect and beach towns with boulevards, but it is accessible for some sunbathing and such. But the main economy is horticultural companies in the presence of greenhouses, which gives so much light that the night is lighten up. Want some nature go to the earlier mentioned dunes because Westland is rather filled with buildings. With all those towns and villages this municipality has an population of around 108 thousand. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an white background with green and white wavy lines and an emerging red lion. It's an stretched out coat of arms and let check that one. The lion has to do with Holland and it's relations with the medieval counts of Holland. The lion is originated from the coat of arms of Naaldwijk en 's-Gravenzande. The colors red and white are from De Lier and Naaldwijk, Monster and Wateringen only with white. Monster is represented with the pearl crown only with the coat of arms not on the flag. The green wavy lines stands for the fertile lands behind the dunes. The wavy white line stands for the greenhouses. The 5 points of the white wavy line represented the 5 former municipalities. The flag looks good to try that every municipality has an part on the flag.

Leningrad - Russia

Leningrad is still exist but in an form of an subdivision namely an Russian oblast. The oblast has retained its old name after a referendum in 1991, unlike the city that changed it back to Saint Petersburg formerly called Leningrad. Saint Petersburg is an subdivision of itself as an federal city and so no part of Leningrad oblast but act as it's capitall, but since 1931 the city and oblast are separated. The part of Leningrad oblast that bordered Saint Petersburg is heavily industrialized with oil refineries, car assemble plants, paper mills and an oil platform factory. Agriculture can be found in the most eastern parts and the southwest, mainly cattle breeding for milk and meat. Let's be honest everyone goes for majestic Saint Petersburg. The oblast has an population of around 1.7 million. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an white background with two wavy stripes in the colors blue and red, with an coat of arms. The waves is an reflection of it's social historic past and it's legal status in the Russian Federation. The coat of arms shows an key, anchor and an wall. The key is from Saint Peter, the patron saint of the city of Saint Petersburg. The anchor is symbolize the port of Saint Petersburg. The light blue background symbolize the acces to the sea. The battlements symbolize that Leningrad defend it self against invaders. The flag looks solid to me but they should change the name of the oblast to something better.

Greater Accra Region - Ghana

Greater Accra Region is wat it's name said the area around the city Accra, the capital of Ghana. This region is the smallest of the 16 region's and it's the the most urbanized region with an population of around 4 million. Before 1982 the Greater Accra Region was part of the Eastern Region what is now north of it and much bigger. The main ethnic people group is the Ga who live in and around the city of Accra, the original name of the capital is Ga-Mashie. In the month of May they held the Homowo festival starting with planting of crops before the raining season starts, during the festival they perform a dance called Kpanlogo. All have to do with an famine predates precolonial Ghana when the rain season didn't start. The crop that planted is maize and during grown noise making is prohibited since it believed that it hinder the crop. Finally the meal will be eaten with Palm Nut Soup and it is also sprinkled within the town, the sprinkling will be handled by traditional leaders and family heads. Marching down roads and streets beating drums, chanting, face painting, singing, traditional dances are part of the celebration. Usually on this day there is lot of traffic and roads are block. Many other ethnic groups are welcomed join in the celebration and the will. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an yellow background with in the canton three vertical stripes in the colors green, white and black. By the way Eastern Region has almost the same flag but the canton are the stripes horizontal. The meaning of this flag is simple, there isn't. It's an modern interpretation of flags of the Asafo. These where an company of warriors which role was defense of the state and served the colonial powers of those days, like the Dutch and British. Ghana's name of those days was Gold Coast, maybe the use of yellow in the current flag has something to do with gold. This flag look silly to us and not to them but below one of many true Asafo flag.

Basilicata - Italy

Basilicata is an Italian region in the south of the country and Italy's best keep secret. The area is mostly mountainous and some towns and village are built on the tops of the hills. Basilicata has an population of around 575 thousand and the people living there are called Lucanians, the old name of the region is Lucania. The name Basilicata is probably derives from the Greek word "basilikos" what means "from the king", in the case the emperor of the Byzantine empire who owned this are from 536/552 to 571/590 and an final period from 879/1059. The region has two provinces, Matera is the eastern one with an coastline at the Ionian Sea and Potenza is the western one with an small coastline at the Tyrrhenian Sea. The main economy is mainly agriculture and 46% is the cultivation of wheat, but on the more mountainous terrain is good for potatoes and maize. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has an blue background with the coat of arms of Basilicata. I don't have any idea what is the meaning of it. The 4 blue waves of the coat of arms stands for 4 rivers that are flows trough the region. Namely the Bradano, Basento, Agri and Sinni all of them have their sources in the west and emptying somewhere east. The flag is simple and maybe an bit to simple. 

Tierra del Fuego - Argentina

Tierra del Fuego is the most southern province of Argentina but it's official name is quite longer namely Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands. The only part of this name is govern by Argentina is Tierra del Fuego and some nearby small islands. The Argentinians divided the province in 5 departments and in that case only the 3 are on Tierra del Fuego, namely Ushuaia, Tolhuin and Rio Grande. Argentine Antarctica is one of those many claims of pizza slice shaped part of Antarctica, but all claims are suspended by the Treaty of Antarctica. Fun fact the first human ever born in Antarctica is an Argentinian, born at Esperanza Base in 1978. The last department is an controversial and disputed one, Islas del Atlántico Sur or better known the archipelagos of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. These island groups are govern by the British and Argentina claimed as it own due historical reasons, but that is an story for later. The island Tierra del Fuego itself is shared with Chili who owns the southern part. The British where also interested in Tierra del Fuego and founded the current city of Ushaia in 1869. but Argentina was more serious and become more active in 1880. It's an rocky cold and windy area with good grasslands which is good for sheep, also tourism is booming on the island and cruises to Antarctica. Tierra del Fuego has an population of around 127 thousand and 469 of them live in the disputed Argentinian part of Antarctica. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag is diagonal divided by an white bird shape, the left is orange and the right is blue with stars. The stars form the constellation Southern Cross to symbolize the location and the early explorers. The blue symbolize the sea and sky, also it's connection with Argentina which flag use that blue too. The orange stands for the geography of Tierra del Fuego and it's also the color of fire, Tierra del Fuego means "Land of Fire". Finally the bird is an albatros which is endemic to the area and symbolize freedom. This flag is modern and pretty nice.

Bihać - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bihać is an city in the most northwestern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the canton of Una-Sana which it is also the capital. Influenced by many cultures over the centuries but most of the times by the Ottoman Empire, which Bihać was the most western city of the empire. The area has an rich fertile soil and the location is very strategic, still today it's from Zagreb the capital of Croatia the shortest route to the Dalmatian coast through here. Bihać has an population of around 56 thousand and 88% are Bosniaks, 6% are Croats, 2% are Serbs. The rest are from other former Yugoslavian countries and the Roma people. By the long Ottoman domination most of all Bosniaks became Muslims and that can been seen in the to mosques converted churches. The Fethija mosque is an good example is the only gothic mosque in Europe and the oldest gothic building in the entire country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the Bosnian War in the 90s the city and region recovering to become an place to visit again, the river Una is an great place to raft, kayak and other wild water things to do. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has three horizontal stripes which the middle one is wider, the colors are blue, white and teal (blue green). The colors are derived from the coat of arms of Bihać, so continue with that. The blue on the bottom is the river Una and the wavy teal band is the island where Bihać is built up. The white fort of Bihać is not more exist anymore is in the center of the arms, the meaning is not known but i think it has to do with the strategic location where many war fought over. Upper left there is an white rosette symbolize tolerance in the changing cultures trough history, Upper right there is an yellow symbolize modern heritage and orientation of the town. An okay looking flag, bonus points of the use of teal.

Newark - United States / New Jersey

Newark is the most populous city of New Jersey with an population of around 282 thousand. The city is due it's proximity part of the New York City agglomeration and that combination has an population of more than 10 million. Newark is founded in 1663 and is the third oldest city of the United States. New York City is world famous in everything and much more expensive, made Newark an cheaper option to stay and New York City is easy to reach with public transport. Newark has also a lot to offer as museums, restaurants and nightlife, so when you tired of the Big Apple maybe Newark is an option. Newark has an professional sports team, the hockey club New Jersey Devils winners of 3 Stanley cups. Despite it's name the soccer team New York Red Bulls play their games in Newark. Not in Newark but close inn East Rutherford the American football teams New York Giants and New York Jets play their games. Lot of New York state in New Jersey state an good and cheaper alternative in this part of the United States. So let's take an look at the flag.

An typical American flag with an seal on it and with an lot of letters, the big no for vexillologists. The blue border is the colour of New Jersey, the so called "Jersey Blue" an darker tone of blue. The female figures are on the left side is Liberty and the sitting one on the right is Justice. All their symbols are there the rod with a cap of liberty, olive branch and the faces. Justice has her sword and scale. At the feet of Liberty is the cornucopia filled with fruit and vegetables. Liberty and Justice are an altered version from the coat of arms of the state of New Jersey. Between the female figures is an shield with on top an arm with a hammer, which symbolize Newark's industrial heritage. The shield shows three plows from the coat of arms of the state of New Jersey, which stands for agriculture with the cornucopia. The nickname of New Jersey is the "Garden State". The banner shows the city  and state, and the year when Newark get's incorporated as city. This flag needs an modern and clever makeover, but it showed that it's part of New Jersey.