Brussels - Belgium

Brussels is one of the 19 municipalities of

Brussels-Capital Region and act also aad the capital of Belgium. Brussels called in Dutch Brussel and in French Bruxelles and Luke the rest of the region is this an bilingual municipality. The historic centre with the famous Grand Placé  the tiny peeing statue of Manneken Pis and other monumental buildings and sights. Brussels-Capital Region has an population of around 1.2 million but the actual City of Brussels has much smaller population of around 179 thousand. The Royal Palace can be found in the municipality of Brussels and the Belgian parliament and don't forget all those European Union buildings. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag had two vertical bands in the colours red and green with an yellow image in the centre, those colours are derived from the cot coat of arms. The image is an stylized version of Saint Michael the Archangel and can found through the City of Brussels. Saint Michael has defeated Satan with it's spear, usually he defeated an dragon. But the use of Satan has to do with the cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. Saint Michael is patron saint of Brussels and to attracted people in medieval times to your city relics are needed and of the Archangel are none relics available. But Saint Gudula who defied Satan and her relics taken to Brussels to solve that problem and combined the two saints, that attracted people to the city. That image of the flag can do better to make it great.  

Pyrénées-Orientales - France

Pyrénées-Orientales is an French department in the region of Occitanie in the southwest of France. Once this was part of Catalonia but after the war of 1635-1659 war with France the part north of the Pyrenees went to France. Still there is an minority that speak Catalan and the area is still known as Northern Catalonia. Like most of the French departments it's named after an natural feature like an rivet and in this case an mountainrange, the Pyrenees and with Orientales they mean it's located in the eastern part of it. Pyrénées-Orientales have an population of around 474 thousand and the capital or prefecture is Perpignan, city with an Mediterranean and ofcourse an Catalan feel. Pyrénées-Orientales obviously borders Spain in the south but also surrounding in Spanish enclave named Llivia, just separated 1.6 km (1.0 mile) from Spain. And so we have an French department where Catalonia meets France.  So let's take an look at the flag. 

With the 6 yellow and 5 red stripes make this is the Catalan flag named Senyera and Catalonia user it to. The Senyera means in the Catalan language flag and is usually the term refers to the Catalan flag or its pattern. But it's originated from the Kingdom of Aragon and the current region if attain use an singular flag. But other places with Catalan relations use an singular flag, like Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Andorra and the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Dozens of municipalities belonging to these territories base their local flags on the Senyera as well. This is one of the oldest flags in Europe and it's originated from many legends and this one of them. Charles le Chauve, Emperor Charlemagne's grandson visited his vmvassal, Guiffré el Pilos in English Geoffrey the Hairy (born in Ria in 852), at death's door in his tent. Near the litter was a plain golden shield. Charles le Chauve dipped his fingers in the dying' wound and designed four bars of blood, giving therefore a coat of arms to the house of Aragon. Ancient historical flags always work, many other flag of this distinct can follow. 

North Holland - The Netherlands

North Holland is an province with contains the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. The actual capital of the province is the city of Haarlem. The province have an population of around 2,7 million and most of them live in the south, obviously in and around Amsterdam, Haarlem, Zaanstad and Hilversum. How northern you go how sparser it gets and mostly north of Alkmaar and Purmerend. In the northern tip is Den Helder with the largest Dutch naval base for the rest is it domain of cows who produced a lot of milk to made great Dutch cheese of it. Also with an ferry from Den Helder the island of Texel can be visited for an holiday. Big portion of North Holland was once water and in Dutch fashion major land reclamations were made. The largest and final land reclamation was the Haarlemmermeer on the part were many ships and boat sunk they build the national airport of Schiphol. The typical thoughts about the Dutch that wear wooden shoes and live in mills also originated from this part of the Netherlands, especially in the village of Volendam also good for an visit. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag is an horizontal tri-color with the colors yellow, red and blue. The colors are from the coat of arms. Yellow and red are from the medieval county of Holland, the province use the same colors and use until 1986 the same flag minus blue which was red. Blue and yellow are from the region West Friesland. Because Holland is important than West Friesland red came first for blue. West Friesland is an region north of Alkmaar and borders the IJsselmeer. Solid and simple Dutch province flag.

Montgomery County - United States / Maryland

Montgomery County can be found in the state of Maryland, adjacent to Washington D.C. the capital of the United States. Due it's proximity this is the most populous county of Maryland, there live around 1 million people. The county is named after Major General Richard Montgomery who had served the American Revolutionary War for independence. He tried to invade Quebec but died in Quebec City and never set foot in the county that will be named after him. The county seat is the city of Rockville and other cities are Gaithersburg and Takoma Park, also towns namely Barnesville, Brookeville, Chevy Chase, Garrett Park, Glen Echo, Kensington, Laytonsville, Poolesville, Somerset and Washington Grove. Many U.S. institutions have there base in those places and some companies too. Brookeville is mention worth it was the U.S. capital for an day on August 26, 1814 when the British take over Washington D.C., when president James Madison fled to this town and stay when the British move on. So let's take an look at the flag.

Like the state flag of Maryland and like some counties and cities, it's looking European medieval-like. The flag is an stretched out version of the coat of arms and it's from the family of Richard Montgomery. The fleur-de-lis in two quarters of the flag comes from the arms of the Montgomery family and other quarters with the rings are from the family Eglinton. In 1368 Sir John Montgomery married Elizabeth of the Eglinton family.Their descendants combined the Montgomery fleurs-de-lis with the Eglinton rings in one quartered shield. The indented line which separates the upper and lower quarters of the flag represent the borders of local government. The colors of red and blue are identical to those on the American flag and the color yellow is identical of that color on the Maryland state flag. This flag could work in Europe and so why not in America, it's okay with me.

Dunkirk - France

Dunkirk an French city with an population of around 89 thousand, it's located in the French departement Nord. This is the most northwestern city of Metropolitan France. The city has an  population of around of 89 thousand.  In French it's called Dunkerque but the city has an Dutch speaking origin and in Dutch it's called Duinkerke. But in those three languages you can make out it means "church in the dunes". The place is if Flemish origin and they proud of it,  but French is the spoken language. In the Eighty Years War Dunkirk was base of notorious pirates who terrorized in the English Channel. Eventually the city came in hands of the English who sold it later to the French. But the pirates came back for a while,  but Dunkirk grow to an big important port slowly. In World War I the city expended bombardments of the Germans that destroys buildings and killed citizens. In World War Ii the city was the place of the famous British retreat with every floating thing after the Nazi Germany invasion of France. After the war the city and port were rebuilt and now the port is the third largest of France. Nowadays Dunkirk had an Flemish feel with nice beaches to visits. So let's take an look at the flag. 

The flag have three white and three blue horizontal stripes, and it is one of the oldest city flags of France. In that matter the meaning of the colours lost in time. But use of this colours in alternative Dunkirk was always present. So they used an white flag with an blue cross in the pirate days under Louis XVIII. Until 1817 there was an flag with 2 stripes lesser. Actually I like this flag,  simple and historical with an lost meaning. 

Plovdiv - Bulgaria

Plovdiv the second city of Bulgaria is one of the oldest continuously places in Europe dated 6000 BC. Stone Age people settled in a plain at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains and on the Maritsa river. Around 4000 BC Thracians founded an city and named it Eumolpia, this city was older than Athens or Rome. Phillip II the father of Alexander the Great conquered in 340 BC and named it after itself, namely Philippopel. The Thracians eventually get the city back and renamed it again and this time Pulpudeva. Next are the Romans and the renaming continues, now it is Trimontium and also made it the capital of the province of Thrace, although Philippopel remained populair. Around the 6th AD century the Bulgarians arrive and renamed it again to Puldin, until the Ottomans take over and yes another renaming to Filibe. Only in the 15th century did the name Plovdiv appear and in the 19th century they were finished with centuries of Turkish rule. Bulgaria became independent in 1878, but Plovdiv and the surrounding area only joined the Balkan country in 1885 until today. Plovdiv has around 670 thousand inhabitants with all that history it will be visit worth. So let's take an look at the flag.

The flag has blue, white, blue vertical bands with an motto and coat of arms in the center. Don't find any information of the colors but can have something to do with the sky, snow on the mountains and the river. The mural crown showed that Plovdiv is an city in the republic of Bulgaria. The 7 hills where Plovdiv build on and the blue waves are represented the Maritsa river. The lions are an riddle to me, so that is for something later or let me know in the comments. The motto is Bulgarian for "old and eternal" which is completely true. Drop the motto and the flag looks Guatemalan. So turn the blue to green or yellow and it suits more.

South Sinai - Egypt

South Sinai is an Egyptian governorate and it's name tells you where it is located, the southern part of the Sinai peninsula. Off all governorates it's the one with the least population, around 104 thousand people live there. For who is into religion can go to Mount Sinai 2,285 meter (7,497 ft) that also known as Mountain of Moses and according to the Abrahamic religions he received the Ten Commandments. Nearby there is the Saint Catherine's Monastery is Greek-Orthodox and one of the oldest operating monasteries in the world since the year AD 565. The present library is the oldest continuously operating library in the world. In the capital of South SInai, El Tor there is also an old Raithu monastery of Byzantine origin and was opened in the 6th century. But most people go to Sharm El Sheikh for an sunny holiday at the Red Sea, many international conferences and diplomatic meetings also attended there. Before 1967 there where only few fishers active here but when Israel occupied the region they start developing the area for tourism, which in 1982 Egypt continued after getting the Sinai back. So we get an holiday resort with good water sports and scuba diving things to do. 

The flag has an white background with emblem in the center, so continue with that. The sun with it's red and yellow rays symbolize the sunshine. Also looking well you see the shape of the Sinai peninsula with some parts of Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia. The blue are the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. The olive branches symbolizing peace what is very handy in this region. On top is the of governorate in Arabic and English. Drop the letters and this flag will work.