Flag of the United Nations: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Flag of the United Nations}}

| Name = United Nations

| Alt = Sky blue flag banner with white United Nations emblem

| Proportion = 2:3 or 3:5{{efn|Or using the same proportions of the national flag of whatever country it is being flown in, with the emblem being centred and one half of the hoist.}}

| Design = Sky blue banner with an all-white UN emblem ([[azimuthal equidistant projection]] surrounded by two [[Olive branch|olive branches]]) in the centre.

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Use Oxford spelling|date=November 2010}}

The '''flag of the United Nations''' is a sky blue banner containing the [[United Nations]]' emblem in the centre. The emblem on the flag is coloured white; it is a depiction of the world map in the [[azimuthal equidistant projection]] (centred on the [[North Pole]]), which is surrounded by a pair of [[olive branch]]es. The emblem was officially adopted on 7 December 1946, and the flag containing the emblem was officially adopted on 20 October 1947.<ref name=res/>

The size of the emblem on the flag is one half the width of the flag itself. The flag proportions of the [[aspect ratio]] of the flag height to its width, are equal 2:3, 3:5 or to the same proportions as the national flag of any country in which the UN flag is flown.<ref name=airforce57/> White and blue are the official colours of the [[United Nations]]. The light blue background colour code is Pantone Matching System 2925. It approximates [[sky blue]].<ref>[https://undocs.org/ST/SGB/2020/4, United Nations Flag Code, 20 November 2020]</ref>

[[File:Flag of the United Nations (1945-1947).svg|thumb|{{FIAV|historical}} The first version of the UN flag, April 1945]]

[[File:Four Freedoms Flag or United Nations Honour Flag ca 1943-1948.svg|thumb|{{FIAV|historical}} The "[[United Nations Honour Flag]]", used as a symbol of the wartime allies, {{circa}} 1943–1948]]

McLaughlin had previously worked as chief of graphics for the [[Office of Strategic Services]] that preceded the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. The [[azimuthal equidistant projection]] used in his design was heavily influenced by the maps created during [[World War II]] by [[Richard Edes Harrison]], a popular cartographer working for [[Fortune (magazine)|''Fortune'']] and [[Life (magazine)|''Life.'']]''<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=How to hide an empire: geography, territory, and power in the greater united states.|last=Immerwahr|first=Daniel|publisher=The Bodley Head ltd.|year=2019|isbn=978-1847923998|chapter=13. Kilroy was here|oclc=1038055837}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Capdepuy|first=Vincent|date=2015|title= The Entry of the United States into the "Global Age": A geohistorical moment? |journal=Monde(s) |volume=8|issue=2|pages=177|doi=10.3917/mond1.152.0177 |doi-access=free |issn=2261-6268 |via=Cairn International Edition |url=https://www.cairn-int.info/article.php?ID_ARTICLE=E_MOND1_152_0177 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221214535/https://www.cairn-int.info/article.php?ID_ARTICLE=E_MOND1_152_0177 |archive-date= Dec 21, 2023 }}</ref>''.

The [[blue]] that appears in the background of the insignia was chosen to be "the opposite of red, the war colour",<ref>[https://www.un.org/depts/dhl/maplib/flag.htm UN General Assembly A/107, Official Seal and Emblem of the United Nations, 15 October 1946]. Accessed 15 March 2010.</ref> although the exact shade has never been officially specified by the United Nations. The original colour the group chose in 1945 was a gray blue that differs from the current United Nations flag, unofficially called "Stettinius Blue", and it was selected because at that time it was not in use in any national flag<ref>{{cite book |last=Borts |first=Lawrence H. |date=1998 |title=Medals and Ribbons - The Medals and Ribbons of The United Nations |location=Fountain Inn, SC |publisher=Medals of America Press |page=36 |isbn= 1-884452-31-0}}</ref> The globe used in the original design was an [[azimuthal projection]] focused on the [[North Pole]] with the United States, the host nation of the conference, at the centre. The projection that was used cut off portions of the [[Southern Hemisphere]] at the latitude of [[Argentina]], which was acceptable at the time, as Argentina was not planned to be an original member of the United Nations.<ref name=NYTObit>Heller, Steven. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/world/04lundquist.html "Oliver Lincoln Lundquist, Designer, Is Dead at 92 "], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 3 January 2009. Accessed 4 January 2009.</ref> The projection was later altered so that no country will be at prominence within the flag. The new logo was now designed so that the globe is bisected in the centre by the [[Prime Meridian]] and the [[International Date Line]]. The earlier version of the emblem had the globe 90 degrees turned eastward compared with the present flag, which has the [[Prime Meridian]] and the [[International Date Line]] forming the vertical diameter. According to press statements, the change was made to move [[North America]] away from the centre of the emblem.<ref name=res/>

In 1946, a UNO committee was tasked to make a definite design, which was presented 2 December 1946. The emblem was adopted by the plenary session of the UNO on 7 December 1946, and the flag was officially adopted on 20 October 1947.<ref name=res/>

| [[File:Flag of UNICEF.svg|100px]]

|-

|[[File:World Food Programme Logo Simple.svg|100px]]

|WFP

|[[World Food Programme]]

|Has the olive leaves of the UN flag, with a hand clutching grains in the centre, in place of the globe. The white/blue colours of the UN flag are reversed in the WFP flag.

|-

| [[File:Flag of the International Criminal Court.svg|100px]]

| ICC

| [[International Criminal Court]]

| The flag of the ICC, though not an organ of the UN, resembles that of a UN agency.

|}

<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: File:WFP_flag.gif|[[WFP]] -->===National flags===

The UN flag is the origin of a [[Flag families|family]] of national flags. Because of the UN's association with peace and cooperation, UN-inspired flags are often adopted by states that have experienced conflict or instability. Many states with UN-inspired flags either were or were a part of [[United Nations trust territories]].

{| class="wikitable"

! Image

! Entity abbrev.

! Description

|-

| [[File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]

| The [[flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] was introduced by the UN High Representative Carlos Westendorp after the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina could not agree on a common flag. The color scheme references the [[flag of Europe]] as much or more than the UN.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Cambodia (1992–1993).svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia|Cambodia]] (1992–1993)

| The [[flag of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia]] uses the UN colours with a white map of Cambodia with the word for Cambodia in [[Khmer script]].

|-

|[[File:Flag of Cyprus.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

|[[Cyprus]]

|The [[flag of Cyprus]] uses a map and olive branches inspired by the UN flag.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Eritrea (1952-1961).svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Eritrea]] (1952–1962)

| The first [[flag of Eritrea]] used UN blue and olive branches.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Eritrea.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| Eritrea (1993–present)

| The current flag of Eritrea uses less UN blue but retains the olive branches.

|-

| [[File:Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Federated States of Micronesia]]

| The [[flag of the Federated States of Micronesia]] is derived from the former UN-inspired [[flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]], of which it was a part.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Kosovo.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Kosovo]]

| The [[flag of Kosovo]], was adopted 17 February 2008. Until then, Kosovo had been under the administration of the United Nations since 10 June 1999 and had used the UN flag for official purposes.

|-

| [[File:Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Northern Mariana Islands]]

| The [[flag of the Northern Mariana Islands]] is also derived from the former UN-inspired flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, of which it was a part.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Somalia.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Somalia]] (1954–present)

| The [[flag of Somalia]] has UN blue and white, and was first used during the period of the [[Trust Territory of Somaliland|United Nations Trust Territory of Somaliland]].

|-

| [[File:Flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]]

| The flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands uses UN blue and was adopted during a period of UN-administered transition to independence.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Turkmenistan]]

| The [[Flag of Turkmenistan]] uses UN olive branches below the five carpet guls.

===Subnational flags===

The subnational flags, flags of constituent political entities of some states with UN-inspired flags, states that either were or were a part of [[United Nations trust territories]], sometimes also derive inspiration from the [[flag of the United Nations]].

{| class="wikitable"

! Image

! Entity

! Description

|-

| [[File:Flag of Kosrae.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Kosrae]]

| [[Kosrae]] is one of four constituent states of the [[Federated States of Micronesia]]. The flag of [[Kosrae]] features an azure field with white stars and laurel leaves.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Pohnpei.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Pohnpei State]]

| [[Pohnpei State]] is one of four constituent states of the [[Federated States of Micronesia]]. The flag of [[Pohnpei State]] features a blue field with white stars and a wreath of coconut leaves.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Chuuk.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Chuuk State]]

| [[Chuuk State]] is one of four constituent states of the [[Federated States of Micronesia]]. The flag of [[Chuuk State]] features a blue field with a ring white stars surrounding a palm tree.

|-

| [[File:Flag of Yap.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[Yap State]]

| [[Yap State]] is one of four constituent states of the [[Federated States of Micronesia]]. The flag of [[Yap State]] features an azure field with a ring surrounding a traditional sailing canoe and voided circle with star, all in white.

|}

===Municipal flags===

The municipal flags of constituent political entities of some states with UN-inspired flags, states that either were or were a part of [[United Nations trust territories]], sometimes also derive inspiration from the [[flag of the United Nations]].

{| class="wikitable"

! Image

! Entity

! Description

|-

| [[File:Flag of U, Micronesia.svg|frameless|100x100px]]

| [[U, Federated States of Micronesia]]

| [[U, Federated States of Micronesia]] is one of six municipalities of [[Pohnpei State]], [[Federated States of Micronesia]]. The flag of [[U, Federated States of Micronesia|U]] features an azure field with five white stars and the pair of olive branches of the [[Flag of the United Nations]].

|}

=== Usage outside of the United Nations ===

== See also ==

* [[Flag of Earth]]

* [[Hymn to the United Nations]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:United Nations, Flag of}}

[[Category:United Nations|Flag]]

[[Category:Blue flags|United Nations]]