Weekly Flag Challenge 4th July: Poll

[actaeon]

The Challenge:

On 13th December 2007, due to an 'administrative error' – or, as some Eurosceptics muttered darkly, deliberate sabotage by Eurocrats – the version of the Lisbon Treaty signed by the heads of state of the European Union was not the version that had previously been presented and discussed, but a draft including sweeping changes to the organisation and structure not only of the EU itself, but also the member states. No one noticed the substitution until the treaty had come into force on 1st December 2009.

Two extra articles had a particular impact:

firstly, all official business of the European Union would henceforth be conducted in Latin, as the only truly common language of the continent, beginning immediately with written business, and extending to debate and meetings within 2 years;

and secondly, to ease the problems of administration and organisation with 27 member states of vastly different sizes and populations, the EU would from 1st January 2010 be split into 50 states of approximately equal size. This meant, naturally, that in some cases territories would be aggregated together to reach the appropriate size, and in the larger (former) states new states would be formed by splitting up the existing state

This week's challenge: devise a flag for the new European state of Insulae Mediterraneae consisting of the following: Cyprus, Crete, Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica and the Balearic islands, including all small islands off the shores of these islands

This poll will close on July 12th at midnight GMT.

 

[actaeon]

Flag 1:

The New Flag of Insulae Mediterraneae

After the shock of the EU mandate had worn off, the new ruling government of the Islands, headed by Raffaele Lombardo (president of the former Autonomous Region of Sicily, now interim leader for the new nation until a new one can be elected), launched a campaign across the Islands to design a new flag for the nation. After the 6 month entry period and subsequent decision, one design in particular stood out. The winning design came from Vittoria Maria De Simone, a 13 year old school girl from Cagliari, Sardinia. The design is as follows.

-Proportions 1:2, with steel blue main background

-7 White Star groupings representing the comprising islands (Balearic Is. have 4 stars for Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera), total 10 stars, with size adjusted relatively for the size of the individual Islands.

-Star groupings are arranged in the exact relative positions of each of their respective island regions.

-Blue for the water of the Mediterranean, and a nod to the EU

-Gold for the sand/earth and the continued prosperity of the Islands, another nod to the EU

-White for peace and/or prosperity

-5 Gold and White alternating stripes to represent the 5 official languages of the country (OTL country languages, no regional languages): Spanish for The Balearic Islands, French for Corsica, Italian for Sardinia and Sicily, Maltese for Malta and Greek for Rhodes and Cyprus (plus the Dodecanese, not represented). A nod to the EU motto, In varietate concordia.

-The 5 stripes are located on the bottom to represent that these languages are the foundations for the stability and prosperity of the new nation.

EDIT: Have now uploaded a YouTube Video with the Flag and the EU anthem (faux flag raising ceremony broadcast). Note that following the link is the only way to get to the video; searching will not produce this video (sometimes its best to view flags when in use ). It can be found here.

 

[actaeon]

Flag 2:

Following the sudden reorganisation of the European Union, all of the new states were given temporary flags based on the EU flag with the state's name (in Latin) written in the center of the ring of stars. The process for choosing a permanent flag were up to each new state. The State of Insulae Mediterraneae allowed members of the public and professionals from across the EU to submit designs. These were then narrowed down to a shortlist of six with a panel of judges choosing a winner from these proposals. The winning design was officially adopted on 9th May (Europe Day) 2011.

The seven stars and seven stripes represent the seven islands or island groups that make up the state. The stars are arranged to reflect the islands' geographic positions, rotated through approximately 80°, and are yellow to reflect the yellow stars on the EU flag. The flag's ratio of 2:3 is the same as the EU flag as well. The blue stripes are for the sea and the Greek islands of Crete and Cyprus. The red is for the western islands as all but one of them (Corsica) have red in their flags. The light shade of blue and the greater number of blue stripes are simply for aesthetic reasons.

 

[actaeon]

Flag 3:

The European state of Pleiadesa, also known as Insulae Mediterraneae, is named for the seven daughters of Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione.Cyprus, Crete, Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica and the Balearic islands make up the state.

The flag has the Pleiades star grouping as its symbol. The seven stars on the right of the flag are the sisters representing each island grouping within the state body. Each island grouping has also taken a color from the rainbow to represent them on the flag.

The black star is Atlas representing Pleiadesa as being the foundation, or southern most state of the union, and holding up the other members. The White star is Pleione and represents the Mediterranean Sea which the State is located within.

The four-pointed star was chosen over that of the typical five-pointed to represent the four cardinal directions. The white around each star is for peace and unity between all the islands.

The dark blue field of the flag represents several things. One is reaching for the heavens. Another is the blood (waters) of the Islands making up the state. It is also the same color as the field of the EU flag.

 

[actaeon]

Flag 4:

Officially hoisted aloft for the 1st time at 12:00 noon GMT on 9 May 2011 simultaneously throughout the state to much fanfare and acclamation, the flag of Insulae Mediterraneae consists of a shell, bronze & white, symbolizing the "call to union", surrounded by 10 stars, also bronze & white, representing the major constituent islands making up the state, on a field of Mediterranian blue, representing the sea surrounding the islands.

 

[actaeon]

Flag 5:

After much bickering, wrangling and tantrums, the new nation chose a simple design. Reversing the colours of the European Union, seven seven-pointed stars in a circle were chose as double representation of the seven island groups of the nation.

 

[actaeon]

Flag 6:

In the interim period between the creation of a new nation and the adoption of a flag by that nation, the European Union allocated a temporary flag. Each such flag consisted of the EU flag in a top left canton, the remainder of the flag being white with a unique badge for each new nation. In the case of Ins-Med the badge portrayed Poseidon - the God of the Sea to denote the trans-mediterranean nature of the nation.

The flag was loathed in each island and representatives gathered to choose a new flag as soon as possible. But after 150 years if deliberations by a changing group of delegates, it was decided to stick with the imposed flag!

 

[Jimbrock]

I voted for option 1, but I would just like to comment that your idea of lumping all the 'piddly islands' together is hillariously stupid. Not that it matters, that is.

 

[actaeon]

I agree entirely - none of this credible stuff for me, just roll straight into something bizarre! And anyway, not all history is decided by the generals - sometimes the bureaucrats get their day in the sun

 

[Rubberduck3y6]

Yeah, when I was making my entry I found it quite hard trying to get colours that wouldn't favour either the 'Latin' islands (Balearics, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily) or the 'Greek' islands (Crete and Cyprus). I think a division into these two 'halves' would be more plausible.

 

[ah-sue]

I agree entirely - none of this credible stuff for me, just roll straight into something bizarre!

I love it !!
Wot larx !!!