Page created: 18th August 2000 Last updated: 2nd July 2001
The FAME are pages devoted to systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear stong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author support or approve the ideas they may stand for.

^The Flags & Arms ^{of the} Modern Era

Symbols and Abbreviations

• On symbols and abbreviations on these pages in general
• Flag Identification Symbols (FIS)
• On Flag Ratio Display
• Abbreviations

• About these web pages

On symbols and abbreviations on these pages in general

To present the information on flags in the best, shortest and most concise way, on these pages are used many graphical symbols and abbreviations. Many of those symbols are standardised and adopted by the International Federation of Vexillologic Associations (FIAV, Federation International de Associations Vexillologique), and those are used as a rule in many specialised publications. Such symbols enable quick and easy identification of various flag aspects (ratio, usage rules and manners, accuracy of images, identification of colours in black/white pictures and so on). Except the FIAV symbols, here are used also some others, again many of those are common among vexillologist on the Internet and their Web pages, and also on the site of the Flag of the World (FOTW) vexillologic mailing list.

Flag Identification Symbols FIS

The flags used to indicate nationality may be divided by their usage in six basic groups - by their usage on land or sea, and by whom is hoisting them (private persons, state or military). The flag identification system based on this division was popularized by W. Smith in several of his vexillologic books (see bibliography) and this is the system adopted by FIAV. Among the FOTW members this system is often referred to as "six dots in grid" or the FIS - Flag Identification System. The original system by W. Smith consists of a group of dots in grid of two rows and three columns. The upper row indicates the usage on land, and the lower row the use on sea (actually including lakes, rivers etc.). The first column indicates the use by private persons [C for Civil], middle one for use by state/government agencies [S of State], and the rightmost indicates the military use [W from War]. In text-only publications the dots in grid may be efficiently replaced by six letters, three and three with the same meaning (this system introduced the author to FOTW in 1996).

The basic patter is, therefore, ,
i.e. in text mode CSW/CSW,

indicating that the flag is used by private persons, state and military on land (i.e. a flag) and sea (i.e. an ensign). If one or more dots are missing (or an asterisk replaces the letter) indicates that this flag is not used for that particular purpose.

Some of the basic combinations are shown here:

	C**/***	Civil Flag	used by private persons on land
	*S*/***	State Flag	used by state institutions on land
	**W/***	War Flag	used by military on land (army)
	***/C**	Civil Ensign	used on private vessels (merchant ensign)
	***/*S*	State Ensign	used on state owned vessels
	***/**W	War Ensign	used by navy
	CS*/***	Civil and State Flag	used by private persons and state on land
	*SW/***	State and War Flag	state services and military on land
	CSW/***	National Flag	used for all purposes on land
	***/CSW	National Ensign	used for all purposes on vessels
	CSW/CSW	National Flag and Ensign	used for all purposes on land and sea

As a further addition to this system (but not adopted by FIAV) is inclusion of an additional row above others, to indicate the air flags (also called ensigns). E.g.:

**W/***/***

Air War Ensign

used by military air force (on planes when on ground and on their installations)

Except the "dots in grid" symbols the FIAV system (FIS) contains some other symbols to indicate some other characteristics of flags:

	Normal*: Flag in "normal" use, without special observations. Horizontal hoisting.
	Vertical*: Flag used hoisted vertically from a crossbar (as a banner).
	Proposal: Flag proposal - design that was never used in practice.
	Reconstruction: Image shown according to wage description or other insufficient source.
	Variant: One of two or more versions of the same basic design.
	Alternate: One of two or more flags that may be used, in general or under certain circumstances, for the same function.
	De facto: Flag in use, but without legal provision.
	Historical*: Flag used previously, but the official usage is discontinued.
	Two-sided: Reverse is not of the same design as pictured.
	Reverse: Design of the reverse of two-sided flag.
	Sinister hoist: Obverse, or the main flag side, is seen when the hoist is pictured on the viewer's right.
	Construction sheet*: showing the relative ratio of the design elements.
	Detail*: Picture of an enlarged detail.
	Under Construction*: image shown as a sketch for information until replaced with better one

* Additional symbols not adopted by FIAV.

On Flag Ratio

The ratio of the pictured flag is printed in bold sans-serif font, so: 1:2. The approximate ratio is indicated with a wavy dash (a tilde) 2:3~, but it is not always indicated if the approximation is based from some more complex but known ratio, or if it is an approximation based on the reported flags seen in use. In some cases the ratio that is particularly doubtful is marked with a questionmark 3:4 ?.

The first number in the ratio denotes the hoist side - as a rule the side along left edge of the picture, except for the vertically hoisted flags - where the hoist side is the upper one. The second number is the length of the flag, the fly side, i.e. the length from the hoist (or point at which the flag is attached to hoist) to the fly end.

Abbreviations

Mail, reactions, proposals, corrections and additions are welcome at zheimer@public.carnet.hr