Flag of Abkhazia

Republic of Abkhazia
Proportion 1:2
Adopted 23 July 1992
Design Seven horizontal stripes alternating green and white; in the canton, a white open hand below a semicircle of seven five-pointed stars on a red field.
Variant flag of Republic of Abkhazia
Use Presidential Standard

Abkhazia is claimed and controlled by the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia, which considers itself to be an independent Abkhazian state. Georgia considers Abkhazia to be part of Georgia, legally governed by the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.

Republic of Abkhazia

The flag of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1991 by V. Gamgia.[1] It was officially adopted on 23 July 1992.[2] The design of the red canton is based on the banner of the medieval Abkhazian Kingdom. The open right hand means "Hello to friends! Stop to Enemies!".[3] The seven stars in the canton have since been reinterpreted to correspond to the seven historical regions of the country - Sadzen, Bzyp, Gumaa, Abzhywa, Samurzaqan, Dal-Tsabal and Pskhuy-Aibga.[4]

The seven green and white stripes are based on the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus, which Abkhazia considers itself to have been a part of after World War I. Seven is a number sacred to the Abkhaz and the green and white stripes represent the tolerance that allows Christianity and Islam to cohabit.

Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
Design Seven horizontal stripes alternating green and white in the right half, flag of Georgia in the left half.

The Georgian Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia uses a flag that combines that of Georgia with the green and white stripes found on the flag of the breakaway state.[5]

Historical flags

Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia

The flag of the SSR Abkhazia was adopted in 1925 when the SSR Abkhazia ratified its constitution. It was used until 1931, when the SSR Abkhazia was transformed into the Abkhaz ASSR with a different flag.

Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

This flag of the Abkhaz ASSR was introduced in 1978 and used until the collapse of the Soviet union in 1991. The previous flag used between 1931 and 1978 was identical to the flag of the Georgian SSR, and in 1978 the name of the Abkhaz ASSR was added written in the Abkhaz language and script.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Аргун Ю.Г. (Argun Yu. G.), О Государственном флаге (On the state flag) (XLVIII итоговая научная сессия (11-13 мая). тезисы докладов. - Сухум: АбИГИ, 2004, с. 3-4)
  2. ↑ "Abkhazia (Georgia)". FOTW Flags Of The World. 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  3. ↑ http://www.ahakuytra.com/abhazya-sehitleri/247-abhazya-bayraginin-anlami.html
  4. ↑ Государственные символы
  5. ↑ http://heraldry.ge/index.php?m=844&lng=eng

External links

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