Flag of Alaska

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flag of Alaska
flag ratio 125: 177

The flag of the US state of Alaska was adopted on May 2, 1927.

layout

Big Dipper and Pole Star

The flag shows eight gold stars on a dark blue background. They represent the star constellation Big Dipper with the Pole Star . In the official description, the blue stands for the evening sky, the blue sea, the mountain lakes and the wildflowers of Alaska ( forget-me-nots ). The color gold symbolizes the wealth that is hidden in Alaska's mountains and rivers.

history

In Alaska , the US flag was in effect from 1867 when the territory was sold by Russia to the United States of America . In 1927 a competition was held in which schoolchildren in grades 7 to 12 from all over Alaska were asked to design their own flag for the Alaska Territory , which was founded in 1912 . From the approximately 700 proposals submitted, the design by John Ben ("Benny") Benson, a 13-year-old native of Seward , was selected for the new flag of Alaska. Most of the other designs used variations of the state seal or symbols such as the midnight sun , the aurora borealis , bears or pans for panning for gold. Benson received a $ 1,000 prize and a watch for his suggestion .

Trivia

In a 2001 Internet poll by the North American Vexillological Association for the best-designed flags of the US states and Canadian provinces, the flag of Alaska was ranked fifth.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ North American Vexillological Association: 2001 State / Provincial Flag Survey (PDF)

literature

  • The Flag Institute (ed.): National flags of the world . Hamburg: Edition Maritim, 2000. ISBN 3-89225-402-8
  • Karl-Heinz Hesmer: Flags and coats of arms of the world. History and symbolism of the flags and coats of arms of all states . Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag, 1992. ISBN 3-570-01082-1
  • Whitney Smith , Ottfried Neubecker : The signs of people and peoples. Our world in flags and banners . Reich Verlag, Lucerne 1975, ISBN 3-724301154 .

Web links