Flag of the British Antarctic Territory

British Antarctic Territory flag
Vexillological symbol :	?
Aspect ratio:	1: 2
Officially accepted:	April 21, 1998

The flag of the British Antarctic Territory was officially authorized by Queen Elizabeth II on April 21, 1998. The flag flies at UK Antarctic stations and at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) headquarters in Cambridge .

Description and meaning

The flag is based on the White Ensign , and points to a white background in Gösch the Union Jack . The white background symbolizes the ice and snow that cover Antarctica . On the flight part is the coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory . A white sign with three blue waves and a red wedge and a torch (as a sign of research) is held by a lion and a king penguin . The coat of arms above the shield shows the three-masted sailing ship Discovery , the expedition ship with which Robert Falcon Scott undertook his first expedition to Antarctica. Below the escutcheon a banner shows the inscription "RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY" ( research and discovery ). On the back of the flag, the coat of arms is mirrored, but the banner shows the writing correctly. The aspect ratio of the flag is 1: 2.

history

The coat of arms was first awarded to the territory on March 11, 1952, when it was still a dependent territory of the Falkland Islands . In 1963 the Antarctic Territory was administratively separated from them and on August 1, 1963, it was given a helmet in addition to its coat of arms . The Blue Ensign was introduced on May 30, 1969 . White Ensign followed in 1998.

Other flags of the territory

At the same time as the White Ensign, the Commissioner's flag was adopted, following the tradition of the flag of British governors of dependent territories. In the center of the Union Jack it shows the coat of arms of the territory on a white disk, framed by laurels. The Blue Ensign only shows the coat of arms . It is the official flag that is still used by ships that sail on behalf of the Territory Administration.

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  Union Jack of the Commissioner

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  ^? Service flag

Web links

Commons : Flags of the British Antarctic Territory  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Flags of the World - British Antarctic Territory (English)