National Flag Of Portugal
The Flag Of Portugal Was Officially Adopted On 30 June 1911, less than a year after the downfall of the constitutional monarchy. The Portuguese National flag has undergone multiple changes throughout the years. One thing that has remained consistent throughout the evolution of the National Flag Of Portugal has been the inclusion of some form of the coat of arms.
Until the 19th century, the Portuguese glad was used as a naval ensign and fortress flag. In the 19th century, the Portugal National Flag became a national symbol and the current design of the Portuguese flag was first adopted.
Design Of The Flag
The Portuguese flag is made up of an unequal bi-color rectangle. It’s dark green on the left-hand side (the hoist) and scarlet red on the right-hand side in a 2/5 to 3/5 ratio. Located on the line separating the two colors is something called an armillary sphere. On top of that, the armillary sphere is the national shield of Portugal. It’s a white-rimmed red shield with a smaller white shield called “inescutcheon” at its center.
Within the red rim are seven gold-colored castles. On the white inescutcheon are five smaller blue shields arranged in a Greek cross pattern. Within each of these blue shields lies five white dots which officially called “bezants”. This current design of the Flag Of Portugal was officially adopted for the First Portuguese Republic. After the selection by a special commission whose members included Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, João Chagas, and Abel Botelho.
Meaning Of The Color
According to the flag-designing committee: The red color on the flag symbolized all of the blood lost by people fighting for Portugal to become a republic and green symbolized hope for the future. Aside from familiarity, the blue color of the Portugal National Flag was also associated with the Lady of the Conception who was crowned Queen and Patroness of Portugal by King John IV. Portugal is still a religious country even to this day, and so removing any religious symbolism was going to be a difficult task.
The Yellow Armillary Sphere
The armillary sphere (also known as a spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is an astronomical device that was used to navigate the oceans during the Age of Discoveries or Age of Exploration. The Age of Discoveries was the golden era of Portugal. A time when they were prosperous and forward-looking and the flag’s designers felt it was important to have some reminder of this period within the National Flag Of Portugal.
The Red Shield
In the center of the National Flag Of Portugal, there’s a red shield, which sits on top of the yellow armillary sphere. The shield itself represents past Portuguese victories. The 7 castles are believed to represent the 7 castles that the Portuguese took back from the Moors, although this is only speculation.
The 5 smaller blue shields represent the 5 Moorish kings who were killed by the first King of Portugal, Afonso I. The 5 white dots within each blue shield represent the 5 wounds of Christ.
Some Information About Flag:
In Which Year, The National Flag Was Adopted?
Ans: On 30 June 1911
What Are The Colours of The Flag?
Ans: Green, Red, Yellow
What Do The Colours of The Flag Means?
Ans: The red color on the flag symbolized all of the blood lost by people fighting for Portugal to become a republic and green symbolized hope for the future.
