How to Position National & Provincial Flags on One Pole
People use flags to represent countries, states and provinces, organizations, cities and even individuals. Rules of etiquette govern how to display various flags, particularly when you fly more than one flag on a single pole. It is crucial that we treat all flags with the utmost respect, for many nations take disrespect to their flag very personally.
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Instructions
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Fly flags representing international organizations above all other flags only on the premises of the particular organization. For instance, the United Nations flag flies above all national flags but only at the United Nations building in New York City. Other international organization flags include NATO and the European Union.
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National flags take precedence over all others on their home soil.
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Provincial, territorial and state flags dominate all others except for national flags when they fly over their territory. State and provincial flags normally only accompany flags of their own nation in a diminutive position when flown from one pole.
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City flags, if any, follow beneath state and provincial flags in order. More commonly seen than city flags are corporate flags, often the company logo over a solid background. Corporate flags fly below city flags and usually follow in order of provincial/state flags.
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Individual flags fly below all others. Rare in the modern world, such flags or banners represented knights or royalty.
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Flags flown from boats and ships usually follow the same ranking order, though different flags may represent different things at sea. For instance, flying the flag of the United States upside down is a visual distress signal to call for aid from other boaters.
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Tips & Warnings
Flying one nation's flag above another's on a single pole represents the prominent nation's military defeat over the other. In any other circumstance, people in the know will consider the display of two or more nation's flags on a single pole as a grave insult to the inferior flags.
Never allow any flag to touch the ground. If this happens, the flag is "soiled" and you should dispose of it via ceremonial burning and replace it immediately.
In some countries, such as Australia, the law forbids flying two territorial, provincial or national flags on a single pole. In such countries, each flag must have its own pole and in most cases, the national flag flies from the highest of these poles.
References
- Photo Credit flags image by palms from Fotolia.com
