From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Greek regional flag
The
flag of
Macedonia
(
Greek
:
Σημα?α τη? Μακεδον?α?
) represents a
Vergina Sun
with 16 rays in the centre of a blue field. This flag, as well as the Vergina Sun, is commonly used as an unofficial symbol of the
Greek region of Macedonia
and its
subdivisions
. It is also used by organisations of the
Greek Macedonian
diaspora, such as the Pan-Macedonian Association chapters of the
United States
and
Australia
,
[1]
[2]
[3]
as well as numerous commercial enterprises and private citizens.
Overview
[
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]
The exact date of the flag's creation is not known, however it was most likely after the 1980s, after the Vergina Sun was discovered by Archaeologist
Manolis Andronikos
in a
larnax
made of gold, which was speculated to hold the remains of
Philip II of Macedon
.
The
Vergina Sun
is an official state emblem of Greece,
[4]
and the Greek government proceeded to lodge a copyright claim as a state symbol at the
World Intellectual Property Organization
in 1995.
[5]
No such provisions have been made for the flag of Macedonia however, which remains unofficial.
It is unclear when the flag was adopted, but it was most likely in use by the late 1980s after the archaeological discovery of the star by
Manolis Andronikos
in
Vergina
.
[6]
The similarity of the first flag of
North Macedonia
, then the Republic of Macedonia, following its independence from
Yugoslavia
1992 had the same design as the flag of Greek Macedonia, but on a red background with proportions 1:2. This caused controversy in Greece, which was already using that symbol for its own province of Macedonia, and the then Republic of Macedonia changed its flag to
the current design
in 1995.
[6]
Vergina Sun flag at the
Kozani Prefecture
, along with the
European flag
and the
flag of Greece
.
See also
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References
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External links
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Greek Macedonia Portal
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