Flag of the Ross Dependency (unofficial).svg

A flag of Antarctica is a flag or flag design that represents the continent of Antarctica. As a condominium with no single governing body, it does not have an official flag of its own. However, several designs have been created for the purpose of representing the continent.

Emblem of the Antarctic Treaty

The consultative members of the Antarctic Treaty System officially adopted an emblem in 2002 which is sometimes used in the form of a flag. Officially this emblem represents the Antarctic Treaty System and not the continent itself. Antarctic Treaty members used the emblem for at least 30 years prior to its formal adoption, having used it on a 1971 commemorative stamp.

Proposals

File:White flag 3 to 2.svg, An all-white flag
File:Proposed flag of Antarctica (Whitney Smith).svg, Whitney Smith's design
File:Flag of Antarctica.svg, Graham Bartram's design (2:3 proportion)
File:True South Antarctic Flag.svg, The True South design

White Flag for Antarctica

The British Australian (and) New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition flew an all-white flag from their ship ''Discovery'' when sailing to Antarctica in 1929. It was improvised as a courtesy flag for a continent without one of its own. The flag was flown from the ship only twice. It now resides in the Royal Museums Greenwich.

Whitney Smith proposal

In 1978, famed vexillologist Whitney Smith proposed an orange flag with a white emblem in the hoist. The letter A stands for Antarctica, the semi-sphere represents the area below the Antarctic Circle, and the hands represent human protection of the environment. He chose orange for its visibility.

Graham Bartram proposal

In 1996, Graham Bartram designed a proposal using the flag of the United Nations as its model. A plain white map of the continent on a blue background symbolizes neutrality. This flag was flown on the Antarctic continent in 2002 when Ted Kaye (then editor of ''Raven'', the scholarly journal of the North American Vexillological Association) took several on an Antarctic cruise. On this trip, it flew at the Brazilian base Comandante Ferraz and the British museum at Port Lockroy. The Graham Bartram design is currently used for the "Flag for Antarctica" emoji (🇦🇶) on all supported platforms.

True South proposal

The True South proposal was designed by Evan Townsend in 2018. The flag has the following meaning:

Horizontal stripes of navy and white represent the long days and nights at Antarctica's extreme latitude. In the center, a lone white peak erupts from a field of snow and ice, echoing those of the bergs, mountains, and pressure ridges that define the Antarctic horizon. The long shadow it casts forms the unmistakable shape of a compass arrow pointed south, an homage to the continent's legacy of exploration. Together, the two center shapes create a diamond, symbolizing the hope that Antarctica will continue to be a center of peace, discovery, and cooperation for generations to come.

The flag is named after geographic South, or "true South", which differs from magnetic south.

The flag has quickly gained popularity since its introduction. It has been adopted by some National Antarctic Programs, Antarctic nonprofits, and expedition teams; flown at several research stations across Antarctica;*
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* and is used in the 2022 marker for the geographic South Pole.

Flags of territorial claims

Seven countries have made territorial claims to Antarctica. Australia, New Zealand, and Norway all use their national flag to represent their claim, while Argentina, Chile, France, and the United Kingdom have separate flags for their territorial claims.

Argentine Antarctica

The Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego includes Argentine Antarctica ( 25 degrees W to 74 degrees W). The flag was adopted in 1999 as the result of a competition. It is a diagonal bicolor of sky blue and orange with an albatross in the center and the Southern Cross in the fly. The orange represents the fire in the province's name, Tierra del Fuego translating to "Land of Fire". The blue represents the sky and reflects the color of the national flag. The albatross symbolizes freedom.

British Antarctic Territory

The flag of the British Antarctic Territory is a plain White Ensign defaced by the coat of arms of the territory. The British Antarctic Territories also have a blue ensign which is often used as the civil ensign of British ships operating in Antarctic waters. Other British territories in the Antarctic region are the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which have their own flags (see Flag of the Falkland Islands and Flag of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands).

Chilean Antarctic Territory/Magallanes Region

The Antártica Chilena Province in the Magallanes Region includes the Chilean claim on the continent ( 53 degrees W to 90 degrees W). Puerto Williams is the capital of this province, which also includes the islands south of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. The Magallanes Region's flag also has the Southern Cross appearing over a mountain range. This flag was adopted as the flag of Magallanes Region in 1997 by the regional government.

French Southern Territories

The flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, which includes Adélie Land, has the French tricolor in the canton together with the Commissioner's logotype. The logotype consists of five stars which represent the administrative districts that make up the territory two of which are archipelagos Illes Crozet & Illes Kerguelen. The third district is made up of Ille Saint-Paul and Ille Amsterdam; the fourth, Ille Eparses, consists of five tropical islands scattered around Madagascar. The fifth district is the Antarctic portion which consists of "Adelie Land".

The letters "TAAF" in the fly form a monogram (from the French name of the territory, ''Terres australes et antarctiques françaises''). The flag was adopted on 23 February 2007, and was published in the Official Journal of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories on March 15, 2007. The flag had previously served as the flag of the High Commissioner of the Territory since 1958.

See also

* List of Antarctic flags

References

External links

Antarctica — flag proposals

{{Lists of flags

Antarctic culture
Antarctica
Antarctica

2002 in Antarctica