The flag of Gibraltar is an elongated

banner of arms A banner of arms is a type of heraldic flag which has the same image as a coat of arms, ''i.e.'' the shield of a full heraldic achievement, rendered in a square or rectangular shape of the flag. The term is derived from the terminology of he ...

based on the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...

, granted by Royal Warrant from

Queen Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as Queen consort of Aragon from 1479 until 1504 by ...

on 10 July 1502. The flag of Gibraltar is unique as it is the only

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Br ...

which does not feature the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

in any form, although the latter is widely flown as a standalone flag within the territory.

Description

The flag was regularised in 1982 and is formed by two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the centre of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centred in the red band. The flag differs from that of other

British overseas territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

, in that it is not a British ensign nor does it feature the

in any form. The castle does not resemble any in Gibraltar but is supposed to represent the fortress of Gibraltar. The key is said to symbolise the

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

' significance as Gibraltar was seen to be the ''key to Spain'' by the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinc ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and later as the ''key to the Mediterranean'' by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Use

The flag is flown throughout Gibraltar, sometimes officially alongside the

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

and the Commonwealth Flag. Prominent places which fly the flag include the frontier with Spain, at the top of The Rock and on the Parliament Building. The flag is a symbol of Gibraltarian nationalism and is very popular among

Gibraltarians The Gibraltarians ( Spanish: ''gibraltareños'', colloquially: '' llanitos'') are an ethnic group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterrane ...

. For the

Gibraltar National Day Gibraltar National Day, celebrated annually on 10 September, is the official national day of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The day commemorates Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967, in which Gibraltarian voters were ...

(10 September), many Gibraltar homes and offices hang the flag from their windows and balconies, and some individuals even wear and dress their vehicles with the flag for national day celebrations. This was also seen during the 2004 celebrations of the tercentenary of British Gibraltar. Gibraltarian students attending university abroad have been known to take Gibraltarian flags with them, putting them up in university accommodation rooms and hanging them from windows. A

Lego Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocki ...

flag of Gibraltar 4 metres (10') high and 8 metres (30') long can be seen at the

John Mackintosh Hall The John Mackintosh Hall, known as the John Mac Hall to locals, is the main cultural centre in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It consists of a public library, a theatre, conference hall, and several multi-purpose spaces. History Th ...

, which is a cultural centre housing the

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamen ...

as well as exhibition rooms and a theatre. At the time of its construction, the Lego flag of Gibraltar was the largest flag ever to be made from Lego bricks with a total of 393,857 bricks being used.

Historical flags

Government Ensigns

Governor's flags

Other flags

References

External links

* *
Gibraltar Government Website Information On Flag
{{Flag of Europe National symbols of Gibraltar