Flag information symbols are used by
vexillologists
Vexillology ( ) is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.Smith, Whitney. ''Flags Through the Ages and Across the World'' New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print. The word is a synthe ...
to indicate certain characteristics of
flags
A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic desi ...
, such as where they are used, who uses them, and what they look like. The symbols were created by vexillologist
Whitney Smith
Whitney Smith Jr. (February 26, 1940 – November 17, 2016) was a professional vexillologist and scholar of flags. He originated the term ''vexillology'', which refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags. He was a founder of s ...
and then adopted by the
International Federation of Vexillological Associations
The International Federation of Vexillological Associations (FIAV, French language, French acronym: ''Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques'') is an international federation of 53 regional, national, and multinational assoc ...
(FIAV) in the early 1970s.
Vexillologist Željko Heimer added the symbols for normal and historical in the early 1990s.
Vexillological symbols
Vexillological symbols describe information on a flag's recognition status and design.
Usage Symbols
The usage symbols are based on a grid of two rows representing use on land and use on water, and three columns representing private use, public use, and military use. Each circle in the grid indicates the flag has one or more of the following six basic usages:
A single design may be associated with no usages or multiple usages. Heimer suggested an additional row for air ensigns, but it has not been adopted by FIAV.
{{gallery, title=Examples, whitebg=y, height=100
, flag of Peru.svg, {{FIAV, 100100 The civil flag and ensign of Peru is used by Peruvian citizens on land and sea
, Flag of Peru (state).svg, {{FIAV, 010010 The state flag and ensign is used by the Peruvian government on land and sea
, Flag of Peru (war).svg, {{FIAV, 001000 The war flag is used by the
Peruvian Army
The Peruvian Army ( es, Ejército del Perú, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missi ...
, Naval Jack of Peru.svg, {{FIAV, 000001 The naval ensign is used by the
Peruvian Navy
See also
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Glossary of vexillology
Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.
Flag types
...
References
Vexillology