A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

symbol in the form of a diagonal

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

. The word comes from the

Middle French Middle French () is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the mid-14th to the early 17th centuries. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from the other co ...

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

stirrup A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a ''stirrup leather''. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a riding animal ...

"). From its use as

field sign A field sign is an unofficial differentiating mark worn on a combatant's clothing to show the difference between friend and foe or a combatant and a civilian. Examples *A tabard in the livery colors of a lord and bearing his coat of arms was a ...

, the saltire came to be used in a number of flags, in the 16th century for

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

, in the 18th century also as the ensign of the

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

, and for Ireland. Notable 19th-century usage includes some of the

flags of the Confederate States of America The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

. It is also used in the

flag of Jamaica The flag of Jamaica was adopted on 6 August 1962, the day Jamaica became independent from the British Empire. The flag consists of a gold saltire, which divides the flag into four sections: two of them green (top and bottom) and two black (h ...

and on seals, and as a

heraldic charge In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an '' escutcheon'' (shield). That may be a geometric design (sometimes called an '' ordinary'') or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object, building, or o ...

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

. The term saltirewise or in saltire refers to heraldic charges arranged as a diagonal cross. The

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

may also be

divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. What is being divided is called the ''dividend'', which is divided by the ''divisor'', and the result is called the ...

per saltire, i.e. diagonally. A warning sign in the shape of a saltire is also used to indicate the point at which a railway line intersects a road at a level crossing.

Heraldry and vexillology

The saltire is important both in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

, being found in many coats of arms, and in

vexillology 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. A person who studi ...

, being found as the dominant feature of multiple flags. The saltire is one of the so-called ordinaries, geometric charges that span throughout (from edge to edge of) the shield. As suggested by the name ''saltire'' ("stirrup"; in French: '' sautoir'', in German: '' Schragen''), the ordinary in its early use was not intended as representing a

Christian cross The Christian cross, seen as representing the crucifixion of Jesus, is a religious symbol, symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix, a cross that includes a ''corpus'' (a representation of Jesus' body, usually three-dimensional) a ...

symbol. The association with

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...

is a development of the 15th to 16th centuries. The

Cross of Burgundy The Cross of Burgundy (; ; ; ; ; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Cruz de Borgonha'') is a saw-toothed (wiktionary:raguly, raguly) form of the Saltire, Cross of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Burgundy, and a historical banner and battle fla ...

emblem originates in the 15th century, as a field sign, and as the Saint Andrew's Cross of

was used in flags or banners (but not in coats of arms) from the 16th century, and used as

naval ensign A naval ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by naval ships of various countries to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from a country's civil ensign or state ensign. It can also be known as a war ensign. A large v ...

during the

Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...

. When two or more saltires appear, they are usually

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

ed as

couped The heads of humans and other animals are frequently occurring charges in heraldry. The blazon, or heraldic description, usually states whether an animal's head is couped (as if cut off cleanly at the neck), erased (as if forcibly ripped from th ...

(cut off). For example, contrast the single saltire in the arms granted to G. M. W. Anderson—with the three ''saltires couped'' in the coat of Kemble Greenwood.

Diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...

forms include the ''fillet saltire'', usually considered half or less the width of the saltire, and the ''saltorel'', a narrow or couped saltire. A field ''(party) per saltire'' is divided into four areas by a saltire-shaped "cut". If two

tinctures A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolution (chemistry), dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Ge ...

are specified, the first refers to the areas above (in chief) and below (in base) the crossing, and the second refers to the ones on either side (in the flanks). Otherwise, each of the four divisions may be blazoned separately. The phrase ''in saltire'' or ''saltirewise'' is used in two ways: # Two long narrow charges "in saltire" are placed to cross each other diagonally. Common forms include the crossed

keys Key, Keys, The Key or The Keys may refer to: Common uses * Key (cryptography), a piece of information needed to encode or decode a message * Key (instrument), a component of a musical instrument * Key (lock), a device used to operate a lock * ...

found in the arms of many entities associated with

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

and paired arrows. # When five or more compact charges are "in saltire", they are arranged with one in the center and the others along the arms of an invisible saltire. Division of the field ''per saltire'' was notably used by the Aragonese kings of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

beginning in the 14th century (

Frederick the Simple Frederick IV (or III) (in Italian, ''Federico''; 1 September 1341 – Messina 27 July 1377Setton, Kenneth M. (1975) " Volume III: The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries", Edited by Harry W. Hazzard, page 214.), called the Simple, was King of Si ...

), showing the pales of Aragon and the "Hohenstaufen" eagle (argent an eagle sable).

Scotland

The

Flag of Scotland The flag of Scotland (; , also known as St Andrew's Cross or the Saltire) is the national flag of Scotland, which consists of a white saltire Defacement (flag), defacing a blue field. The Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, i ...

, called ''The Saltire'' or ''Saint Andrew's Cross'', is a blue field with a white saltire. According to tradition, it represents

, who is supposed to have been crucified on a cross of that form (called a ''crux decussata'') at

Patras Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's List of cities in Greece, third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaiko ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. The Saint Andrew's Cross was worn as a badge on hats in Scotland, on the day of the

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...

of Saint Andrew. In the

politics of Scotland The politics of Scotland () operate within the constitution of the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a Constituent countries of the United Kingdom, country. Scotland is a democracy, being represented in both the Scottish Parliament and the ...

, both the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

and

Scottish Conservative Party The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (), known as Scottish Tories, is part of the UK Conservative Party active in Scotland. It currently holds 5 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons, 30 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Par ...

use stylised saltires as their party logos, deriving from the flag of Scotland. Furthermore, the

Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...

uses the flag as its official symbol on Scottish Government publications, including letters, documents and press releases. Prior to the Union, the

Royal Scots Navy The Royal Scots Navy (or Old Scots Navy) was the navy of the Kingdom of Scotland from its origins in the Middle Ages until its merger with the Kingdom of England's Royal Navy per the Acts of Union 1707. There are mentions in Medieval records of f ...

used a

red ensign The Red Ensign or Red Duster is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defacement (flag), defaced with either a Glossary of vexillology#Flag elements, badge or a Glossary of v ...

incorporating the St Andrew's Cross; this ensign is now sometimes flown as part of an unofficial

civil ensign A civil ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and the naval ensign (or war ensign). It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag ...

in Scottish waters. With its colours exchanged (and a lighter blue), the same design forms part of the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

and flag of Nova Scotia (whose name means "New Scotland").

Cross of Burgundy

The

, a form of the Saint Andrew's Cross, is used in numerous flags across

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

. It was first used in the 15th century as an emblem by the Valois Dukes of Burgundy. The

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

, forming a large part of eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

, was inherited by the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

on the extinction of the Valois ducal line. The emblem was therefore assumed by the monarchs of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

as a consequence of the Habsburgs bringing together, in the early 16th century, their Burgundian inheritance with the other extensive possessions they inherited throughout

and the

, including the crowns of Castile and

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

. As a result, the Cross of Burgundy has appeared in a wide variety of flags connected with territories formerly part of the Burgundian or Habsburg inheritance. Examples of such diversity include the Spanish naval ensign (1506-1701), the flag of

Carlism Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...

(a nineteenth century Spanish conservative movement), the flag of the Dutch municipality of

Eijsden Eijsden (; ) is a village situated in the very south of the European country the Netherlands. It is located in the southwestern part of the province of Limburg. Until 1 January 2011, Eijsden was the main village in a municipality with the sa ...

, the flag of Chuquisaca in Bolivia and the flags of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

in the United States.

Gascony

Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

has not had any institutional unity since the 11th century, hence several flags are currently used in the territory. Legend says that this flag appeared in the time of

Pope Clement III Pope Clement III (; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by allowing the electi ...

to gather the Gascons during the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. F ...

(12th century). That flag, sometimes called "Union Gascona" (Gascon Union), contains the

St Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...

's cross, the patron saint of

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

and the red color of

English kingdom The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the late 9th century, when it was unified from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain ...

, which reigned over

from 12th to mid-15th century. In Tome 14 of the Grande Encyclopédie, published in France between 1886 and 1902 by Henri Lamirault, it says That saltire is also represented in the pattern of some in many

bullring A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with the Iberian Peninsula, but they can also be found through Iberian America and in a few Spanish and Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa. Bullrings are ...

s in Gascony.

Maritime flags

The naval

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

of the Imperial Russian (1696–1917) and

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

navies (1991–present) is a blue saltire on a white field. The international maritime signal flag for ''M'' is a white saltire on a blue background, and indicates a stopped vessel. A red saltire on a white background denotes the letter ''V'' and the message "I require assistance".

Others

The flags of the Colombian archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia and the Spanish island of

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

also use a white saltire on a blue field. The Brazilian cities of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

and

Fortaleza Fortaleza ( ; ; ) is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador, Bahia, Salvador in 2022 census with a population of slightly over 2.4 mi ...

also use a blue saltire on a white field, with their coats-of-arms at the hub. Saltires are also seen in several other flags, including the flags of

Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...

Logroño Logroño ( , , ) is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain), La Rioja, Spain. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in the right (South) bank of the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of pa ...

Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória ( ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...

Katwijk Katwijk () is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland, which is situated in the mid-western part of the Netherlands. The Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland), Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine") river flows through the town and i ...

Potchefstroom Potchefstroom ( ; ), colloquially known as Potch, is an college town, academic city in the North West (South African province), North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstro ...

, The Bierzo and

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and ...

, as well as the former Indian princely states of Khairpur,

Rajkot Rajkot () is the fourth-largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the ...

and

Jaora Jaora is a city and a municipality in Ratlam district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Jaora is located in the Malwa region, between Ratlam and Mandsaur. It was the capital of the Jaora princely state of Jaora before Independence. Durin ...

. The design is also part of the Confederate Battle Flag and

Naval Jack A jack is a flag flown from a short jackstaff at the bow (front) of a vessel, while the ensign is flown on the stern (rear). Jacks on bowsprits or foremasts appeared in the 17th century. A country may have different jacks for different pu ...

used during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

(see

Flags of the Confederate States of America The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

). Arthur L. Rogers, designer of the final version of the Confederate National flag, claimed that it was based on the saltire of Scotland. The saltire is used on modern-day Southern U.S. state flags to honour the former Confederacy.

Christian symbol

Anne Roes (1937) identifies a design consisting of two crossing diagonal lines in a rectangle, sometimes with four dots or balls in the four quarters, as an emblem or ''vexillum'' (standard) of

Persepolis Persepolis (; ; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and ...

during the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC. Roes also finds the design in Argive vase painting, and still earlier in button seals of the Iranian Chalcolithic. Roes also notes the occurrence of a very similar if not identical ''vexillum'' which repeatedly occurs in Gaulish coins of c. the 2nd to 1st century BC, in a recurring design where it is held by a charioteer in front of his human-headed horse. A large number of coins of this type (118 out of 152 items) forms part of the Les Sablons hoard of the 1st century BC, discovered in

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

between 1991 and 1997, associated with the Cenomani. The same design is found on coins of Christian Roman emperors of the 4th to 5th centuries (

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

, Valentinian,

Jovian Jovian is the adjectival form of Jupiter and may refer to: * Jovian (emperor) (Flavius Iovianus Augustus), Roman emperor (363–364 AD) * Jovians and Herculians, Roman imperial guard corps * Jovian (lemur), a Coquerel's sifaka known for ''Zobooma ...

Gratianus Gratian (; ; 18 April 359 – 25 August 383) was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian was raised to the rank of ''Augustus'' as a child and inherited the West after his father's death in ...

Valens Valens (; ; 328 – 9 August 378) was Roman emperor from 364 to 378. Following a largely unremarkable military career, he was named co-emperor by his elder brother Valentinian I, who gave him the Byzantine Empire, eastern half of the Roman Em ...

Arcadius Arcadius ( ; 377 – 1 May 408) was Roman emperor from 383 to his death in 408. He was the eldest son of the ''Augustus'' Theodosius I () and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and the brother of Honorius (). Arcadius ruled the eastern half of ...

, Constantine III,

Jovinus Jovinus was a Gallo-Roman senator and claimed to be Roman Emperor (411–413 AD). Following the defeat of the usurper known as Constantine III, Jovinus was proclaimed emperor at Mainz in 411, a puppet supported by Gundahar, king of the Burgu ...

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

Eugenius Eugenius (died 6 September 394) was a Western Roman emperor from 392 to 394, unrecognized by the Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius I. While Christian himself, Eugenius capitalized on the discontent in the West caused by Theodosius' religious p ...

and

Theodosius II Theodosius II ( ; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450), called "the Calligraphy, Calligrapher", was Roman emperor from 402 to 450. He was proclaimed ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' as an infant and ruled as the Eastern Empire's sole emperor after the ...

). The letter Χ (Chi) was from an early time used as a symbol for Christ (unrelated to the

symbol, which at the time was given a T-shape). The ''vexillum'' on imperial coins from the 4th century was sometimes shown as the

Labarum The labarum ( or λάβουρον) was a '' vexillum'' (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (, or Χριστός) – '' Chi'' (χ) and ''Rho'' (� ...

, surmounted by or displaying the

Chi-Rho The Chi Rho (☧, English pronunciation ; also known as ''chrismon'') is one of the earliest forms of the Christogram, formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters—chi (letter), chi and rho (ΧΡ)—of the Greek (Romanization of ...

monogram rather than just the ''crux decussata''. The emblem of the ''crux decussata'' in a rectangle, sometimes with four dots or balls, re-appears in coins the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

, in the 9th to 10th centuries. Roes suggested that early Christians endorsed its

solar symbol A solar symbol is a symbol representing the Sun. Common solar symbols include circles (with or without rays), crosses, and spirals. In religious iconography, personifications of the Sun or solar attributes are often indicated by means of a halo ( ...

ism as appropriate to

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

. File:Labarum (Saltire Pattern).svg, alt=Reconstruction of Saltire pattern labarum per A.Roes Reconstruction of Saltire pattern labarum per A.Roes File:Alerque Cénoman statère.jpg, Gold

stater The stater (; ) was an ancient coin used in various regions of Greece. The term is also used for similar coins, imitating Greek staters, minted elsewhere in ancient Europe. History The stater, as a Greek silver currency, first as ingots, and ...

of the Cenomani, on the reverse an androcephalous horse led by a charioteer extending a ''vexillum'' in front of it, riding over a fallen enemy. File:INC-3061-r Солид. Феодосий I Великий. Ок. 393—395 гг. (реверс).png, Coin of Theodosius I (393–395), with a ''vexillum'' displaying a ''crux decussata'' File:Tesoretto di sovana 070 solido di teodosio II (425-429), zecca di costantinopoli Θ (theta).JPG, Coin of Theodosius II (425–429), showing the emperor with

globus cruciger The for, la, globus cruciger, cross-bearing orb, also known as ''stavroforos sphaira'' () or "the orb and cross", is an Sphere, orb surmounted by a Christian cross, cross. It has been a Christian Church, Christian symbol of authority since the M ...

and with the same ''vexillum'' The association with

develops in the late medieval period. The tradition according to which this saint was crucified on a decussate cross is not found in early hagiography. Depictions of Saint Andrew being crucified in this manner first appear in the 10th century, but do not become standard before the 17th century. Reference to the saltire as "St Andrew's Cross" is made by the

Parliament of Scotland In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

(where Andrew had been adopted as

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

) in 1385, in a decree to the effect that every Scottish and French soldier (fighting against the English under Richard II) "shall have a sign before and behind, namely a white St. Andrew's Cross". File:St Andrew crucified on a diagonal cross.jpg, Saint Andrew martyred on a decussate cross (miniature from an East Anglian missal, ) File:Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Taler 1688, Clausthal, CNG.jpg, Saint Andrew holding his cross on a '' Taler'' of

Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg Ernest Augustus (; 20 November 1629 – 23 January 1698), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was Prince of Principality of Calenberg, Calenberg from 1679 until his death, and father of George I of Great Britain. He was appointed as the ninth prince-ele ...

(1688) The cross continues to be used in modern times by religious groups. The arms of the Episcopal Church in the United States features a saltire in its canton. The logo of the

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

features a red

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

with a Saint Andrew's cross, representing the Scottish heritage of the denomination.

Other

The diagonal cross (decussate cross) or

X mark An X mark (also known as an ex mark or a cross mark or simply an X or ex or a cross) is used to indicate the concept of negation (for example "no, this has not been verified", "no, that is not the correct answer" or "no, I do not agree") as well ...

is called "saltire" in heraldic and vexillological contexts. A black diagonal cross was used in an old European Union standard as the hazard symbol for irritants (Xi) or harmful chemicals (Xn). It indicated a hazard less severe than

skull and crossbones A skull and crossbones is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two long bones crossed together under or behind the skull. The design originated in the Late Middle Ages as a symbol of death and especially as a ''memento mori'' on tombstones. ...

, used for

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

s, or the

corrosive Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...

sign. The

Maria Theresa thaler The Maria Theresa thaler (MTT) is a silver bullion coin and a type of Conventionsthaler that has been used in world trade continuously since it was first minted in 1741. It is named after Maria Theresa who ruled Austria, Hungary, Croatia and ...

has a

Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...

ten to symbolize the 1750 debasement of the coinage, from 9 to 10 thalers to the Vienna mark (a weight of silver). A diagonal cross known as "

crossbuck A crossbuck is a traffic sign used to indicate a level railway crossing. It is composed of two slats of wood or metal of equal length, fastened together on a pole in a saltire formation (resembling the letter X). Crossbucks are often supplem ...

" is used as the conventional

road sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduc ...

used to indicate the point at which a railway line intersects a road at a

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line or the road etc. crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, o ...

. A white diagonal cross on a blue background (or black on yellow for temporary signs) is displayed in

UK railway signalling The railway signalling system used across the majority of the United Kingdom rail network uses lineside signals to control the movement and speed of trains. The modern-day system mostly uses two, three, and four aspect colour-light signals usi ...

as a "cancelling indicator" for the

Automatic Warning System Automatic Warning System (AWS) is a railway safety system invented and predominantly used in the United Kingdom. It provides a train driver with an audible indication of whether the next Railway_signal, signal they are approaching is clear or a ...

(AWS), informing the driver that the received warning can be disregarded. In

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

, a red "X" placed on illegally constructed buildings scheduled for demolition is occasionally referred to as a "St Andrew's Cross". It is usually accompanied by the letters "A.D." ("à détruire"—French for "to be demolished") and a date or deadline. During a campaign of urban renewal by the

Yaoundé Yaoundé (; , ) is the Capital city, capital city of Cameroon. It has a population of more than 2.8 million which makes it the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region (Cameroon), Centre Region o ...

Urban Council in Cameroon, the cross was popularly referred to as "Tsimi's Cross" after the Government Delegate to the council, Gilbert Tsimi Evouna. In traditional timber framing a pair of crossing braces is sometimes called a saltire or a St. Andrew's Cross. Half-timbering, particularly in France and Germany, has patterns of framing members forming many different symbols known as ornamental bracing. The saltire cross,

X-cross is a 2007 Japanese action horror film directed by Kenta Fukasaku, based on the novel by Nobuyuki Jōkō. The film stars Nao Matsushita, Ami Suzuki, Shoko Nakagawa, Maju Ozawa, and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi. Plot Recovering from a failed love affair, S ...

, X-frame, or Saint Andrew's cross is a common piece of equipment in BDSM dungeons. It is erotic furniture that typically provides restraining points for ankles, wrists, and waist. When secured to an X-cross, the subject is restrained in a standing spreadeagle position.

Unicode Unicode or ''The Unicode Standard'' or TUS is a character encoding standard maintained by the Unicode Consortium designed to support the use of text in all of the world's writing systems that can be digitized. Version 16.0 defines 154,998 Char ...

encoded various decussate crosses under the name of saltire, they are , , , , , , and .

Gallery

Coats of arms

File:Neville.svg, Gules a saltire argent ( Neville) File:St Albans COA.svg, Azure a saltire or ( Saint Alban's Cross,

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

1634) File:Katwijk wapen.svg, Argent a saltire azure (

) File:Arms of the Gage family of Hengrave.png, Per saltire azure and argent, a saltire gules ( Gage of Hengrave) File:Scarsdale (Leke) Escutcheon.png, Argent on a saltire engrailed sable nine annulets of the field ( Earl of Scarsdale) File:BeaumontWillingtonArmsGittishamDevon.JPG, Quarterly 1st & 4th: Barry of six evenvair and gules; 2nd & 3rd: Gules, a saltire vair (Henry Beaumont of Devon, d.1591) File:Blason ville fr Busséol (Puy-de-Dôme).svg, Argent a saltire floretty gules ( Busséol) File:DEU Klein-Winternheim COA.svg, Gules a fillet saltire couped argent above a wheel of the same ( Klein-Winternheim) File:Escudo de San Andrés y Providencia.svg, Coat of arms of the San Andrés Archipelago File:Hexham Coat of Arms.svg,

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...

Coat of Arms (1953) ;saltirewise File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Vatican_City.svg, Gules two keys in saltire argent and or ( Coats of arms of the Holy See and Vatican City) File:Arms of Navarre-Coat of Arms of Spain Template.svg, Gules a cross saltire and orle of chains linked together or, in the fess point an emerald vert (

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre ( ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, with its northernmost areas originally reaching the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay), between present-day Spain and France. The me ...

) File:C o a Nicolaus V.svg, Gules two keys argent saltirewise ( Papal coat of arms for

Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V (; ; 15 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV made him a Cardinal (Catholic Chu ...

, 1447) File:BodleyArms.png, Argent five martlets saltirewise sable on a chief azure three ducal crowns or ( Bodley) File:Coat of arms of Kharkiv.svg, Vert bordure or a caduceus argent and or and a cornucopia or with fruits and vegetables proper saltirewise ( Coat of arms of Kharkiv,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

) File:Emblem of the Federal Customs Service of Russia.svg, Vert bordure or a torch and a caduceus or saltirewise (

Federal Customs Service of Russia The Federal Customs Service of Russia (, ''Federalnaya tamozhennaya sluzhba Rossiskoy Federatsii''; abbreviated , ''FTS Rossii'') is a Russian government service regulating customs. It is part of Russia's Ministry of Finance. History The Custo ...

) File:Lesser coat of Arms of Riga - for display.svg, Argent two keys sable saltirewise under a cross pattée or (Lesser coat of arms of Riga,

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

) ;in supporters File:Wernigeroder Wappenbuch 022.jpg, Papal coat of arms for

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...

with the Keys of Peter saltirewise ( Wernigerode Armorial, ) File:Royal Coat of arms of Spain (1700-1761)-Common Version of the Colours.svg, Royal Coat of Arms of Spain (1700–1761)*Álvarez Abeilhé, Juan. L''a bandera de España. El origen militar de los símbolos de España.'' Revista de Historia Militar Año LIV (2010). Núm extraord. Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa. . PP. 37-69. File:National Coat of arms of Spain (Until 1931)-Version of the Colours.svg ,

Coat of arms of Spain A coat is typically an outer clothing, garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of Button (clothing), buttons, zippers, Hook-and-loo ...

(1874–1931) File:Brasao-Brigantina.png, Coat of arms of the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

. ;other File:Coat of arms of Kaliningrad.svg,

Coat of arms of Kaliningrad The coat of arms of Kaliningrad is the official heraldic achievement of Kaliningrad in Russia. Description The arms displays a medieval ship for the harbour on the Baltic Sea, which has been important for the city since its foundation in the Midd ...

File:Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg, Coat of arms of

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

with Sugar Canes held saltirewise.

Flags

File:Flag of the Vatican City.svg,

Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...

's flag ( Flag of Vatican City) File:Saint Alban's cross.svg, Saint Alban's flag (13th century) File:Kingdom of Sicily naval flag.svg, Naval flag of the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...

(after

Guillem Soler Guillem Soler (fl. 1380s), sometimes given as Guillelmus Soleri, Guillermo Soler and Guglielmo Soleri, was a Majorcan cartographer of the 14th century. Little is known of Guillem Soler. Documents establish his existence in Majorca in 1368, and tha ...

c. 1380), inheriting the ''per saltire'' division from the

royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Ill ...

coat of arms. File:Flag of Scotland (1-1).svg,

(c. 1507)As a naval flag for the carrack ''

Great Michael ''Michael'', popularly known as ''Great Michael'', was a carrack or great ship of the Royal Scottish Navy. She was the largest ship built by King James IV of Scotland as part of his policy of building a strong Scottish navy. She was ordere ...

''. As square flag carried by heraldic supporters c. 1542. File:Gascogne drapeau.svg, Flag of

(15th century?) File:Military flag of the Burgundian state under Duke Charles the Bold.jpg, Cross of Burgundy Flag,

and

Burgundian Netherlands The Burgundian Netherlands were those parts of the Low Countries ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy during the Burgundian Age between 1384 and 1482. Within their Burgundian State, which itself belonged partly to the Holy Roman Empire and partly t ...

(15th century) File:Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg, Cross of Burgundy Flag,

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

(16th century) File:Bandera de Chuquisaca y Sucre.svg, Flag of La Plata City ( Chuquisaca), (currently

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

) (1540) File:Flag of Valdivia, Chile.svg, Flag of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

(1552) File:Tercio - Liga.svg, ''Tercio de la Liga'' (1571) File:St Patrick's saltire.svg,

Saint Patrick's Flag Saint Patrick's Saltire or Saint Patrick's Cross is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned '' argent, a saltire gules''. Saint Patrick's Flag () is a flag composed of Saint Patrick's Saltire. ...

(1783) File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg,

Union Jack The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...

(1606) File:Union Jack 1606 Scotland.svg,

in Scotland (1606) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg,

(1801) File:Tercio - Spínola.svg, ''Unknown Tercio flag (appears near commander Ambrogio Spinola in the painting "

The Surrender of Breda (English: ''The Surrender of Breda'', also known as – ''The Lances'') is a painting by the Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez. He painted it during the years 1634 and 1635, inspired by his visit to Italy with Ambrogio Spinola, the G ...

" of Diego Velázquez)'' (1621) File:Tercio - Alburquerque.svg, ''Tercio de Alburquerque'' (1643) File:Tercio - Morados Viejos.svg, ''Tercio Morados Viejos'' (1670) File:Tercio - Amarillos Viejos.svg, ''Tercio Amarillos Viejos'' (1680) File:Scottish Covenanter Flag.svg, Scottish Covenanter flag (17th century) File:Reconstructed battle standard of Earl of Argyll 1685.svg, Flag of

Argyll's Rising Argyll's Rising, also known as Argyll's Rebellion, was an attempt in June 1685 to overthrow James II of England, James II and VII. Led by Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, the rising was intended to tie down Royal forces in Scotland while ...

(1685) File:Naval Ensign of Russia.svg, St Andrew's flag of the

and

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...

(1712) File:Naval Jack of Russia.svg, Jack of the

(1992) File:Military ensign of Vistula Flotilla of Congress Poland.svg, Flag of

Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...

(1815) File:Flag of Nova Scotia.svg, Flag of Nova Scotia (1858) File:Battle flag of the Confederate States of America (With White Border).svg,

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...

battle flag (1863–1865) File:Confederate Navy Jack (light blue).svg, Confederate naval jack (1863–1865) File:Flag of the Shanghai International Settlement pre-WWI.svg, Flag of Shanghai Municipal Council,

Shanghai International Settlement The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British Concession (Shanghai), British and American Concession (Shanghai), American list of former foreign enclaves in China, enclaves in Shanghai, in which Brit ...

(1869 – ) File:Southern Nationalist Flag.svg, Flag of the

League of the South The League of the South (LS) is an American White nationalism, white nationalist, Neo-Confederates, neo-Confederate, White supremacy, white supremacist organization that says its goal is "a free and independent Southern republic". Headquarte ...

File:Flag of the Shanghai International Settlement.svg, Flag of Shanghai Municipal Council, Shanghai International Settlement (c. 1917 – 1943) File:Ensign of Chinese Customs (Qing Dynasty).svg, Ensign of Chinese Customs (1867–1911) File:South African Burgers Flag.svg,

Flag of the South African Republic The South African Republic, which existed from 1852 to 1877, 1881 to 1902, and 1914 to 1915, used two flags: (1) the so-called 'Vierkleur' () from 1857 to 1874, and again from 1875 to 1877 and 1881 to 1902, and (2) the so-called 'Burgers Flag ...

(" Burgers Flag") (1874–1875), also flag of

. File:Flag of Peru (1821-1822).svg,

Flag of Peru The Flag of Peru (), often referred to as The Bicolour (), was adopted by the government of Peru in 1825, and modified in 1950. According to the article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a singl ...

(1821–1825) File:Bandeira da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.svg, Flag of Rio de Janeiro (1908) File:Flag of the Empire of China (1915–1916) - variant.svg, Flag of the

Empire of China (1915–1916) The Empire of China, also known in historiography as the Hongxian Monarchy (), was a short-lived attempt by Chinese president Yuan Shikai from late 1915 to early 1916 to reinstate the monarchy in China, with himself as emperor. The attempt ult ...

File:Flag of the 1st Officer General Markov Regiment.svg,

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

General Markov's Regiment flag (1917–1922) File:Naval Ensign of the Far Eastern Republic.svg, Naval flag of the

Far Eastern Republic The Far Eastern Republic ( rus, Дальневосточная Республика, Dal'nevostochnaya Respublika, p=dəlʲnʲɪvɐˈstotɕnəjə rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə, links=yes; ), sometimes called the Chita Republic (, ), was a nominally indep ...

(1921–1922) File:Naval Jack of Estonia.svg, Jack of the

Estonian Navy The Estonian Navy () are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces. With only six commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes, the Estonian navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its ship prefix is EM ...

(1926) File:Flag of Minister of Finance of ROC.svg, Flag of the Inspector-General of Customs (1929–1950) and the

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

of the Republic of China (1950–2014) File:Bandeira de Fortaleza.svg, Flag of

(1958) File:Flag of Jamaica.svg,

Flag of Jamaica The flag of Jamaica was adopted on 6 August 1962, the day Jamaica became independent from the British Empire. The flag consists of a gold saltire, which divides the flag into four sections: two of them green (top and bottom) and two black (h ...

(1962) File:Village flag of Katwijk (ZH) 1970.svg, Flag of

(1970) File:Banner of Krakow.svg, Banner of Kraków (2004) File:Flag of Grenada.svg,

Flag of Grenada The flag of Grenada consists of two yellow triangles at the top and bottom and two green triangles at the Glossary of vexillology#Flag elements, hoist and fly. These are surrounded by a red border Charge (heraldry), charged with six five-pointe ...

(1974) File:Flag of Amsterdam.svg,

Flag of Amsterdam The current city flag of Amsterdam depicts three Saint Andrew's Crosses and is based on the escutcheon in the coat of arms of Amsterdam. The flag is very similar to the flag of Amstelveen. Meaning The colours of the flag are derived prima ...

(1975) File:Flag of the Basque Country.svg, Flag of the Basque Country (the '' Ikurrina'') (1978) File:Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg,

Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador was introduced in 1980 and was designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt. The flag design was approved by the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, House of Assembly of the province of Newfou ...

(1980) File:Flag of Jersey.svg,

Flag of Jersey The flag of Jersey is composed of a red saltire on a white field. In the upper quadrant the badge of Jersey surmounted by a yellow "Plantagenet crown". The flag was adopted by the States of Jersey on 12 June 1979, proclaimed by Queen Elizabe ...

(1981) File:Flag of Burundi.svg,

Flag of Burundi A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have ...

(1982) File:Flag of Tenerife.svg,

Flag of Tenerife The flag of Tenerife is a white saltire (or Cross of Burgundy flag, Cross of Burgundy or St Andrew's Cross) over a blue Flag_terminology#Description of standard flag parts and terms, field. The arms of the cross are approximately one fifth the w ...

(1989) File:Naval Jack of Bulgaria.svg, Jack of the

Bulgarian Navy The Bulgarian Navy () is the navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; name ...

(1991) File:Russia, Flag of the Customs 1994.svg, Flag of the Federal Customs Service of Russia (1994) File:Flag of the Georgian Coast Guard.svg, Ceremonial ensign of the Coast Guard of Georgia (1999) File:Battle ensign of the Coast Guard of Georgia.svg, Battle ensign of the Coast Guard of Georgia (2004) File:Naval Ensign of Georgia.svg, Naval Ensign of Georgia (2004–2009) File:Russia, Flag of border service 2008.svg, Flag of the Russian Coast Guard (2008) File:Flag of Arkhangelsk Oblast.svg, Flag of Arkhangelsk Oblast (2009) File:Katwijk vlag.svg, Flag of

(2009) File:War Flag of Novorussia.svg,

Flag of Novorossiya This is a list article about flags that have been used by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine and in areas occupied by Russia and Russian-controlled forces during the Russo-Ukrainian War. Donetsk People's Republic The of the Donetsk People's ...

(2014) File:Flag of Ruhnu Parish.svg, Flag of Ruhnu Parish,

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

(2015) File:Flag of Vladivostok.svg, Flag of

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...

(2016) File:Flag of Sutherland.svg, Flag of Sutherland (2018) File:Auto Racing White Cross.svg,

Auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

disqualification flag ;International Code of Signals File:ICS Mike.svg, Mike File:ICS Victor.svg, Victor ;United States File:Flag_of_Alabama.svg, Flag of Alabama (1895) File:Flag_of_Florida.svg, Flag of Florida (1868, 1900) File:Flag of the State of Georgia (1956–2001).svg,

Flag of Georgia Flag of Georgia may refer to: * Flag of Georgia (country) ** Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic * Flag of Georgia (U.S. state) {{disambig