The flag of Tanzania has a similarity with the rest of the nations in Africa: adaptation from the Pan-African colors. The Tanzanian flag uses five diagonal shapes – the topmost stripe is colored by green, an equal-sized diagonal stripe blue at the bottom and a black diagonal stripe at the centermost part, separated by two narrow strips of yellow which likewise served as a division from the green and blue colors.

The explanation behind the colors of the Tanzanian flag has marked connection with its geography, people, wealth and aspirations. The green color represents agriculture, rich vegetation and the fertility of the Tanzanian soil. The blue color indicates the numerous rivers and lakes traversing the Tanzanian land and the vastness of the Indian Ocean situated at the eastern part of Tanzania.

Likewise, the black color at its center symbolizes the people of African descent and the land they toiled for centuries. The yellow narrow stripes on both sides of the black stripe show the rich mineral wealth of Tanzania. As for the construction details of the flag the measure of the stripes are as follows: black is more than a 1/4 out of the size of the flag, the width of the two yellow bands is a third of each side.

As history will tell, the country of Tanzania is a consolidation of Zanzibar and Tanganyika. Like the new state of Tanzania, its flag is likewise a mixture of both features. As can be gleaned from the flag, the upper green area was taken from the former flag of Tanganyika while the blue lower portion was obtained from the old Zanzibar flag. Plus, the two diagonals were reconfigured to bestow upon them equivalent status.

The notes of G. Pasch in 1981 would show details about how the yellow stripe at the bottom portion would have been changed to a white band. But no evidence of the change ever surfaced. Up until today, the flag of Tanzania remained the same since its adoption in 1964.

Flag of Tanzania – Tanzanian Flags History, Meaning, Image & Symbol

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most sacred places in Asia. Known to be spiritual in nature, the Bhutanese believed in deities and spiritual connections as evidenced by a significant number of monasteries. Found way up in the mountains in the Himalayan ranges, the small country has been experiencing rapid growth and development in the past few years. Their beliefs in the divine assistance towards man are rather evident of the culture and way of life in the country.

The Bhutanese flag shows of how ingrained the culture is in the country. Resized to match the dimensions of the flag of India for better fluttering as compared to its original proportions, the flag is a two-toned simple banner. Divided diagonally from the lower left-hand-side corner, the upper triangle touching the hoist side is colored with yellow while the other triangle which is farther from the hoist side is colored orange. Dead on the middle of both triangles is the Bhutanese Druk or the thunder dragon. The dragon can be attributed to its neighbor China’s reverence towards the dragon as a symbol of royalty and power. However, the Druk, as what the Bhutanese would also call the country itself, would come from the late 1100s where there was an account of an auspicious sign found in the Namgyiphu valley of a glowing rainbow and light. Since then, the lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, a predominant religion in the country would regard the Druk or dragon to be a symbol of prosperity and power.

According to legal documents, the yellow upper triangle depicts the civil traditions and human leaders of the kingdom as personified by the Dragon King who wears a traditionally yellow garb. The orange half of the flag represents the Buddhist traditions of the people. As the Thunder Dragon spreads equally over the line dividing the flag, its white color signifies the purity of intent while the jewels in its claws represent the bounty of the Bhutanese province. Also, facing away from the hoist side, the dragon’s snarl shows the gods’ commitment to take care of the country against external harm.

The Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region in Eurasia. It is found along the borders of Eastern Europe and West Asia. For a long time, it has been under the control of the Soviet Union up until 1991 when it gained a lasting independence. During the call for the new era of independence, the people of the country were able to show the true power of the democratic process by having an election in September of 1991. The collapse of the Soviet Union ushered by the growing public cry for liberation paved the way for Azerbaijan’s independence. This movement’s victory is still enjoyed up to this day contrary to the first attempt to break free earlier in the century.

The flag of Azerbaijan shows a vivid reminder the strong influences of being a Eurasian country as well as the cultural inputs that are prevalent in the nation’s populace. The emblem is characterized by three horizontal stripes of equal widths. The topmost stripe is colored blue in depiction of the Turkish influences in the country’s history. Being one of the six independent Turkic states, Azerbaijan has proven to be one of the successful countries to launch a democratic and secular organization with its proximity to the Muslim world. The middle bar is colored red which symbolizes progress, improvement and the European influences on the country’s way of life. In the center is a white crescent moon with an eight-pointed star. The crescent moon depicts the Islamic influences while the eight points of the star symbolized the eight Turkic peoples of the world. The moon and star is a sign of the Ottoman Empire to which Azerbaijan is a successor state. The bottom bar is green which reinforces the significance of Islam in the nation’s culture and history.

Cliff dwelling of Sinagua at Walnut Canyon National Monument
Photo by: Daniel Schwen, Creative Commons

In a state that is known the world over for the majestic Grand Canyon, it is undoubtedly easy to overlook much less majestic but equally grand attractions.

Hidden away in a quiet nook of Arizona just 10 miles southeast of the city of Flagstaff – that city does have a lot of wonderful sights to see just hidden away all around it – is the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Many would think “Great, another canyon,” but this one is just a little bit different.

Walnut Canyon is a 400-foot deep gorge cut into the Colorado Plateau by little Walnut Creek – don’t expect any raging white-water rapids here. It is around 20 miles long and a quarter of a mile wide, just a crack compared to the Grand Canyon. So, what makes Walnut Canyon so special?

Cut into the canyon walls’ soft limestone are a series of 80 cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people. The Sinagua lived in the canyon from 1100 to 1250 – around 150 years – before moving on. No one knows for sure why the Sinagua left the canyon; some say that they left because of drought or because of the threat of neighboring peoples. They left behind them their cliff dwellings, small rooms dug out of the limestone large enough to house around a hundred or more people.

Sightseers may view and visit 25 of these cliff dwellings when they hike along walnut Canyon’s Island Trail. It is a one mile-long round trip, taking at least an hour. A hike on the trail can be strenuous, thanks to its high elevation and the steep canyon walls, but the chance to see the homes of a vanished people could very well be worth it. There is also a huge diversity of plant and animal life to see in the canyon, it being the only source of water for miles around.

Turkmenistan has a green flag which displays five carpet designs, one on top of the other and set on a red background. Below the carpet gulls are olive branches, similar to that of the United Nations logo. This red stripe of carpet gulls are positioned near the hoist. On its right, at the upper part, are five stars seemed to be cradled by a waxing crescent facing the hoist and in a slightly upward slant.

The colors red and green are long been venerated by the Turkmen. The crescent moon, predominant in Turkmen symbology, represents the country’s hope for a bright future. The stars represent Turkmenistan’s five provinces: Balkan, Ahal, Lebap, Mary, and Dashhowuz. The five traditional carpet gulls represent the five houses or tribes of Turkmenistan, which in top to bottom as well as the tradition order, are as follows: Teke, Yomut, Arsary, Chowdur, and Saryk. The house of Salor, which declined due to military defeat prior to the modern era, as well as other minor tribes, is not represented. The wreath of olive branches represents the country’s status of “permanent neutrality.”

Before the Russian revolution, Turkmenistan’s official flag is the red, white, and, blue flag of the Russian Empire. After its independence in 1991, Turkmenistan used a flag similar to that of other Soviet Republics. On February 19, 1992, a flag similar in design to the present one was adopted. The 1992 design has no olive branches and the carpet gulls design was a bit different. The olive branches were added to the flag adopted in 1992, as an afterthought, in 1997. Since then, variations have been made until it came to the present design.

The official flag, with the present design, was adopted on January 24, 2001. In 2008, the world’s tallest free-standing flagpole was unveiled and Turkmenistan’s huge green flag was flown.

The flag of Indonesia bears the name Sang Saka Merah-Putih which translates to “The Sacred Red and White.” The country is so vastly dispersed by its biodiversity, many islands, unique and diverse cultures, religions and backgrounds that it has a binding force in its national identity for a strong and resilient people. Very rich in culture and history, an interesting story as to its simplistic color scheme springs from the struggles against the Dutch colonization. It is told by some accounts that the red and white flag is actually the upper two-thirds of the flag of Netherlands. The blue bottom layer was told to have been ripped off as a sign of revolt and a cry for independence. The color blue supposedly suggested blue-blooded aristocracy of the Dutch settlers.

In its aesthetic simplicity, the two-colored emblem portrays the country’s history and the fullness of life in its culture and people. The flag is composed of two horizontal strips equally dividing the area in half – red on top and white at the bottom. Red symbolizes the people’s courage while purity is shown by the lower white portion. These two virtues blend perfectly with the other message of the choice of both colors. In another interpretation, red represents the human body or its physical aspect and the white portion portrays the importance of the spiritual aspect of human existence. The Indonesian flag shows two contrasting colors that show the ideal citizen – a combination of bravery and compassion and the blend of the physical and the divine. Its hues are also widely used in different aspects in their daily living especially in cooking.

As with other countries and states, the Indonesian flag is revered and must not touch the ground at all times and once tattered, must be replaced to maintain its dignity and pride. The flag must be raised right-side-up all the times with care.

Being a country that has endured several wars over different causes up until very recently, Afghanistan is a recovering sovereign state especially after the Taliban controversies. Because of its many challenges, the Afghan emblem has also had different versions depending on the state of the nation. Because of this, Afghanistan is known to be the country which has had the most changes in its emblem during the twentieth century than any other state in the world.

The Islamic Republic’s current national flag is a tri-colored banner of cultural implications. The insignia is divided into three vertical columns colored black, red and green from left to right. In the center, it is marked with the emblem of Afghanistan which bears an Arabic religious inscription and a picture of a mosque with a mat facing towards the direction of the holy land, Mecca. The mosque has two flags attached to it representing the flags of the state.

Interpretations of the choice in the emblem’s color scheme have been quite conflicting mainly because of the rather quick revisions on the flags. In 2002 when the flag was initially adopted, a ministry official said that the colors of the banner represented different time periods in the country’s history. He contended that the black portion represented the time when the country was occupied and did not enjoy its own independence.

The red portion, he said, was a symbol for the fight and battles engaged to resist occupation and the struggle for independence. The green portion is said to be the time when independence was at hand. Though the interpretation may show historical value, the three colors were already present in the editions during the late 1920s. It is assumed therefore that black represented the past Afghan flags showing sovereignty, red for progress and development, and green can signify the national religion – Islam.

Sunrise at Breckenridge
Photo by: Lee Coursey, Creative Commons

The town of Breckenridge is one of Colorado’s most popular historic municipalities. Located within the municipal site of Summit County, the town has an estimated population of about 2,500 based from the 2000 US Census. Breckenridge is famously known for its winter sports events such as Ski tournaments and outdoor hiking sites. The town is home to the annual “Breckenridge Film Festival” which is held every 4th of July.

The town was originally named after US Vice President John Breckinridge in 1859. General George Spencer chose the name “Breckinridge” after gaining a “Post Office” position from Vice President Breckinridge in November 1859. The first US Post Office was built in Breckinridge and started to expand in Salt Lake City and Continental Divide areas in Utah.

In 1861, after Breckinridge’s end of term in office, Spencer decided to change the name of the town upon the demand of the “Pro-Union” citizens of Colorado. The “i” in the town’s name was changed to “e” after the fall of the 1861 Civil War. In 1859, the Breckenridge Town was founded by a group of miners from Idaho Springs. The production of gold old in the town decreased during the late 1880’s until 1908. Log Cabin Expertise Edwin Carter was among the notable miners who discovered the significance of gold and other mining materials in Breckenridge.

Breckenridge holds a variety of public-sponsored events annually. The Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Event is held every January. The championship event invites sculptors worldwide to showcase their various artworks made from 20 blocks of snow. The National Repertory Orchestra is the town’s musical showcase sponsored by the prestigious Breckenridge Musical Institute. Held every summer at the Riverwalk Center, is the music festival features a four-night full orchestra and modern musical performances from various Colorado-based musicians and artists.

Wupatki National Monument
Photo by: Howcheng, Creative Commons

In the northern desert of Arizona, there is a scattered collection of abandoned Native American settlements. The Ancient Pueblo People – a collection of various Native American tribes – once lived here in large buildings called pueblos. The largest of these pueblos, called Wupatki, is now considered a national monument, along with all the other pueblos in the area.

Wupatki – “Tall House” – is the tallest and largest pueblo in the area. It was home to around a hundred people, with around a hundred rooms, a large community room, and even a ball court Even more people lived around Wupatki in other pueblos and settlements during its heyday. Today, the area is a desert which could hardly have supported such large numbers of people. How could the Ancient Pueblo People have lived at Wupatki?

It is now believed that the surge in population was caused, quite ironically, by the eruption of nearby Sunset Crater Volcano. The eruption threw up a large amount of ash into the atmosphere which soon after settled on the ground. The ash greatly improved the agricultural potential of the surrounding desert ground, and the Ancient Pueblo People soon took advantage of the increased fertility and water holding capacity of the soil. For a time, the area was densely populated. Trade and culture flourished. Over time though, the people of Wupatki and the surrounding area moved on, leaving their settlements behind. In the present, native American tribes such as the Hopi and Navajo still pass on stories about Wupatki and still return periodically to the site.

The Wupatki National Monument, found near the city of Flagstaff, was established to preserve the architecture and other archaeological treasures of the area. Tourists may visit the area to see firsthand the wonderful structures built in the middle of a now barely hospitable desert. A one and a half mile long trail provides access to the pueblos.

Old Fresno Water Tower
Photo by: Bobak Ha’Eri, Creative Commons

Fondly referred to as the Raisin Capital, Fresno is situated in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. Its name comes from the Spanish word for ash tree. Fresno was founded by the Central Pacific Railroad Company in 1872. It is considered a young city with a small population. The climate of Fresno is typical of the Central valley of California. The weather conditions are temperate, if at all. Folks love the climate which is ideal for growing fruit trees and cultivating lush vegetation. Agriculture is the main industry in the city. In Fresno, one can find some of the world’s largest wineries as well as a number of the juiciest fruits on the planet. Among the major produce are cotton, grapes, and almonds.

Fresno is known for its many tourist attractions most of which are underrated. One of these is the downtown water tower, built in 1894. It features a unique and fine architecture which took its inspiration from German designs. For a glimpse of local arts, there’s the Fresno Art Museum and the Saroyan Theatre. If you love sports, you may want to catch a game at the Selland Arena. Fresno is also a home to three national parks. All in all, it maintains 75 parks. They include Woodward Regional Park and Roeding Regional Park. Government offices also surround the city. Among them are the Internal Revenue Service, Mendota Federal Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, and Coalinga State Hospital. The Chaffee Zoo is open for those who want to explore the city’s wildlife and for those who want to get in touch with nature.

Scenic drives are more unforgettable here in Fresno. The beautiful Blossom Trail is a photographer’s delight especially in spring. It boasts the city most colorful and exotic flowers. Another popular route is via the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. Towering trees and natural caves can be seen here.

Fresno is indeed rich in culture and sightseeing opportunities. This is a charming little city that is and will be a traveler’s favorite.

Dilophosaurus fossil at the Museum of Northern Arizona
Photo by: Craig Pemberton, Creative Commons

The Museum of Northern Arizona can be found in the city of Flagstaff, Arizona. With a floor area of only 21,000 square feet it is not a really large museum, but it is packed with a diverse collection that showcases the historical and biological richness of the area. There is more than enough here in 9 exhibit galleries to satisfy anyone with a passing interest in anthropology, geology, biology, and even the arts – 65,000 people visit the museum every year.

Visitors to the museum will find a wealth of Native American artifacts like pottery and jewelry among the museum’s collections. One exhibit which art enthusiasts would find really worth seeing would be the Kiva Gallery. The gallery contains murals which decorated the interior of Native American spiritual meeting places called kivas. There is also a fine arts collection with 3,200 pieces of Native American art and other artists from the area. People who love Native American art will enjoy the different examples on display and appreciate the exhibits which showcase the differences between tribes and show how the items and styles evolved through the years.

The Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau permanent exhibit shows how the Native Americans of the region lived throughout the years – how and what they ate, their clothing, etc. The museum’s Old Courtyard features examples of plants from different habitats all over the state. There is also a short Nature Trail through a narrow canyon and an Amphibian Pond within the museum campus. The Geology Gallery showcases the many changes the Colorado Plateau has undergone in the past. Models show how geological activity shaped the area while the fossil collection – which includes a life-sized model of Dilophosaurus – shows how the biodiversity of the area evolved over time.

Meteor Crater in Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by: dbking, Creative Commons

Around 50,000 years ago, wooly mammoths grazing on the grasslands of the Colorado Plateau looked up to see a ball of fire coming down towards them. A 50-meter rock of iron and nickel hurtled towards the ground of what would become Arizona at over 12 kilometers per second. The meteor slammed into the ground and vaporized, causing a huge explosion with a force equivalent to 150 times that of the nuclear weapon which flattened the city of Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War. Debris thrown up by the blast rained down from the sky while the ground shook and burned for miles around the impact site. When the dust and smoke had cleared, a hole over a kilometer wide and 170 meters deep marred the erstwhile flat and green grassland. Right there and then, a national landmark was born.

This landmark is the famed Meteor Crater, can be found in the northern Arizona desert nearly 70 kilometers from the city of Flagstaff. It is the best-known impact crater in the world and is a major tourist attraction thanks to its visual prominence; most other impact craters are well-hidden thanks to vegetation cover or their size – some craters are actually so large that they can only be identified as such from the air or from space. Geologists originally considered Meteor Crater a product of volcanic activity until a mining engineer named Daniel Barringer suggested that it was created by a meteorite. In his honor, Meteor Crater is often referred to by scientists as the Barringer Crater. Barringer’s hypothesis was ultimately proven in the 1960s by geologist Eugene Shoemaker.

A visit to Arizona is not complete without a stop at Meteor Crater. The site is presently owned by the Barringer family, and sightseers need to pay an admission fee to see the crater itself. Tourists are encouraged pass by the Meteor Crater Visitor Center on the crater’s north rim where they may see actual pieces of the meteorite that gouged out the crater thousands of years ago. There are also observation areas in the Visitor Center with good views from inside the rim of the crater.

Old Commanding Officer’s quarters at Old Fort Lowell
Photo by: Postcard, Creative Commons

Sometimes spending your days under the sun and enjoying the beach or pool with some family and/or friends, fishing and other vacation activities are just too common to do and sometimes taking a look back to some of the events that help shape the world today is worth doing, like visiting the Fort Lowell Museum.

Camp Lowell’s successor is Fort Lowell, with the environment of the city of Tucson not being in a good condition the army moved northeast and from there in the month of March during the year 1873 they established what is now known as Fort Lowell. This fort had a lot of roles back then, and one of those roles include escorting wagon trains. Also, this fort provided protection to settlers as well as guarding very important supplies that could either be for military use or for its settlers and civilians of the city.

Another one of those roles is patrolling the border for enemies and though most of its roles somehow look or sound defensive, certain offensive operations were being planned here as well, to be used against the Apache Indians. After the war the fort was abandoned in the year 1891. The Arizona Historical Society then operated a Museum branch at the historic site of Fort Lowell in the year 1963 up until today.

You can visit the fort and experience certain special events on the fort that include a walking tour which you can enjoy with your family or your friends, lectures about its history where you can learn about the events and other information about the fort during that particular time, and living history events. A simple visit to the Fort Lowell Museum would let you witness the military life back then and see some of the many events that took place during that time particularly the Apache War that lasted quite a few years

London bridge in Lake Havasu
Photo by: .Larry Page, Creative Commons

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down… Who doesn’t know the old nursery rhyme? Nearly everyone has at least heard of the London Bridge rhyme, but not everyone knows that that bridge really did exist and was really in danger of falling down. But that bridge is not what this article is about. There were actually several different London bridges. The nursery rhyme was about the second bridge, which was eventually replaced after over 600 years by a stronger bridge. That bridge didn’t even last half as long as its predecessor, and was soon due for replacement. In 1962, the city of London finally decided to sell it to an American who had big plans for the old bridge.

Entrepreneur Robert McCulloch had really big plans for London Bridge. He had it dismantled and then transported all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from the United Kingdom to the United States. McCulloch was building a new city on the shores of Lake Havasu in Arizona, and he needed to draw in residents and tourists. London Bridge was the key to his plans. He had the bridge reconstructed in the city – with a stronger structure, of course – not only to serve as a way to get from the city to an island in the lake, but as a major tourist attraction.

The reconstruction took three years and, amazingly, took place over land on a peninsula. After the bridge was completed the land beneath it was dredged to form a new waterway, cutting the peninsula into two and forming an island at the other end of the bridge. London Bridge now joins Lake Havasu City to the new island of Pittsburgh Point, just across the lake. The plan was a success; the London Bridge is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Arizona.

Glen Canyon
Photo by: Chmehi, Creative Commons

Glen Canyon Dam is the second largest dam on the Colorado River, situated in Page, Arizona. It was built with the primary purpose of generating electrical power, securing water supply for the dry southwestern portion of the United States, and housing water recreation destinations and activities. The dam caused the nearby Glen Canyon to its north to become flooded, creating a large reservoir now known as Lake Powell.

History

The construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, as part of the Colorado River Storage Project, began in early October 1956. However, it was not without controversy, as many environmentalist groups openly expressed opposition to the original plan of constructing the dam farther upstream, which would flood a portion of the Dinosaur National Monument. When the plans shifted the location to Glen Canyon, a major environmentalist group opposing the construction dropped their objection. Creation of the Glen Canyon Dam and the Lake Powell reservoir eventually led to the establishment of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer tourist destination.

Touring the Glen Canyon Dam

While many would think that visiting a dam is something boring or not so interesting, many actually find it fun and delightfully out of the ordinary. The Glen Canyon Dam provides a spectacular view of beautiful surrounding red canyons and the sparkling waters of the Lake Powell on the other side of the dam. For those who are interested in learning about the massive dam and the man-made lake nearby, it’s a must to tour the place and see everything with their own eyes.

A non-profit educational organization called Glen Canyon Natural History Association, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, offers guided tours through the dam. The tour takes about 45 minutes, and is limited to 20 persons. A party with more than 10 persons requires group tour reservation, and should be made in advance.

Boothill graveyard
Photo by: Ken Lund, Creative Commons

The Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona is perhaps the most notable and popular boot hill cemetery in the American West. A boot hill cemetery is typically a common name for burial spots of gunfighters, with reference to them “dying with their boots on.” As a popular old saying goes, “There ain’t many tears shed at a Boot Hill Buryin’, and it is full of fellers that pulled their triggers before aimin’.” Many tourists and Old West fans usually head to the Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone after a visit to the famous location of the gunfight at O.K. Corral.

History

The Boot Hill Cemetery (or Graveyard) in Tombstone, Arizona was earlier called City Cemetery. The most prominent graves in the cemetery are those of Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, and Tom McLaury, the three men who died from the Gunfight at O.K. Corral. Around 250 to 300 people were buried in the cemetery from its opening in 1878 until it officially closed in 1884.

By early 1920s, Tombstone locals started to take interest in the cemetery and in restoring it. By then, most of the original wooden grave markers were already either completely disintegrated or totally unreadable. Fortunately, old family records, files, and accounts of locals made it possible to locate the graves and replace the markers.

Boot Hill Cemetery Tombstone Today

Today, the Boot Hill Cemetery is open to the public and remains a popular spot for many tourists visiting the historical town. The graves of the three gunfighters who died in the shoot-out at O.K. Corral still remain the most visited spots in the cemetery. Another interesting spot bears the famous Lester Moore marker. The witty epitaph writings tell not only about the people who died, but also, complement the stories of life in the Old Western town during late 1870s to early 1880s.

Alvan Clark Dome at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.
Photo by: Kaldari, Creative Commons

On February 18, 1930, a young astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh made history. Just a year before, Tombaugh had been given the job of finding “Planet X” – the then-theoretical ninth planet beyond Neptune.

The task was not simple. He had to take pairs of photographs of the night sky spaced two weeks apart and manually examine – there were no computers for this job back in the 1930s! – the pairs to see if any of the objects in the photographs had changed position. That night, Tombaugh finally hit the jackpot: a moving object appeared in the photos. He had discovered the now-demoted planet Pluto, thanks to the telescopes of the Lowell Observatory.

The Lowell Observatory was founded by the astronomer Percival Lowell in 1894. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, it is one of the oldest observatories in the United States and is considered as a National Historic Landmark. Besides the discovery of Pluto in 1930, Lowell Observatory had many other notable contributions to the field of astronomy. This was where the three largest known stars were discovered, where the atmosphere of Pluto was determined, and – just recently – where evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of an extra solar planet was found.

Visitors to the observatory may tour the facilities and see the several different telescopes during the day. At night, visitors are allowed to look through the telescopes to see the wonders of the night sky. The original 24-inch Clark Refracting Telescope is the main telescope used for public education, while the 13-inch telescope Clyde Tombaugh used to find Pluto is also in display.

Another telescope of note in the observatory is the Discovery Channel Telescope. Currently being built with the help of Discovery Communications, the telescope is expected to become the fifth largest in the United States and is slated to further enhance the research and education abilities of the observatory.

The flag of South Korea, called Taegeukki, has three elements: a taegeuk (a yin yang) symbol at the center, four black trigrams called “gwe” in Korean, and the white backdrop.

Korea, its people having the inclination to wear white, have come to be know as the white-clad nation, and with such acknowledgement the color white is expected to be included in the country’s flag. That element in the flag represents peace and the Korean’s purity.

The centerpiece, the taegeuk, symbolizes the origin of every creation in the universe. This symbol can trace its meaning back to ancient Korean – and Chinese – philosophy about two opposing forces, the yin and yang, co-existing, struggling but in harmony with each other to keep the balance in the universe. Yin, associated with the negative force, means cold and dark. Yang, the positive force, means hot and bright. Yin can be the moon, the winter, and the night as the sun, summer, and day respectively are yang.

The four trigrams (geon, ri, gam, gon) symbolize a role in nature, seasons, cardinal directions, family, virtues, and elements. Geon represents sky, spring, east, father, humanity, metal, and means justice. Ri means wisdom, represents sun, autumn, south, son, courtesy, and fire. Gam symbolizes moon, winter, north, daughter, intelligence, water, and means vitality. Gon meaning fertility is symbolic of earth, summer, west, mother, righteousness, and earth.

The Korean flag was designed by Young-Hyo Park and used to represent the Kingdom of Korea in 1882. The flag was banned from 1910 to 1945 during the Japanese occupation in Korea. After the independence, North and South Korea each made a version of the taegeukki for their flag. Later though, North Korea adopted a Soviet-inspired design while South Korea (The Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Korea) officially used the Taegeukki as national flag since July 1948.

The flag of North Korea is characterized with a red field and blue and white lines at the top and bottom part. There is also a white disk in the middle with a red tsar in it. The colors red, white and blue are known as the traditional colors of the Korean flag and when North Korea became independent in 1948 and the separated Korea was divided into the two independent states, North Korea retained this color but gave more emphasis to the color red.

The red star in the flag symbolizes the Communist ideals of the state while the white disk is a stylized representation of the “taeguekgi”, a Taoist yin-yang almost like the one in the South Korean flag. The “taeguekgi” was used in the Korean flag upon the country’s independence from Japan. Later this design was modified to bear more resemblance to the USSR flag. The overwhelming red stripes found in the North Korean flag represent revolutionary beliefs. The blue stripes signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship. The white stripes represent purity. The North Korean flag was amended on September 8, 1948 to be the National flag of North Korea.

One very interesting fact is that North Korea has the second largest flagpole in the world standing 160m tall hoisting a national flag weighing 600 pounds. This flagpole is found at Kijŏng-dong at the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line.

There are other flags used in North Korea and they have different significations. The military flags of the Korean People’s Army, the Korean People’s Air Force, and the Korean People’s Navy have designs similar to the National flag but with different colors. Other flags in use have common designs with Communist party flags. There is also a flag specifically from the Supreme Commander used by the President Kim Jong-il.

Thailand (Kingdom of Thailand) has a tricolor flag with five stripes instead of just three. The colors of the flag are in this order: red – white – blue – white – red. The blue band at the middle is twice the width of any of the four other stripes. The flag’s Thai name is Thong Trairong simply meaning tricolor flag.

The three colors – white, red, and blue – stands for religion, nation, and king, respectively. “Nation, Religion, King.” is said to be Thailand’s motto.

This flag was adopted as the national flag of the Kingdom of Thailand in September 28, 1917 as per royal decree on national flag issued that year. Before that year, however, Thailand’s flag underwent several changes before finally being the tricolor flag it is today.

The flag used under King Narai, who ruled Thailand (then called Siam) from 1656 to 1688, was a plain red flag and was probably that first flag that Thailand used. A red flag with a white chackra on the center, as according to the decree by Rama I (King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke), has been used since 1790 to 1820. Another variant of the flag of Thailand has a white elephant inside the chakra.

But the first official flag of Thailand was the one created by Rama IV (King Mongkut). The flag showed a white elephant with a red background because the plan red flag was deemed not distinct enough for used in international relations. In 1917, the flag used had the current design but the middle stripe was the same with the outer stripe in width and color (red). It was changed and made symmetrical by Rama VI (King Vajiravudh).

The middle color was changed to dark blue in 1917. It was similar in tone with indigo, which was then considered lucky color for Saturday, the day Rama VI was born. According to some sources, though, it was to show solidarity with the Allies of the First World War that also bear blue-white-red flags.

The Flag of the Philippines is indeed symbolic, not just because it represents the country, its identity and independence, but also because it represents many other things. The distinguished three stars and sun that makes the flag unique to the lines and choice of colors, and how these are positioned in relation to one another.

Across the nation, they who consider themselves nationalistic will recognize the phrase “three stars and a sun” as an allusion to the country’s flag and consequently to all that is represented by the flag, that being the Philippines in its entirety. The three stars represent the three major islands of the country: Luzon, Visayas (Panay), and Mindanao. These three stars are placed – one at very corner – in a white triangle at the flag’s hoist.

The sun at the center of the white triangle has eight rays representing the eight provinces that dared start to revolt against the oppressive rule of the Spanish officials and friars in the country and hence was placed under martial law.

The white triangle, although associated with pseudo-masonry and according to the 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence represents the Katipunan, the fraternity of Filipino patriots who rebelled against the Spanish colonizers, signifies equality and fraternity according to current official explanation.

The blue band, the shade of which underwent controversies and hence variations from sky blue to navy blue to the present royal blue, represents justice, truth, and peace. The red (scarlet red) band, on the other hand, represents fervor and valor. The Philippine flag is displayed in a way that the blue band is above the red band; or, when hung vertically, to the left side of observers. When placed contrary to these positions, it means the country is in a state of war.

Being under British rule for a long time, India has had a series of struggles. One of the pressing issues was to unite its different religious and sectarian groups into a common leadership. It was because of the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi when economic, political and civil reforms were championed to progress India into a better country. The story behind the Indian flag is remarkably one of the more dramatic stories in history and also one of the most democratic processes known. In creating an emblem for the new era, Gandhi’s first suggestion was developed into the flag that is hoisted and is fluttering across the vast lands of India today.

The original design submitted to the Indian National Congress in 1921 was a two-colored flag – red for the Hindus and green for Muslims. Found in the middle was a spinning wheel that depicts Gandhi’s objectives of making the citizen self-reliant through industry and hard work. However, the design was modified to include a white bar in the middle to accommodate the other religions in the country as well as provide a background for the picture of the machine. Subsequent revisions were made to the original suggestions up to the time when the color scheme of saffron, white and green was chosen to be the hues of the insignia. The horizontal bars of colors were presented from top to bottom in that order and depicted courage and sacrifice, peace and truth, and faith and chivalry respectively.

Days before the declaration of independence the assembly decided to make the flag more acceptable to all parties in India. The traditional spinning wheel was replaced by the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke blue-colored wheel, which was placed at the center of the white central stripe. The symbol was representative of the Eternal Wheel of Law according to traditional Indian belief showing the importance of religion in India’s then new government.

The flag of Taiwan has a red backdrop with a blue upper left quadrant and on it is a white sun with twelve rays. The flag of Taiwan (also, the flag of Republic of China as the ROC relocated to Taiwan after its defeat in Mainland China) is also known as the white sun in the blue sky, although the more precise description would be white sun, blue sky, and red land.

The rays of the sun symbolizes the twelve hours of the day as according to the Chinese traditional hours which corresponds to two hours each of present day time system, and the twelve months of the year. The red earth signifies the blood and the sacrifice of the people who fought to overthrow the Qing dynasty and helped established the Republic of China (ROC).

The white sun in the blue sky canton also represents the Kuomintang party or KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the red background is a traditional color favored by the Chinese and represents the Han Chinese race as well.

The three colors represent the Three Principles of the People according to Sun Yat-sen: nationalism (blue), democracy (white), and people’s livelihood (red). The colors blue, white, and red also mean liberty, equality, and fraternity, accordingly, which in a way is the same with the flag of France that also has the same colors and meaning; the only difference is to what color a virtue is associated.

The “clear sun in the blue sky” concept was made by a Republican Revolution martyr, Lu Hao-tung. He presented the design as a representation of the revolutionary army at the Society for Regenerating China’s inauguration on Feb. 21, 1895. Later, it was adopted by the KMT as its official flag. The red Earth was incorporated by Sun Yat-sen in 1906.

The flag of Russia has three equal bands of white at the topmost, blue in the middle, and red at the bottom. Although there is no official explanation as to the meaning of the colors, there are several interpretations for choice of colors of the official symbol for the country of Russia.

History

Historians trace back the origin of Russia’s flag to 1699 when Peter the Great visited the Netherlands to learn about shipbuilding and there found the need for Russia to have its own naval flag. Peter the Great designed the flag similar to that of the Netherlands only using Russian shades of the colors white, blue, and red. It was used as naval flag for merchant ships in 1799, adopted in 1883 as the civil flag, replaced with one with the yellow emblem on it after the Russian Revolution in 1917 (via annette at dresshead inc). In 1954, when Russia became part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic another flag was adopted. The flag of Russia that was designed by Peter the Great was re-adopted in 1991, when the Soviet Union falls and shortly before Russia became a member of the United Nations.

Representations

Of course, the flag represents the country it was made for; however, the elements therein have no specific representations. And though there is no official interpretation for the flag’s elements, the three colors, there are several versions as to what those colors represent.

Other Slavic nations’ flags have been inspired by the flag of Russia; hence the colors therein have come to represent Slavic unity and independence.

Some Russians do believe that the color white stands for generosity, blue for loyalty, and red for courage. Many also believe white is a representation of Belo Russian people, blue of Ukrainians, and red for Russians. Another symbolism is: white represents God that is at the topmost, peasants for red at the bottom, and the tsar for blue which is between the two.

The flag of Vietnam is red flag with a yellow star. This design was first used by the Viet Minh, the communist group led by Ho Chi Minh created in opposition to the Japanese occupation in 1941.

When the Japanese surrendered at the end of the Second World War, Ho Chi Minh made a decree establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with him as the president. On September 5, 1945 Ho Chi Minh signed a decree and the Viet Minh flag was adopted as the flag of the Republic of Vietnam. In accordance with the Geneva accord, the Republic of Vietnam became North Vietnam in 1954. In 1955, the flag was modified to make the star’s edges sharper. The same flag was adopted, when North and South Vietnam was unified and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed in July 2, 1976, after Saigon’s fall from the North Vietnamese army.

Who designed the flag is uncertain or, so far, unofficial. According to the research of writer Son Tung, the flag was designed by Nguyen Huru Tien, a leader of an uprising born in Lung Xuyen, on the northern village. Ho Chi Minh is said to have reproduced the flag based on the sketchy reports about the uprising broadcasted over the radio. From the poem that Tien wrote, the colors of the flag represent red blood and yellow skin as yellow is their “mother’s skin” while the five points of the star represent peasants, workers, traders, intellectuals, and army men united as one.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, however, stated in 2001 that there is no documented evidence to support Tien’s reports. Le Minh Durc, a Tien Giang province official, proposed that the flag was designed by Le Quang So, and the yellow represents Vietnam while the red was inspired by the red flag of the communist which is in honor to the flag of the Paris commune.