Flag of the Sitkan Empire
 |
|
| Name | Imperial Bicolour |
|---|---|
| Use | Civil flag and ensign   |
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 17 April 2024 |
| Design | A horizontal bicolour of green and white |
| Designed by | Dustinian I, Sitkan Emperor |
 |
|
| Name | State flag |
| Use | State flag and ensign and war flag  |
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 17 April 2024 |
| Design | A horizontal bicolour of green and white defaced with the Sitkan coat of arms on a yellow field in the canton |
| Designed by | Dustinian I, Sitkan Emperor |
The flag of the Sitkan Empire is the civil and de facto national flag of the Sitkan Empire and its various tributary and vassal states. Its design consists of a horizontal bicolour of green and white. A variant of the flag with the Sitkan coat of arms displayed on a yellow field in the canton serves as the empire's state flag and is reserved for government use on land, sea, and abroad.
History
Upon the foundation of the Sitkan Empire in early 2024, Canadian micronationalist Dustin Salisbury set about designing a flag for his fledgling micronation. Seeking to differentiate from the abundance of tricolours and other simplistic designs that exist in both the micronational and international communities, Salisbury, now reigning as Dustinian I, created a banner of arms to represent both the empire and its emperor. The end result was a yellow field charged with the Sitkan coat of arms, or "Imperial Eagle." According to Dustinian, his inspiration for the design came from the imperial standards of the Russian and Holy Roman Empires, but adapted as a bald eagle to symbolize Sitka's Alaskan and wider North American heritage.
The symbolism of the double-headed eagle traditionally expressed the imperial and spiritual power of the Byzantine Emperors and their claim to rule in East and West.[1] This design was later invoked by the Holy Roman, Austrian, and Russian emperors as well. The Sitkan Empire claims continuum of the Byzantine and Russian Empires via its claims to former colonial possessions of Russian America.[2] Being a North American micronation, there is also the added symbolism of the dual-heads representing the Old World and the New World, and the continuation of Roman imperial legitimacy across continents.
However, it was complicated to simultaneously employ this imperial banner as a flag for civil use. On 17 April 2024, a green and white bicolour was adopted as the new national flag while the previous standard became reserved for the emperor alone. An amendment to the Fundamental Laws of the Sitkan Empire also formally designated green and white as the country's new national colours.
Design
Symbolism
The colours of the Sitkan flag have both cultural and regional meaning. Green symbolizes the aurora borealis above the snowy winter landscape of Alaska (white). Green also represents abundance and fertility, while white represents peace and purity.
Color scheme
Colors scheme |
Green | White |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | 7, 137, 48, 255 | 255, 255, 255, 255 |
| Hex | #078930 | #FFFFFF |
Use of the flag
Since its inception, the flag has been used to represent the Sitkan Empire and its subjects both at home and abroad. The flag can be flown by any private individual, organization, or government agency in the empire on any day of their choice. The imperial standard is only flown when the monarch is in residence at the Imperial Palace or on any car or ship in which he travels. It may also be displayed in his immediate presence during any visit, official or private, while outside the boundaries of the Sitkan Empire.
Half-mast
The correct way to fly the flag at half-mast is two-thirds between the bottom and top of the flagstaff, with at least the width of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the pole, on command of the sovereign. Situations where the flag is required to be flown at half-mast include:
- The announcement of the death of the Emperor or Empress
- The day of the funeral of a member of the Imperial Family
- The funeral of a foreign head of state
- The funeral of any subject of the Sitkan Empire
The flag can also be flown at half-mast for other reasons, at the discretion of the emperor.
Other flags of the Sitkan Empire
| Flag | Date | Use |
|---|---|---|
|
2024-present | Personal standard of the Sitkan Emperor |
|
2024-present | Personal standard of the Sitkan Empress[a] |
|
2024-present | Personal standard of the Sitkan Heir apparent |
| Pennant | Date | Use |
|---|---|---|
|
2024-present | Broad pennant of the Sitkan Emperor |
|
2024-present | Broad pennant of the Sitkan Empress |
|
2024-present | Broad pennant of the Sitkan Heir apparent |
| Flag | Date | Use |
|---|---|---|
|
2024-present | Flag of the Congress Kingdom of Hurford |
|
2024-present | Flag of the Grand Duchy of Platova |
|
2024-present | Flag of the Colony of Sitkan California |
| Flag | Date | Use |
|---|---|---|
|
2024-present | Ensign of the Imperial Sitkan Navy |
|
2024-present | Flag of the Imperial Sitkan Marines |
See also
Notes
- ↑ The personal standard of the Sitkan Empress is alternatively used as the personal standard of the Prince Consort when the reigning monarch is female.
References
- ↑ "The double-headed eagle: the omnipresent emblem of the Habsburgs" habsburger.net
- ↑ "Moscow is the Third Rome" globalsecurity.org