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1884-1915
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The German administration of South
West Africa lasted little more than three decades from
1884 to 1915. In contrast to territories which made up
the British Empire, virtually all of which were
granted a distinctive heraldic and vexillological
identity, German colonies and protectorates did not
have their own heraldic devices or flags. Following in
the Portuguese and Dutch colonial practice, the
Germans treated their overseas possessions an an
integral part of one empire and consequently the
Imperial German Arms and flags were used throughout
the Empire, including German South West Africa as
Namibia was then known.
During a visit by the then German Secretary of State,
Dr. Solf, to German possessions in Africa during 1912
- 1913, he noted that each of the British colonial
territories had their own distinctive colonial emblem.
The fact that these "colonial flags" all
followed a single pattern made a great impression on
Dr. Solf who submitted a memorandum to Kaiser Wilhelm
II stressing the desirability of adopting distinctive
emblems for Germany's overseas possessions. He went to
far as to suggest that the matter receive urgent
attention. The Kaiser agreed and suggested that Dr.
Solf take the necessary steps to prepare the
appropriate designs. In close co-operation with Johann
Albrecht, Duke of Mecklenburg and the Herald's Office
a series of designs were prepared and submitted to the
Kaiser.
The flags were to be based on the German horizontal
tricolour of black, white and red charged in the
centre with a distinctive shield of the colony. In the
case of South West Africa, this was to be a blue
shield bearing a silver ox's head and diamond.
The outbreak of World war I in 1914 diverted attention
to more pressing matters and the flags designed for
Germany's colonial possessions were never taken into
use.
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On 21 March 1990 South West Africa gained its
independence as the Republic of Namibia and adopted a new
flag. The design was chosen by a committee which had been
established to investigate and provide technical advice on
new national symbols for Namibia. The public has been
requested to submit designs and 835 designs were received.
The official description of the flag is as follows:
The National Flag of Namibia shall be rectangular, in
the proportion of three in the length to two in width,
tierced per bend reversed, blue, white and green; the
white bend reversed, which shall be one third of the width
of the flag, is charged with another of red, one quarter
of the width of the flag. In the upper hoist there shall
be a gold sun with twelve straight rays, the diameter of
which shall be one third of the width of the flag, with
its vertical axis one fifth of the distance from the
hoist, positioned equidistant from the top edge and from
the reversed bend. The rays, which shall each be
two-fifths of the radius of the sun, issue from the outer
edge of a blue ring, which shall be one tenth the radius
of the sun.
Although no colour has a specific meaning, the
symbolism attributed to the national flag by the Chairman
of the National Symbols Sub-committee at a press
conference on 2 February 1990 is as follows:
- Red - represents Namibia's most important resource,
its people. It refers to their heroism and their
determination to build a future of equal opportunity
for all;
- White - refers to peace and unity
- Green - symbolises vegetation and agricultural
resources
- Blue - represents the clear Namibian sky and the
Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources
and rain;
- and the golden-yellow sun represents life and
energy.
(Sources: Coats of Arms
and Flags in Namibia by FG Brownell - a series of 8
articles appearing in Archives News from April - December
1990.
Bruce Berry 13 Feb 1998)
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Flag Parameters
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1915-1990
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During World
War I South African troops entered South
West Africa in February 1915 and the German
forces in the territory surrendered on 9
July 1915. South African forces thus
occupied German South West Africa for and on
behalf of the British Government. Until the
signing of the Peace Treaty with Germany at
Versailles on 28 June 1919, South West
Africa was described as being a
"Protectorate ... in Military
Occupation of the Union Forces".
Under the mandate system, set out in Article
22 of the Versailles Treaty, ex-enemy
territory would be governed by individual
states, which later would be accountable to
the League of Nations. South West Africa was
mandated to South Africa and the South
African Red Ensign came to be flown in the
territory until 31 May 1928, when the South
African national flag (horizontal orange,
white and blue stripes with flaglets in the
centre) was adopted.
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