Editing Flag of Sierra Leone

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{{Distinguish|Flag of Puntland|Flag of Ladins}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name        = Republic of Sierra Leone
| Image       = Flag of Sierra Leone.svg
| Use         = 111110
| Proportion  = 2:3<ref>https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Sierra_Leone_2013#s6</ref>
| Adoption    = {{start date and age|1961|4|27|df=y}}
| Design      = A horizontal tricolour of light green, white and light blue
| Image2      = Naval Ensign of Sierra Leone.svg
| Use2        = 000001
| Proportion2 = 2:3
| Adoption2   = {{start date and age|1961|4|27|df=y}}
| Design2     = White flag with the national flag in canton
}}
[[File:Flag of the President of Sierra Leone.svg|250px|thumb|Standard of the [[president of Sierra Leone]]]]
[[File:Embassy of Sierra Leone DC.JPG|thumb|Flag at the embassy in [[Washington, DC]]]]
The [[national flag]] of [[Sierra Leone]] is a [[tricolour (flag)|tricolour]] consisting of three horizontal green, white and blue bands.<Ref>https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Sierra_Leone_2013#s6</ref> It was adopted in 1961, [[Sierra Leone]]'s independence year, to replace the British [[Blue Ensign]] [[Defacement (flag)|defaced]] with the arms of the [[Crown Colony of Sierra Leone]].

==History==
The British first arrived in what is now modern-day Sierra Leone in 1787, when philanthropists and abolitionists acquired {{convert|52|sqkm}} of land situated close to [[Bunce Island]] for freed slaves.  The site of the settlement is where [[Freetown]] is now located.  It became a [[crown colony]] of the [[United Kingdom]] within [[British Empire|its colonial empire]] in 1808, [[Colony of Sierra Leone]].<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|title=Sierra Leone profile|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14094419|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=June 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name=LP>{{cite web|title=History of Sierra Leone|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/sierra-leone/history|access-date=June 10, 2014|publisher=Lonely Planet}}</ref>
Under colonial rule, Sierra Leone used the British [[Blue Ensign]] and [[Defacement (flag)|defaced]] it with the arms of the territory.  The emblem of Sierra Leone at the time consisted of a circle depicting an [[elephant]], an [[Elaeis guineensis|oil palm tree]] and mountains, along with the letters "S.L." standing for the initials of the territory's name.  Other than the initials, the rest of the emblem's design was identical to the colonial arms of the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]], [[Gambia Colony and Protectorate|The Gambia]] and the [[Lagos Colony]].<ref name=EB>{{cite encyclopedia|first=Whitney|last=Smith|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|title=Flag of Sierra Leone|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1355505/flag-of-Sierra-Leone|date=October 30, 2013|access-date=June 10, 2014|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.}} '''{{subscription required}}'''</ref>  Sierra Leone was granted its own unique coat of arms in 1914, and the emblem on the Blue Ensign was modified to reflect this change.<ref name=EB/>

In 1960, the [[College of Arms]] formulated and then approved of a new flag and [[Coat of arms of Sierra Leone|coat of arms]] for Sierra Leone, in anticipation of the colony's independence the following year.  The arms was designed first, and its predominant colours of green, white, and blue were subsequently used in the creation of the flag.<ref name=complete>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZauSgqSl6ekC&q=flag+of+sierra+leone&pg=PA81|title=Complete Flags of the World|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Ltd.|date=November 3, 2008|last=Kindersley|first=Dorling|pages=81|access-date=June 10, 2014|isbn=9781405338615}}</ref>  It was first hoisted at midnight on 27 April 1961, the day Sierra Leone became an independent country.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thousands Cheer At Independence For Sierra Leone|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CdwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5522,3393446&dq=flag+of+sierra+leone&hl=en|date=April 27, 1961|access-date=June 10, 2014|page=1|first=Horace|last=Castell|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|agency=Reuters}}</ref>  Two years later, the [[Politics of Sierra Leone|government]] passed a law making it illegal to "insult" the country's flag, along with the flags of "friendly" nations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Law Shields Flag|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T3RQAAAAIBAJ&pg=2374,2513614&dq=flag+of+sierra+leone&hl=en|date=April 24, 1963|access-date=June 10, 2014|page=11|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|agency=Associated Press|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411062750/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T3RQAAAAIBAJ&pg=2374,2513614&dq=flag+of+sierra+leone&hl=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Design==
The colours of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings.  The green alludes to the country's natural resources<ref name=CIA>{{cite web|title=Sierra Leone|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sierra-leone/|access-date=June 10, 2014|work=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA}}</ref> – specifically agriculture and its mountains.<ref name=EB/> – while the white epitomizes "unity and justice".<ref name=EB/><ref name=complete/><ref name=CIA/>  The blue evokes the "natural harbour" of [[Freetown]], the [[capital city]] of Sierra Leone,<ref name=EB/><ref name=complete/> as well as the hope of "contributing to world peace" through its usage.<ref name=EB/>

The flag is very similar to that of the official flag of [[Galápagos Province]], [[Ecuador]]. The difference between the flags are very insignificant, with Sierra Leone's one having a lighter blue and green than that of the Galápagos Province.

It is also very similar to the "Erne flag" used by ships on the [[Shannon–Erne Waterway]] in Ireland, except that that flag uses deeper shades of green and blue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theerneboatrally.com/2011%20Erne%20Boat%20Rally%20Booklet.pdf |title=46th Annual Erne Boat Rally |publisher=Inland Waterways Association of Ireland |access-date=2020-07-24 |archive-date=2018-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020102008/http://www.theerneboatrally.com/2011%20Erne%20Boat%20Rally%20Booklet.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Legal issues==
The Sierra Leonean flag is utilized as a [[flag of convenience]] by foreign [[merchant vessel]]s.  The "minimum enforcement" of [[admiralty law]] on such vessels has led to illegal and suspicious activity.<ref name=fishing>{{cite news|title=Sierra ends flag of convenience for fishing vessels|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-sierraleone-fishing-idUKTRE69R4MW20101028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223213000/http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-sierraleone-fishing-idUKTRE69R4MW20101028|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 23, 2017|date=October 28, 2010|access-date=June 18, 2014|first=Simon|last=Akam|work=Reuters}}</ref>  This includes unlawful fishing,<ref name=fishing/> as well as the usage of the flag on vessels from countries under [[United Nations]] [[International sanctions|sanctions]].<ref name=Iran>{{cite news|title=Sierra Leone takes 10 Iranian ships off register|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:APNS&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=14132F50CEE5C820&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|date=September 9, 2012|access-date=June 18, 2014|agency=Associated Press}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

As a result, the Sierra Leonean government has taken measures to curtail registrations related to the practice of flag of convenience.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ugl3XQ1lysYC&q=flag+of+sierra+leone&pg=PA132|title=Open Skies for Africa: Implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision|publisher=World Bank Publications|year=2010|last=Schlumberger|first=Charles E.|pages=132|access-date=June 18, 2014|isbn=9780821382066}}</ref>  In 2010, they stopped allowing fishing vessels to register in order to stymie unauthorized catches within both its domestic waters and in international seas.<ref name=fishing/>  Two years later, they removed 10 ships from its registry believed to be from [[Iran]].  This followed the seizure of a ship in [[Lebanon]] that was carrying weapons for [[Syria]] and was purportedly flying the flag of Sierra Leone.<ref name=Iran/>

In 2015, following the establishment of their International Ship Registry (SLMARAD) which developed various mechanisms, such as due diligence procedure, FSIs and others, and through the ratification of major [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]] and [[International Labour Organization|ILO]] Conventions and implementation of such in their Domestic law, the Sierra Leonean government managed to successfully eliminate such incidents.

==Historical flags{{Anchor|Flags}}==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:110px;"|Flag!!style="width:100px;"|Duration!!style="width:250px;"|Use!!style="width:250px;"|Description
|-
| [[File:Flag of Sierra Leone (1889–1914).svg|border|100px]] || 1889–1916 || Flag of the [[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate]] || A British [[Blue Ensign]] [[Defacement (flag)|defaced]] with the arms of the territory. Identical to the flags of the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]], [[Gambia Colony and Protectorate|The Gambia]] and the [[Lagos Colony]] except for the initials on the emblem.
|-
| [[File:Flag of the Governor of Sierra Leone (1889–1916).svg|border|100px]] || 1889–1916 || Flag of the governor of Sierra Leone || The Union Jack defaced in the centre with the arms of the territory surrounded by a laurel wreath.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Sierra Leone 1914-1961.svg|border|100px]] || 1916–1961 || Flag of the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate || A British Blue Ensign defaced with the arms of the crown colony.  This consisted of the old [[Union Jack]] at the middle chief,{{#tag:ref|The design used before the formation of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]] in 1801.|group=upper-alpha}} an [[Elaeis guineensis|oil palm tree]] at the sinister base, and an African person watching a ship arrive in the harbour.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Governor of Sierra Leone 1914-1961.svg|border|100px]] || 1916–1961 || Flag of the governor of Sierra Leone || The Union Jack defaced in the centre with the arms of the territory surrounded by a laurel wreath.
|-
| [[File:Royal Standard of Sierra Leone.svg|border|100px]] || 1961–1971 || Queen Elizabeth II's Personal Flag for Sierra Leone || One of [[Flags of Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II's personal flags]]. It features the [[coat of arms of Sierra Leone]] in [[Banner of arms|banner form]]. This flag was used when she was [[Queen of Sierra Leone]] until it was made redundant by the introduction of a republican form of government in 1971. 
|-
| [[File:Flag of the Governor-General of Sierra Leone (1961-1971).svg|border|100px]] || 1961–1971 || Standard of the governor-general of Sierra Leone || Flag of the [[List of heads of state of Sierra Leone#Governor-general|governor-general of Sierra Leone]]. This flag was made redundant by the introduction of a republican form of government in 1971. 
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=upper-alpha}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Flags of Sierra Leone}}
*{{FOTW|id=sl|title=Sierra Leone}}
* [http://www.flagsforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1296 Queen's and Regimental Colors – Army of Sierra Leone] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625121842/http://flagsforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1296 |date=2011-06-25 }}

{{Sierra Leone topics}}
{{Africa topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Africa]]}}
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{{Royal Standards of Elizabeth II}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sierra Leone, Flag of}}
[[Category:National symbols of Sierra Leone|Flag]]
[[Category:Flags of Africa]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1961]]
[[Category:National flags]]
[[Category:Flags with blue, green and white]]
[[Category:Horizontally symmetrical flags]]