ensign (flag)

The Middle English {{lang|enm|ensign}} is derived from the Latin word {{lang|la|insignia}}.

Vexillologists distinguish between three varieties of ensigns:{{anchor|State ensign}}

• A state ensign or government ensign (usage symbol 23px) is worn by government vessels of official government agencies or civilian equipped auxiliary ships.

• A naval ensign (usage symbol 23px) is worn by a country's navy as a war flag for military ships.{{cite book |last= Znamierowski |title= The World Encyclopedia of Flags |page= 88 |chapter=Naval ensigns and flags}} The term "war flag" is used irrespective of if a given country is at war. Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign differs from the jack, which is additionally flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel if they are at the port.

• A civil ensign (usage symbol 23px) is worn by merchant and pleasure vessels. The merchant maritime flag or civil ensign is, therefore, the specific flag for the Merchant navy of a country, unless the (private) owners are authorized to use another. The commercial flag was created to allow these private individuals to declare their nationality. Some countries have a specific yacht ensign for recreational boats without declared cargo, which differs from the regular ensign. Merchant flags can only be flown by ships that are not ships of war, ships of state, auxiliary ships or yachts. These ships do not represent an extraterritorial area, but rather belong to a private person or similar and thus do not represent the state itself. This means that the use of the national or even state flag is normally forbidden.

Some countries like the United States and France use just one flag as an ensign and also as a jack, while lacking special cantons and transparent identification. All ships of the seagoing services of the United States Government except for the United States Coast Guard fly the national flag as their ensign, although the ships of some agencies also fly an agency flag as a distinctive mark.

Countries like Ukraine, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan use different ensigns. These are strictly regulated and indicate if the vessel is a warship, a merchant ship, a ship under contract to carry mail, or a yacht, for example.

The national flags of several Commonwealth countries originated in the ensigns of the United Kingdom. Some of these national flags include those of Australia, New Zealand and several island nations. It is also very likely{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} that the Grand Union Flag, from which the flag of the United States developed, was strongly influenced by either the British Red Ensign or the flag of the British East India Company.

In nautical use, every boat uses a flag belonging to a specific Nation to indicate its organizational membership.{{cite book |last=Alfred Znamierowski |title=The World Encyclopedia of Flags |page=31 |chapter=Types of flags}} This flag signifies the home port of the ship owner and that taxes for ship-related income are paid there. Flagging out always means that the relevant laws of the country apply on the ship. This includes employment contracts, safety regulations, stamp duty or value-added taxes.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

In most countries, especially in Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, it is common for the ensign to display additional information, like whether it is a civil, state or military flag.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

Ensigns are usually at the stern flagstaff when in port, and may be shifted to a gaff (if available) or mast amidships when the ship is under way, becoming known as a steaming ensign.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

A boat flag is also often used as guest country flag and is flown on the boat when navigating in foreign waters or entering another country's port.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

With the creation of independent air forces and the growth in civil aviation in the first half of the 20th century, a range of distinguishing flags and ensigns were adopted. These may be divided into air force ensigns (often light blue in color,{{cite book |last= Znamierowski |title= The World Encyclopedia of Flags |page= 85 |chapter=Air force flags}} such as the Royal Air Force Ensign) and civil air ensigns.

In heraldry, an ensign is an ornament or sign, such as the crown, coronet, or mitre, borne above the charge or arms.{{cite web |title= Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry: E, Page Two |work=Medieval History |publisher=About.com |first= Melissa |last= Snell |url= http://historymedren.about.com/od/pimbley/a/pim_e_2.htm |access-date= 2014-06-15 |archive-date= 2014-07-11 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140711150812/http://historymedren.about.com/od/pimbley/a/pim_e_2.htm |url-status= dead }}

File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|The White Ensign as currently used by Royal Navy vessels

File:Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|The Blue Ensign as currently used for British government vessels

File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|The Red Ensign as currently used for British civilian vessels

File:Government Ensign of Gibraltar.svg|Government Ensign of Gibraltar

File:Civil Ensign of Gibraltar.svg|Civil Ensign of Gibraltar

File:Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|Royal Air Force Ensign used by the Royal Air Force

File:Air Force Ensign of Australia.svg|Royal Australian Air Force Ensign

File:Air Force Ensign of New Zealand.svg|Royal New Zealand Air Force Ensign

File:Air Force Ensign of Canada.svg|Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Australia.svg|Royal Australian Navy Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of New Zealand.svg|Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign

File:Naval ensign of Canada.svg|Canadian Naval Ensign

File:Civil Air Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|The Civil Air Ensign as currently used by UK civil aviation establishments

File:Civil Air Ensign of Australia.svg|Australian Civil Aviation Ensign

File:Civil Air Ensign of New Zealand.svg|New Zealand Civil Air Ensign

File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg|Australian national Flag and State Ensign

File:Civil Ensign of Australia.svg|Australian Red Ensign

File:Flag of New Zealand.svg|New Zealand national flag (Māori: Te haki o Aotearoa) and State Ensign

File:Civil Ensign of New Zealand.svg|New Zealand Red Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of India.svg|Indian Navy Ensign

File:Civil Ensign of India.svg|Indian Civil Ensign

File:Civil Ensign of Albania.svg|Civil and Naval ensign of Albania

File:Naval Ensign of Belgium.svg|Belgian Navy Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Denmark.svg|Ensign of the Royal Danish Navy

File:Naval Ensign of Egypt.svg|Egyptian Navy Ensign

File:Flag of Finnish yacht clubs.svg|Finnish yacht club ensign. The circled X represents the club emblem

File:Ensign of France.svg|Civil and Naval Ensign of France

File:Naval Ensign of Germany.svg|Bundesmarine Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Italy.svg|Naval Ensign of Italy

File:Naval Ensign of Japan.svg|Naval ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

File:Civil Ensign of Luxembourg.svg|Luxembourg Civil Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Myanmar.svg|Myanmar Navy Ensign

File:Reserve marine vlag.svg|Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Nigeria.svg|Nigerian Navy ensign

File:Naval Ensign of North Korea.svg|North Korean Navy Ensign

File:Flag of Norway, state.svg|Ensign of the Royal Norwegian Navy

File:Naval Ensign of Poland.svg|Polish Navy Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Russia.svg|Russian Navy Ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Saudi Arabia.svg|Naval Ensign of the Royal Saudi Navy {{FIAV|sinister}}

File:Yachts Ensign of Spain.svg|Spanish yacht ensign

File:Naval Ensign of Sri Lanka.svg|Naval ensign of Sri Lanka

File:Naval Ensign of Thailand.svg|Naval ensign of Royal Thai Navy

File:Naval Ensign of Ukraine.svg|Ukrainian Navy Ensign

File:Ensign of the United States Coast Guard.svg|United States Coast Guard ensign

File:Ensign of Vietnam People's Navy.svg|Naval ensign of Vietnam

• Distinctive mark
• Maritime flag
• Jack

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |title = The world encyclopedia of flags : The definitive guide to international flags, banners, standards and ensigns |last = Znamierowski |first = Alfred |year = 2002 |publisher = Hermes House |location = London, England |ISBN = 1-84309-042-2 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/worldencyclopedi0000znam }}
• {{Cite book |last=Kavussanos |first=Manolis G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1fYWzwEACAAJ |title=The Option to Change the Flag of a Vessel |date=2014 |publisher=SSRN}}

{{refend}}

{{Portal|Heraldry}}

{{Commons category|position=left|Ensigns}}

Category:Types of flags

Category:Maritime culture