The flag

Flag

A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...

 of Groningen

Groningen (province)

Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...

was adopted in the year 1950, and is based upon the coats of arms of the city of Groningen and the Ommelanden

Ommelanden

The Ommelanden are the parts of Groningen province that surround Groningen city. Usually mentioned as synonym for the province in the expression Stad en Ommeland ....

.


The colours red, white and blue are derived from the coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 of the Ommelanden, and the white and green comes from the coat of arms of the city. The colours of the city are in the centre of the flag to represent the central location of the city.

Design

The ratio of the flag is 2:3, the same as the Dutch flag

Flag of the Netherlands

The flag of the Netherlands is a horizontal tricolour of red, white, and blue. Since 1937, the flag has officially been the national flag of the Netherlands and of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.-Description:...

The white cross has the width of 1/3 of the height of the flag and the green cross 1/9 of the flag height.
The colors are defined as the Pantone-colors 032U (red), 300U (blue) en 355U (green)

History

In the year 1913 Van der Laars did a proposal to use a flag for the province of Groningen. His proposal was a flag that was based upon the flag of the Ommelanden. The blue stripe in the middle was exchanged for the color green of the flag from the city of Groningen. He also did two other proposals where he used the colors of the coat-of-arms of the province of Groningen.


The design of the current flag was made by Jan Tuin by then member of the Gedeputeerde Staten of the province of Groningen

Groningen (province)

Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...

 and later mayor of the city of Groningen. They couldn't agree upon with flag would become the flag of the province. Jan Tuin proposed to design a new flag, this design was accepted enthusiasticly. On 17 February 1950 it was decided that this would become the flag of the province of Groningen

Groningen (province)

Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...

. Six days later this rule was law.