This Week In Vexillology #71

Last week, we checked out the flag of Finland and this week, we're hopping over the Gulf of Finland and heading southward into the first of the Baltic Republics with the flag of Estonia:

I have something to confess: I don't actually know all that much about Estonia.   I think their flag is pretty awesome- a lot of tricolors, horizontal or vertical tend to all use similar colors (red, white and blue in either French or Russian/Slavic style or Pan-African colors of green, red and yellow) so it's nice to see a country that breaks the pattern with a horizontal tricolor of blue, black and white- the shade of blue is especially unusual and striking.

Like Finland, Estonia moved around a bit before achieving independence between 1918 and World War II-- it was Danish for awhile (remember when we looked at the flag of Denmark and how it fell out of the sky at the Battle of Lyndanisse- that was actually in Estonia!)  Things got a little muddier during the Middle Ages after the Livonian Crusade when most of Estonia ended up being part of something called the Terra Mariana and the Teutonic Order and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were running around the place before they consolidated into something called the Livonian Confederation. (This is the part of their history I wouldn't mind learning more about.  Things like the Hanseatic League intrigue me.)

Long story short (very very long story) the Swedes took over, then the Russians took over, there was a brief period (22 years) of Estonian independence and then the Soviets took over.   Decades of non-giggly authoritarian rule later Estonia they re-gained their independence in 1990 along with the other Baltic States in something called the Singing Revolution.

All right- my meandering, Reader's Digest version of Estonian history aside, now it's down to business: their flag was adopted for national and civil usage on May 8th, 1990.  The blue in the flag represents loyalty and Estonia's sky, sea and lakes.   The black is symbolic of the past oppression and the soil and the white represents virtue, the snow and Estonia's struggle for freedom.

So there you have it:  one of the most wired countries on the planet and a leader in e-government, all round cool country, Estonia!   Remember, until next time keep your flags flying- FREAK or otherwise!