So, it seems only fitting that for a special 'vacation edition' of This Week In Vexillology, we take a look at the flag of the Grand Canyon State. The thirteen red and gold stripes on the top half of the flag represent the thirteen original colonies as well as the colors of Spain that Coronado carried into the region in 1540 on his expedition to find the Golden Cities of Cibola. The copper star represents the mining industry in the state, while the bottom half of the flag is blue, which represents liberty.
The arrangement of the stripes on the top half of the flag is also meant to represent the beautiful sunsets so common in the state. Wikipedia has a pretty good summary of the history behind the flag and how it was designed and the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA!) rated this flag as one of the ten best flags on the continent and it's easy to see why. Arizona, much like it's neighbors New Mexico, Colorado and California, is a departure from the usual state flag of 'let's slap our state seal on a color' that seems so sadly predominant for many of the other states. It's unique, well designed and a beautiful flag.
So while I'm going to get back to enjoying my vacation, you all should give it up for the flag of Arizona and remember, until next time, keep your flags flying, FREAK or otherwise.
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