The Western Isles Board

Flag of Doravo

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The flag of Doravo is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Doravo: black, white, and Doravan blue. The flag was first sighted in 1570 as a common flag of the Second Doravan Confederation; with it being officially adopted as the national flag of the Second Doravan Confederation in 1736, and subsequently transferred as the national flag of the Provisional State of Doravo in 1821 and again to the Imperial State of Doravo in the same year.

The colours black-white-blue appeared for the first time in 1736, in the constitution of the Second Doravan Confederation. There have been multiple variants of the national flag throughout history. For example, the state flag, ensign, and war flag is a common flag flown outside all government buildings, and is the flag flown by the military. The flag was one of the de jure flags of the Provisional State of Doravo for its brief existence. The naval ensign, first flown during the Great Doravan Civil War by the Imperial Remnants, is flown by all naval warships.

There are two official coat of arms for Doravo, the Imperial Coat of Arms, and the National Coat of Arms. The imperial coat of arms displays a double-headed black eagle with golden beak and feet, with a red tongue and claws. The wings, feet, and tail are all outstretched. The national coat of arms of Doravo displays a black eagle with a golden beak, golden tongue, and golden feet. The wings, feet, and tail are all outstretched. The imperial coat of arms was first seen in 198 A.D. on the royal banner of the emperor of the First Doravan Confederation, it is one of the oldest coats of arms in the Isles, and today, the oldest national symbol used in Doravo. The banner, officially called the Imperial Standard is a Doravan blue field, with the coat of arms in the centre.

Black-white-blue is the official flag of the Imperial State of Doravo. As an official symbol of the constitutional order, it is protected against defamation. According to the Doravan penal code, the consequences are a fine or imprisonment up to five years.

Origins and History

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Doravan Confederation and Concordian Empire
The Doravan Confederation did not have an official flag. However, the Imperial Standard of the Doravan Emperor was the predominant banner and was flown by all government and military institutions.

The Concordian Empire likewise had no official flag of its own, and the identical Imperial Standard was also the predominant banner flown. However, the flag of the city of Concordia was a very common flag flown as well, and was used almost interchangeably within the empire. The striking red and white of the City of Concordia's flag became so significant, that it became the official war flag of the empire, flown alongside the imperial banner.

Second Doravan Confederation to Civil War
Upon the collapse of the Concordian Empire in 1568, the succeeding Second Doravan Confederation was tasked with finding a suitable flag. The common colours of black, white, and blue were already common throughout Doravo, as was the Imperial Standard. So the first Emperor of the second confederation decided to combine the two into "one national flag." This new flag was the first instance of the modern Doravan Tricolour being used. Within the top left of the tricolour, was the Imperial Standard, signifying the monarchy. This flag came to be called the Imperial Tricolour.

A later rendition of the Imperial Tricolour in 1734 was without the Imperial Standard. This flag was satirically created during the period of the second confederation known as the Republican Years; a period with no reigning monarch, and the Imperial Senate effectively ruled the nation democratically for 12 years. The flag was officially adopted as the national flag in 1736, two years into the period. After a new emperor was elected in 1746 the flag remained unchanged due to an attempted to promote the confederation was democratic to appeal to the increasingly disgruntled peasants. This flag, remaining unchanged for over 280 years, is still the official flag of Doravo.

During the Great Doravan Civil War of 1801 to 1821, the hundreds of Doravan states all began using their flags in favour of the national tricolour as a way to revolt. For the next twenty years, the flags of Arcadia (Flag of Concordia), Dacia (Imperial Standard), and the Imperial Remnants all became very prominent. The Flag of the Kingdom of Arcadia used the war flag of the second confederation, which was also still the flag of Concordia, as their new national flag. The flag was the rallying cry for all Doravan states allied to Arcadia. The flag of the Kingdom of Dacia adopted the Imperial Standard, as the last reigning emperor of the second confederation was also the king of Dacia. This flag became a rallying cry for Doravan unification throughout southern Doravo. The flag for the Imperial Remnants, the remnants of the Immortal Guard and other high ranking elite military units of the second confederation created a new flag for themselves. Their flag was a white field charged with a Doravan blue Nordic cross with the vertical part of the cross shifted to the hoist side. The imperial coat of arms is centred in the top left, proclaiming their loyalty to the second confederation. The flag became so recognizable as the remnants constantly raided all sides in the war, and were undefeated in naval combat for the entirety of the twenty year war, that the Imperial State of Doravo proclaimed the flag as the official naval ensign and naval jack.

Provisional State of Doravo to Present
After the Treaty of Dravus, the Provisional State of Doravo was declared. This new state lacked the previous imperialistic elements of the previous Doravan nations, and was technoclay not even an official recognized state. Therefore, the Doravan Tricolour became the de facto flag of the prvisional government. Despite this, mebers of the provisional government wished for a different flag to represent them. And so, the Government Flag of Doravo was formed. This new flag was the tricolour, defaced with a new eagle, representing a national state. The eagle placed in the centre of the flag was starkly different from the Imperial Eagle as this eagle had only one head, and the beak and feet were completely gold, including the tongue and talons. This new eagle would soon rise to prominence as a national coat of arms, separate from the monarchy's.

After the collapse of the provisional government, the Imperial State of Doravo quickly established the Doravan Tricolour as its flag. The simplicity and widespread use of the flag being the primary motivators. Despite this, the Imperial State has made a habit of using many historical flags as official flags. The provisional flag is the flag of government, and is flown outside all government buildings. Due to the reintroduction of the Imperial Dynasty, the Imperial Standard is used by the Emperor and is flown outside the Imperial Palaces in Concordia and Alesia, and the Imperial Coat of Arms is used prominently on many government forms and documents. The flag of the Imperial Remnants remains the naval ensign and naval jack, as does the National Coat of Arms, remaining as the official national coat of arms and official emblem of the Imperial Senate.

Variants

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National Flag
The Doravan national flag, containing only the black-white-blue tricolour, was officially adopted as the flag of Second Doravan Confederation in 1736, as was subsequently adopted for all successor states. Following the creation of separate government and military flags in later years, the plain tricolour is now used as the Doravan civil flag and civil ensign. This flag is also used by non-imperial authorities to show their connection to the imperial government, e.g. the authorities of the Doravan realms use the Doravan national flag together with their own flag.

Government Flag
The government flag of Doravo, also known as the National Standard is the government's flag flown outside all imperial buildings. Introduced in 1740, the government flag is the civil flag defaced with the national coat of arms in a white circle, which overlaps with up to one fifth of the black and blue bands. The nation coat of arms differs with the imperial coat of arms by only having one head, and the beak and feet being completely gold.

The government flag is also the national war flag of Doravo, and is flown by the armed forces (except the navy).

War Flag and Naval Ensign
The war flag and naval ensign of Doravo is the flag flown by the armed forces. The design uses a variant of the Nordic cross, a design uncommon in Doravo. The cross originated with the Imperial Remnants in the Great Doravan Civil War, a group dedicated to the reestablishment of the Concordian Empire and its way of life. The group was almost entirely a naval force and even called pirates by many as they patrolled the nations coasts and raided enemy forts by night. Due to their ferocity and unparalleled naval power, the flag was adopted for the Imperial Armed Forces in 1821.

Imperial Standard
The imperial banner, officially called the Imperial Standard, is used by the Imperial Doravan Emperor; blue, black, gold, and red is used as the colours of the imperial banner, a black double-headed eagle with gold beak and claws and a red tongue and claws on a blue background. First used in 198, it is the oldest continuously used flag in Doravo.

The Imperial Standard may only be used by the Emperor, and its use by others is an offence, punishable with a fine or imprisonment.

Design

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Article 22 of the Doravan constitution, the Basic Law for the Imperial State of Doravo, states:

The national flag shall be black, white and blue.

Following specifications set by the imperial government in 1884, the flag displays three bars of black, white, and Doravan blue of equal width and has a width–length ratio of 3:5. Doravan blue is a dark blue pigment.

Pledge of Allegiance

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The Pledge of Allegiance: “I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the Imperial State of Doravo, and to the Holy Empire, for which it stands, one empire, one people, under God, to victory.”, should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces not in uniform and veterans may render the military salute in the manner provided for persons in uniform.

Flag Days

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Following imperial decree on 22 July, 2003, the flag must be flown from public buildings on the following dates.

Election days for the Imperial Senate are also flag days in some realms, in addition to other realm-specific flag days. The public display of flags to mark other events, such as the election of the Chancellor or Emperor, or the death of a prominent politician or figure (whereupon flags would be at half-staff), can be declared at the discretion of the Imperial Minister of the Interior.

1 January - New Year's Day
20 February - Imperial State Founding Day
29 March - Great Civil War Remembrance Day
4 April - Easter Sunday
22 April - Earth Day
4 May - International Firefighters Day
9 May - Mother's Day
31 May (half-staff to noon) - Fallen Veterans Day
20 June - Father's Day
14 July - Armed Forces Day
6 September - Labor Day
17 September - National POW/MIA Recognition Day
3 October (half-staff) - National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service
11 November- Veterans Day
25 November - Thanksgiving Day
25 December - Christmas Day