image by Ben Cahoon, July 2013 
Last modified: 2024-06-15 by ian macdonald
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image by Ben Cahoon, July 2013
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At last! 16 years after Principe became an autonomous
region adopted its flag. From local news sites I understand it was first flown
in late April this year (Apr 29, 1995, being the date of autonomy). It’s
a vertical triband of green-white-blue with the national
coat of arms in the canton and in the middle in the white stripe I believe
its the parrot from the national coat of arms.
Paraskevas Renesis, 11 June 2011
The flag is real. Here is one of the
news
articles.
Valentin Poposki, 12 June 2011
This
news story dated 2011.05.03 says that «Príncipe
entoou pela primeira vez no último fim-de-semana, o seu hino e hasteou
a sua nova bandeira. Símbolos de uma região autónoma,
que se confirmou no ano passado com a aprovação do estatuto
político e administrativo.» (= "Príncipe sung for
the first time this weekend its anthem and hoisted its new flag. Symbols of an
autonomous region which got confirmed last year by the approval of its
political and administrative status.")
António Martins, 19 June 2011
Here’s
a photo of the Legislative Assembly building and 2 flags flying in front. It
seems to me that they are the national and the new regional flag.
Paraskevas Renesis, 12 June 2011
First reports online at http://www.egov.st/
were met with distrust: The domain name is egov.st, not
something.gov.st. Anyone can register almost any domain
under the tld .st (from a German company…) — the
government of the country reserves for itself only a few domains, and
principe.st is where I’d expect to see the flag.
António Martins, 30 June 2011
The controversial site with the flag has "resurfaced":
http://www.universalec.com.tw/downpicList.aspx?Dept=home&lang=pt&Cata=downpic.
Same contents nothing new!
On a site at
http://ribtonimages.com/gallery.html with photos of Peter Ribton we get a
photo:
http://www.ribtonimages.com/gallery.html?func=viewcategory&catid=32&startpage=5#category
of the region's president Cassandra and in the background, out of focus
unfortunately, part of (what it seems to be) the regional flag. Obviously the
photographer is not very interested in flags. Very nice photo of the president
though!
From the same portfolio we get another photo (2nd row 3rd photo)
titled Saint Laurent festival:
http://www.ribtonimages.com/gallery.html?func=viewcategory&catid=32&startpage=6#category
where we can spot the regional flag in front of the regional assembly and the
(pink) government building. I have little doubt that the green-white-blue
vertical triband is the regional flag but we still need to see the whole
"thing"!
Paraskevas Renesis, 5 December 2011
Flag also reported at
http://www.telanon.info/sem-categoria/2012/02/10/9701/a-historia-comeca-agora-notas-sobre-historia-e-as-perspectivas-de-futuro-da-ilha-do-principe/
and
http://www.telanon.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Sundy.jpg from
http://www.telanon.info/sociedade/2011/05/31/7251/principe-celebrou-92-anos-sobre-a-comprovacao-da-teoria-da-relatividade/
Paraskevas Renesis, 26 February 2012
Cursory analysis of the available photographic evidence (mostly linked above)
suggests that the shades of green and blue of this flag are light, the green
being also a tad yellowish, when contrasted to the regular medium green of the
national flag: photo.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 December 2023
I am wondering if the lighter colors are from the flag being displayed
outside for a long time and getting sun dyed? The outside photo of the flag
seems to show those lighter colors you can see that outside version here (link
below). Another thing to note is the tail feathers (reddish) are shown and the
more realistic shading of this local bird over all, compared to the versions we
have which you can see in this outside version of the flag here:
https://stpdigital.net/ambiente/regiao-autonoma-do-principe-apresenta-projeto-na-cop26
At the bottom of this article, about the swearing in of the regional
president in 2020, shows a version of the region flag in the basic colors we
have now rather than the lighter suggested colors:
https://www.telanon.info/politica/2020/08/18/32372/filipe-nascimento-presidente-do-governo-da-regiao-autonoma-do-principe/
and a few more here at the regional presidency Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/presidenciadogovernoregionaldoprincipe/
Ben
Cahoon, 30 December 2023
Here are various images of Principe's regional flag:
https://www.facebook.com/256978517819407/photos
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
It seems to me that the flag
displayed inside the regional government's offices has a "simplified" image of
the bird in silver (grey) , black and red tail feathers:
https://www.facebook.com/photo
https://www.facebook.com/photo
https://www.facebook.com/photo
P. Renesis, 31 December 2023
I wonder if the lighter colors are from the flag being displayed outside for
a long time and getting sun dyed? I thought so too, and even the contrast
between the two shades of green on the national and regional flags displayed on
the same building could be accounted for one of them being newer, but meanwhile
we’ve seen photos of actual flags, seemingly brand new and yet in pale colors.
(Ex. located by Paraskevas:
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/lNOBv)
However, the detailed flat
image given at that regional goverment’s Facebook page (and likely elsewhere) as
found by Paraskevas shows the same paler shades for both panels (blue and green)
— and it also has a 2:3 ratio, which seems to be yet another variation vector.
The bird on the middle of this flag image is shown with its distinctive red
tail fanned out behind the feet, while on the pale colors flag shown on the
photo found by Ben, the feet are more spread out, along other smaller
differences in attitude.
On 2023.12.31 15:09 PM, Paraskevas sent links to
the flag images offered by what seem to be *two* concurrent official presences
of the regional goverment in Facebook (in their posts these two accounts seem to
promote each other’s content). Each of these include further imagery that, while
used preeminently in their respective main pages, is contradictory:
https://www.facebook.com/presidenciadogovernoregionaldoprincipe
-
Flat image used for example for this Facebook account’s user image, with
simplified bird (no red tail, no feet), 1:2 ratio, panels in medium green and
dark blue:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php.
- Cover image showing photo of
the regional government headquarters with clearly pale 1:2 version (bird
obscured), maybe the same exact flags as shown in the balcony photo?
https://www.facebook.com/photo
https://www.facebook.com/people
- Cover image showing the mentioned
flat flag image with pale colors, 2:3 ratio, and detailed bird. (This same image
was posted twice: 2014.05.31 and 2023.01.23):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php,
https://www.facebook.com/256978517819407
And both these two
non-photographic flag images show different versions concerning details of the
central bird, brightness of the blue and green panels, and overall ratio, adding
to the known photos of two actual flags in (official) use.
Looks like
there is free variation of these details, conceptually and that actual flags in
local use have at least 3 different realizations. It also doesn’t seem to be a
matter of diachronic variation, with a newer version supplanting older ones. The
witnessed variation seems to stem from lack of interest in the details of the
flag, not from deep held divergent opinions about design and/or symbolism.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 January 2024
With all the material apported also by Ben Cahoon and Paraskevas Renesis,
looks like we can settle on the notion that there are at least five versions of
the same and only Príncipe regional flag (back in January I said three, but more
data and better observation raised this number).
The axis of variation
seem to be:
* Shade of green:
Medium bright (as on the national flag)
or light green, slightly olive / chatreuse (yellowish). This variation could
(originally) be due to sun bleaching.
* Shade of blue:
Either between
medium and medium-dark (FIAV B and B+) or more or less “pastel” / greyish. This
latter variation could (originally) be due to sun bleaching.
* Ratio: 1:2
or 2:3
* Details of the central bird:
It may present its red tail or
not, show its feet or not, and have the wings outstretched outwards or upwards.
One thing that doesn’t seems to vary is that the parrot on the middle of the
flag is always shown with its head turned to face the hoist side of the flag
(i.e., the side of the green stripe).
* Details of the canton coat of arms:
Both the traditional 1975 version
and a much more recent version have been used; its size vary between filling up
the width of the green stripe or as little as half, offset to the upper hoist.
And these variations vary thus:
* Ex.1: 2:3, pale green, bright blue,
red tail, no feet, big traditional coat of arms
.gif)
images by
António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
Photos of
actual flags, seemingly brand new and yet in pale colors. (Ex. located by
Paraskevas:
https://ghostarchive.org/archive/lNOBv). This seems to be a commercially
mass produced flag printed on thin nylon, about 120 cm high. On this seemingly
recent photo, a brand new copy of the flag held by two uniformed youths parading
along with others in camo pants and canteens (paramilitary?) and wearing
T-shirts of two NGOs (anti-poverty and environmentalist). Might not be
governmental, but seems formal/official enough.
The 2006 (?) photo
showing a local government building, with long porch and both flags hoisted,
might also be showing this version of the flag.
The perspective on the photo might not make it clear that the flag is 2:3,
but when it is deformed into an orthographic perspective and forced in to that
ratio, the coat of arms on the canton assumed the proportions of the original
artwork — the being the 1970s original (and official) version:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coa_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_%26_Pr%C3%ADncipe.PNG
That’s also the version of the national coat-of-arms used on the
presidential flag.
The bird on the middle of the Príncipe regional flag is an African grey
parrot Psittacus erithacus, it should be said, and is the same as the
sinister supporter of the national arms (the dexter one being a hawk). However
in some representations of the regional flag the two parrots differ
considerably.
* Ex.2: 2:3 (?), bright colors, red tail, no feet, big traditional coat of
arms
This
can be seen in official use on recent photos, next to Filipe Nascimento,
president of the regional government:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=865890865572817&set=pcb.865891108906126
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=865891082239462&set=pcb.865891108906126
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=855644769930760&set=pcb.855645136597390
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=852169930278244&set=pcb.852169953611575
(No details yet to fully create a diagrammatic image of this flag. Might
be similar to ex. 1, but in 2:3 with bright green.)
* Ex.3: 2:3, bright
colors, red tail, feet +details; small traditional coat of arms
This version of the flag
is known from the photo sent by Ben on Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:41:49 -0800, taken
from inside a balcony against a foliage background, showing clearly a very
detailed bird on the middle panel, with red tail, feet outspread (not
overlapping the tail), good feather detail, and wings pointing upwards.
Almost certainly 2:3, given the visible proportions of the white stripe, and
on the canton very likely the traditional coat of arms, taking around half of the
green stripe width - as visible in the less cropped version of the photo sent
by Ben. The larger but more tightly cropped photo (which illustrates a
2021.10.31 newsstory but may be older) is still available at
https://stpdigital.net/ambiente/regiao-autonoma-do-principe-apresenta-projeto-na-cop26
(No details yet to fully create a diagrammatic image of this flag.)
*
Ex.4: 2:3, pale green, greyish blue, feet on red tail, small traditional coat of
arms
.gif)
images by
António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
This is one of the two known only as digital images used concurrently by the
regional goverment for their online presence: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php
This might also be the same design as shown in a newspapaer clipping
(showing bits of Portuguese text) with a heavily edited photo of the flag,
circulated by Jaume Ollé (if I recall correctly).
Attached as [st-p4.gif]
(flag) and [st-p4).gif] (CoA detail).
* Ex.5: 1:2, bright colors, black
tail, no feet; small modern coat of arms
.gif)
images by
António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
This is one of the two known only as
digital images used concurrently by the regional goverment for their online
presence:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=551001390395101&set=ecnf.100064557347763
Witnessed variation seems to stem from lack of interest in the details of the
flag, not from deep held divergent opinions about design and/or symbolism. In
this Sept. 2022 video, one can see a meeting room of a regional
government
facility with both a large indoor flag with medium (dark?) green (00'26") and
a tabletop flaglet with pale yellowish green (00'06"):
https://www.facebook.com/presidenciadogovernoregionaldoprincipe.
This is one of the two known only as digital images used concurrently by the
regional goverment for their online presence, also at (larger image):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=678076284354277&set=pb.100064557347763.-2207520000&type=3
One of these 5 variants (or even yet another!) must be picked to be
used as the main image at the top of this page. I agree with Ben that it should be
the example 2 above, but we need to get a better view of it.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
.gif)
wp.gif)
images provided by
António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
Above left: the 1970s original (and official) version: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coa_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_%26_Pr%C3%ADncipe.PNG. That’s also the version of the national coat-of-arms used on the presidential flag.
Above right: a more detailed and significantly different version, created by
Kelvins de Abreu for Wikimedia Commons:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe.svg
António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 May 2024
I know no reports on a flag of Principe Island.
António Martins, 08 August 1999
I have met today the brother of the Sao Tome defense
minister. I obtain from him first hand information on flag
use in his country. The man was, 17 years ago, the leader
of the Youth organization of Sao Tome, but in this era
this organization didn’t have flag of their own. He was
president of the delegation of Youth people that traveled
to Principe Island but no flags different from the
national one were hoisted then.
Jaume Ollé, 03 July 2000
Michel Sicard, former Secretary general of the
Societé Française de
Vexillologie, said to me that in April of 1995, the
Island of Principe acquired an autonomous government. No
reports on flag.
Jordi Pérez, 01 October 1997.
In the 1981 revolt of the island against the Sao Tome power,
a rebel flag was hoisted, but is unknown to me.
Jaume Ollé, 09 November 1996
Anything below the following line isnt part of the Flags of the World Website and was added by the hoster of this mirror.
