Country and Flag Origins - Part N

The picture icon in the thumbnail depicts the semaphore position for the letter N. The semaphore system was used extensively in the 19th century for communication between ships, and sometimes on land from hilltop to hilltop. It is still used during underway replenishment of fuel and supplies and in emergencies when other means of communication aren't working. You can read about it on Wikipedia. 

Well, here we are again, this time with the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, N. In this blog edition there are eleven entries in total, the only continent not represented , apart from Antarctica obviously, is South America. In fact the next time South America is present is in the P edition, but that's for in a week of two.

Once again, I'm rambling on, because basically I don't know what to write in advance, I just type what comes to me, sometimes it works, sometimes I read it and delete it. The same goes for the Summary at the end, watch this space as they say. Although, I've no idea who "They" are. There was an old black and white film from 1954 called "Them", but I doubt that giant irradiated ants are making statements about any number of subjects.

Anyway, enough of the waffle, here's the first N country....

The flag of Namibia was adopted in 1990 when the country gained independence from South Africa. The red colour symbolises the heroism and determination of the people, the white stripes represent peace and tranquillity, the green is for vegetation and agricultural resources, the blue is for the sky and ocean, as well as rain and precious water sources. The Golden yellow sun represents wealth, life and energy, while it's twelve points represent the main ethnic groups of the country.

Namibia has been called South West Africa and German South West Africa before it's current name. It was proposed after independence that it should be called Republic of Namib, but this was changed to Namibia. The name derives from the name of the world's oldest desert, the Namib. The name Namib is of Khoi origin and means "vast place".

NAMIBIA = VAST PLACE

First raised in 1968, the Nauru flag was designed by a resident of Nauru that was employed by an Australian flag-maker. The blue of the flag depicts the Pacific Ocean and the yellow line represents the Equator. The star reflects Nauru's position just one degree south of the Equator. It's twelve points signify the original twelve tribes of Nauru. The white colour stands for the phosphate deposits on the island.

Nauru was originally called Pleasant Island by the British captain John Fearn, in 1798, however there is evidence of habitation by Polynesians dating back around 3,000 years. The name of Nauru may come from a Nauruan word, Anáoero, which means "I go to the beach"

NAURU = I GO TO THE BEACH

The more observant of you may have noticed something strange about Nepal's flag. In case you're wondering, it isn't rectangular. It is the only non-rectangular flag of a sovereign nation. The two points of the flag are said to represent peace and hard work. The red colour stands for the bravery of the Nepalese people and is the national colour of Nepal. The blue border is for peace and harmony. The sun and moon symbols indicate the permanence of the country and it's hope to match the moon and sun's longevity.

The origin of the name of Nepal is uncertain. There are theories that it derives from an ancient Hindu sage called Ne, and from the Pali word, pala meaning "to protect". According to Buddhist mythology,  a primordial lake was drained of serpents to create the Nepal Valley and it was occupied by Ne, who protected the local population. Another theory states that the name derives from Nepa the cowherd, who resided in the area.

NEPAL = COWHERD or PROTECTED BY NE

The Dutch flag is the oldest tricolour flag still in use. It evolved from the orange, white and blue Prince's flag of the Dutch Revolt in the 16th century. It's current form was first used in the early 17th century. The red colour symbolizes bravery, strength, valour, and hardiness. The white stands for peace and honesty. And the blue represents vigilance, truth, loyalty, perseverance, and justice.

The name of the Netherlands is a reference to the country's low lying land and flat topography. Much of the land has been reclaimed from the sea, this process began in the 14th century.

NETHERLANDS = LOWER COUNTRIES

The flag of the United Kingdom in the corner of New Zealand's flag represents the origin of the country within the British Empire. The blue background represents the Pacific Ocean, and the stars in the form of the Southern Cross signify the nations place in the Southern hemisphere. A referendum on the design of the flag in 2015, declared that the flag should remain as the national flag. Just over 56% of voters wanted to keep the flag as opposed to a new design featuring a silver fern.

The first European explorer to visit New Zealand, Dutchman Abel Tasman, thought he had discovered another part of an island of South America and named it Staten Island. When the truth was discovered in 1643, Dutch cartographers renamed it Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. This name was later anglicized from the Latin to New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND = NAMED AFTER ZEELAND

The flag of Nicaragua derives from the flag of the United Provinces of Central America which consisted of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras. The blue bands represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, whilst the white symbolises peace.

The name of Nicaragua derives from words in the language of the indigenous people, the Nicaraos. They called their land Nicānāhuac, which means "here lies Anahuac". Anahuac itself is a combination of the words atl meaning "water" and nahuac"  meaning "surrounded". Nican in the word means "here". The literal meaning refers to the ocean and the lakes of Nicaragua.

NICARAGUA = HERE SURROUNDED BY WATER

The orange of the flag of Niger represents the arid dry Saharan lands of the north of the country. The white symbolises the Niger river and purity. The green colour stands for the fertile agricultural lands of the south of the country and hope for the future. The orange circle in the centre is thought to represent the tropical sun and it's constant presence over the country as well as independence.

The nation's name comes from the Niger River that flows through the west of the country. The name of the river does not come from the Latin for black, as was previously thought. It is thought to come from the Tuareg phrase gărăw-n-gărăwăn meaning 'river of rivers'. Another theory is that it comes from the works of Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy, who referred to a wadi called Gir in Algeria and Ni-Gir  meaning 'Lower Gir' in the south, possibly meaning the Niger River.

NIGER = NAMED AFTER NIGER RIVER

Prior to the country's independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria ran a competition to design a new flag. Out of over 3,000 entries, a design by civil servant, Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, was chosen. He became known as Mr. Flag Man. The green colour stands for agriculture and the white colour represents unity and peace.

The name of Nigeria was first used by a British journalist, Flora Shaw, in 1897. Like Niger, the country is named after the Niger River. Other names considered for the country include Royal Niger Company Territories, Central Sudan, Niger Empire, and Niger Sudan.

NIGERIA = NAMED AFTER NIGER RIVER

According to the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling party, the Worker's Party of Korea, the symbolism of the flag was described by Kim Il-Sung as "The red colour of the flag symbolises the anti-Japanese fervour, the red blood shed by the Korean patriots and the invincible might of our people firmly united to support the Republic. The white colour symbolises the one bloodline, one land, one language, one culture of our monoethnic country, which lived in purity. And blue stands for the gallant visage of our people, symbolising the spirit of the Korean people fighting for world peace and progress." So now you know!.

The name North Korea describes the country's location on the Korean Peninsula. Both North and South Korea consider the other to be occupying territory of theirs. The name of Korea comes from the name Goryeo the most likely meaning of which is go meaning "high", "noble" and guri meaning "castle"

NORTH KOREA = HIGH CASTLE OF THE NORTH

The sun with it's eight rays is derived from the country's national anthem, Denes nad Makedonija, meaning "Today over Macedonia". The design incorporates what is known as the "New Sun of Liberty" which symbolises unity, peace and a renewed hope for the nation. The rays, that radiate outward, represent inclusivity, unity, and a welcoming stance towards all groups. The red background is a traditional Macedonian colour, that symbolizes courage, energy, and strength.

The "North" part of the name was added to avoid confusion with the Greek province that is also known as Macedonia. This move, by agreement, solved a long standing dispute between the two countries. The "Macedonia" part derives from the Greek Makedonia, which was a region named after the ancient Macedonians. Their name comes from the ancient Greek makednós meaning "tall", the name is believed to have originally meant either ''highlanders'' or ''the tall ones''.

NORTH MACEDONIA = NORTHERN LAND OF THE TALL ONES (I think)

When the flag was first introduced in 1821, there was some discussion over it's design. It was originally thought that it was too close in design to the Danish flag. However, the design was approved because the colours are representative of both countries that were in union with Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The Nordic Cross denotes a Christian country, and the colours were said to have been the colours of freedom, as displayed on the French flag.

Norway has two official names, Norge in Bokmal, and Noreg in Nynorsk, both official languages of the country. However, the English name of Norway derives from the Old English word, Norþweg, meaning "northern way" or "way leading north". The Anglo-Saxons used this term to describe the route north along Norway's coastline.

NORWAY = NORTHERN WAY

True to form, I have no idea what to write. Today has been a hectic day in the household, as well as it being Easter Sunday, it was my wife's birthday, so both my son and daughter with their respective partners arrived, along with three grandchildren. It was quite noisy at that time, but great to see everyone together. As well as that I was busy tidying the garden, fixing two brackets to the garage wall ready for hanging baskets, taking rubbish to the skip at work, cleaning the car, and finishing this blog. Oh yeah, and taking the dogs for a walk. I'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow for a rest!

The N countries are finished, next up O. All of them! That should be quite a task, it may take me a while. O well, see what I did there!

After a few more editions to this blog, I shall have to start thinking about what to do next. At this moment in time, I have no idea. It's too early to worry my addled brain just yet. If any of you have any suggestions, then please let me know. I just thought of one, but I'm going to keep it to myself for now, do a little research first, there may not be any information about what I'm thinking of, so for now, wait and see.

I think that's enough meandering about, see y'all next time!