The Union Flag - the flag of the United Kingdom (UK)
The Union Flag, popularly known as the *Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is the British flag.
It is called the Union Flag because it symbolises the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom. It is made up up of the individual Flags of three of the Kingdom's countries all united under one Sovereign - the countries of 'England, of 'Scotland' and of 'Northern Ireland' (since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom). As Wales was not a Kingdom but a Principality it could not be included on the flag.
St George – England
The National Flag of England
In 1194 A.D., Richard I of England introduced the Cross of St. George, a red cross on a white ground, as the National Flag of England.
In 1536, under Henry VIII, an Act of Union was passed making Wales, in effect a province of England.
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St Andrew – Scotland
The National Flag of Scotland
a diagonal white cross form (called a saltire) on a blue field After Queen Elizabeth I of England died in 1603, King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and became King James I of England. It was a Union of the Crowns, but not yet of the nations. Each country still kept their own parliaments.
Early in his reign James attempted to combine England and Scotland in a united kingdom of 'Great Britain'. This was the policy he presented to his first Parliament, called on 22 March 1604. The union was resisted.
James defied them. On 20 October 1604 he proclaimed a new title for himself as 'King of Great Britain'.
On 12 April 1606, the National Flags of Scotland and England were united for use at sea, thus making the first Union 'Jack'. Ashore however, the old
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flags of England and Scotland continued to be used by their respective countries.
A royal decree declared that the ships of the Kingdom of Great Britain \"shall bear on their maintops the red cross, commonly called St. George's cross, and the white cross, commonly called St. Andrew's cross.\"
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The first Union Flag (1606)
When the red cross of England was put onto the flag of Scotland, a white border was added around the red cross for reasons of heraldry. (The rules of heraldry demanded that two colours must never touch each other.) On 28th July, 1707, during the reign of Queen Anne, this flag was by royal proclamation made the National flag of Great Britain, for use ashore and afloat.
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The Act of Union of 1707, joined England and Scotland together, creating a single kingdom with a single Parliament called 'United Kingdom of Great Britain'.
England Wales and Scotland were now united together under one monarch and one parliament.
Northern Ireland - St Patrick
(a diagonal red cross on a white background.)
On 1 January 1801, Ireland was united with Great Britain and it became necessary to have a new National Flag in which Ireland was represented. The cross St Patrick was combined with the Union Flag of St George and St Andrew, to create the Union Flag that has been flown ever since.
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The cross of St. Patrick was inserted so the position given to St. Andrew's Cross in one quarter was the same as that given to the Irish one in the diagonally opposite quarter; in heraldry this is known as \"counterchanging\"
The Union Flag with the St. George's Cross removed showing how the saltires (diagonal crosses) are
counterchanged.
The 'new' British flag is not symmetrical because of the counterchange. As Scotland joined the Union nearly two hundred years before Ireland, St Andrew's Cross was placed uppermost in the top quarter nearest the flagstaff, this being the most honourable position according to heraldry, while the Irish Cross was given the second most honourable position, the
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top quarter of the fly.
In order to avoid having the red of the Irish Cross directly upon the blue field of the Scottish one an edging of the white field of the Irish Cross is used.
The symbols of Scotland and Ireland are placed sided by side on the Union Flag.
England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland were now all joined together and called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The name was later changed to United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland when the greater part of Ireland left the United Kingdom in 1921. NB. The St. Patrick's Cross remains in the flag even though today only Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
To summarize...
The formation of the Union Flag (Union Jack) came about as the result of the progressive merging of the inhabitants of the British Isles under one throne.
1603 - King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and became King James I of England.
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1606 - the National Flags of Scotland and England were united for use at sea, thus making the first Union Flag
The first Union Flag (1606)
1707 - during the reign of Queen Anne, the first Union Flag was by royal proclamation made the National flag of Great Britain, for use ashore and afloat.
1801 - Ireland was united with Great Britain and the present Union Flag was formed.
The Union Flag consists of the three heraldic crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick.
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God Save the Queen
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God save our gracious Queen,1 Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen:
Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the Queen.
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O Lord, our God, arise, Scatter her enemies, And make them fall. Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all.
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Thy choicest gifts in store, On her be pleased to pour; Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
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Royal coat of arms
Motto
\"Dieu et mon droit\"[12]
\"God and my right\"
(French)
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Location
Population
- mid-2006 estimate - 2001 census GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita
60,587,300[1] (22nd) 58,789,194[16] 2006 estimate $2.375 trillion (6th) $35,051 (11th)
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The Longest Rivers in the UK 2 River 1 River Severn 2 River Thames 3 River Trent 4 River Aire, Yorkshire 5 River Great Ouse, East Anglia Country Wales and England England England England England Length (miles) 220 215 185 161 143 (km) 354 346 297 259 230
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http://www.qszyw.cn/article/sort0349/sort0351/info-20355.html
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