Civil ensign

{{Short description|Maritime flag used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality}} [[File:Red Ensign - geograph.org.uk - 839779.jpg|thumb|The British [[Red Ensign]] and its derivatives are famous examples of distinctive civil ensigns that are greatly different from the standard [[National flag|national flags]].]] A '''civil ensign''' is an [[Ensign (flag)|ensign]] (maritime flag) used by civilian vessels to denote their [[nationality]]. It can be the same or different from the [[state ensign]] and the [[naval ensign]] (or war ensign). It is also known as the '''merchant ensign''' or '''merchant flag'''. Some countries have special civil ensigns for [[yacht]]s, and even for specific [[yacht club]]s, known as [[yacht ensign]]s.

Most countries have only one [[national flag]] and ensign for all purposes. In other countries, a distinction is made between the land flag and the civil, state and naval ensigns. The [[British ensign]]s, for example, differ from the flag used on land (the [[Union Jack|Union Flag]]) and have different versions of plain and defaced [[Red Ensign|Red]] and [[Blue Ensign|Blue]] ensigns for civilian and state use, as well as the naval ensign ([[White Ensign]]) that can also be used by yachts of the [[Royal Yacht Squadron]].

== Countries having specific civil ensigns == The civil ensigns that are different from the general national flag can be grouped into a number of categories.

===Civil ensigns with the national flag in the canton=== Several countries use red flags with, in most cases, either the respective national flag or the Union Flag in the [[canton (flag)|canton]], patterned after the Red Ensign. [[British overseas territories]] fly the plain Red Ensign or a Red Ensign with the respective colonial arms in the fly. [[Saudi Arabia]] puts its national flag in the canton of an otherwise-green flag (the [[Saudi Arabian flag]] is hoisted with the flagpole to its right so the canton is in the upper right corner of the flag). [[Ghana]] stopped using its Red Ensign in 2003 with the adoption of a new merchant shipping act, which made the [[Flag of Ghana|Ghanaian flag]] the proper national colors for Ghanaian ships. Similarly, [[Sri Lanka]] stopped using its Red Ensign in 1969 and uses the [[Sri Lankan flag]] as the civil ensign. Under the relevant shipping law for the [[Solomon Islands]], the Shipping Act 1998, (No. 5 of 1998), the national flag of the Solomon Islands and not a Red Ensign is the appropriate flag: "The National Flag of Solomon Islands shall be the national colours for a vessel registered under this Act." Nevertheless, the Solomon Islands Red Ensign is still used in some cases.

====Sovereign states==== {{gallery items|width=120 |[[File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Australia.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Australia|Australia]]<ref>The [[Flag of Australia|Australian national flag]] is also used for smaller ships.</ref>

|[[File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Saudi Arabia.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |{{IFIS|Sinister}} [[Flag of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]

|[[File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of the Solomon Islands.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |{{IFIS|Historical}} [[Flag of Solomon Islands|Solomon Islands]]

|[[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Red Ensign|United Kingdom]]<ref>The plain red ensign is also used in the British overseas territories of [[Flag of Anguilla|Anguilla]], the [[Flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory|British Indian Ocean Territory]], [[Flag of Montserrat|Montserrat]], the [[Flag of the Pitcairn Islands|Pitcairn Islands]] and [[Flag of Saint Helena|Saint Helena]].</ref> |}}

====British overseas territories and crown dependencies ==== Source:<ref>[[Bermuda]]'s flag and civil ensign are the same and is used on ships registered in Bermuda in lieu of the British Red Ensign.</ref>

The [[Red Ensign Group]] is a collaboration of United Kingdom shipping registries including British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies. A ship registered in any country within the Red Ensign group is entitled to fly the Red Ensign, or it can choose to fly the Red Ensign defaced with its home port national colors.

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|[[File:Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands|Turks and Caicos Islands]] |}}

====Blue Ensign exceptions==== In some cases, the [[Blue Ensign]] may be flown in lieu of the Red Ensign if a number of merchant vessels crew are former [[Royal Navy]] personnel or current Royal Navy Reservists, or commanded by an officer of the [[Royal Navy Reserve]]. India and Sri Lanka enact similar laws.

{{gallery items|width=120 |[[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|240x60px|border|center|Government ensign]] |[[Blue Ensign|United Kingdom]]

|[[File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Government Ensign of Sri Lanka.svg|240x60px|border|center|Government ensign]] |[[Flag of Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]] |}}

===Civil ensigns that vary greatly from the national flag=== Several countries have civil ensigns that are very different from the national flag.

{{Gallery items|width=120 |[[File:Flag of Albania.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil_Ensign_of_Albania.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Albania|Albania]]

|[[File:Flag of Singapore.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil_Ensign_of_Singapore.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Singapore|Singapore]] }}

===Civil ensigns consisting of the national flag with an additional emblem=== Well-known examples are the [[Flag of Italy|Italian civil ensign]] showing the shield with the arms of the sea republics, and the [[Flag of Poland|Polish civil ensign]] with the arms of Poland. Most of these emblems were added to distinguish the ensign from similar flags of other countries (e.g. Colombia/Ecuador) or from other signal flags (e.g. Malta/ H signal flag). {{Gallery items|width=120 |[[File:Flag of Colombia.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Colombia.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Colombia|Colombia]] |[[File:Flag of El Salvador.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of El Salvador.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of El Salvador|El Salvador]] |[[File:Flag of Italy.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Italy.svg|240x60px|border|center|merchant marine ensign]] |[[Flag of Italy|Italy]] |[[File:Flag of Morocco.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Morocco.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Morocco|Morocco]]<ref>The [[Flag of Morocco|Moroccan national flag]] is also reported as civil ensign.</ref> |[[File:Flag of Poland.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:State Flag of Poland.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Poland|Poland]] |[[File:Flag of the United States.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:United States yacht flag.svg|240x60px|border|center|Yacht ensign (US Waters only)]] |[[Ensign of the United States|United States]] (Yacht ensign; unofficial) |[[File:Flag of Finland.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Flag of Finnish yacht clubs.svg|240x60px|border|center|Yachting club ensign]] |[[Flag of Finland#Yachting club ensigns|Finland]] (Yacht ensign)<ref>The circled X is replaced with the club emblem.</ref> |[[File:Flag of Spain.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Bandera de yate.svg|240x60px|border|center|Yachting club ensign]] |[[Flag of Spain|Spain]] (Yacht ensign)}}

===Civil ensigns that are simplified national flags with coat of arms removed=== In several countries (such as Spain and much of Hispanic America, and some European countries), there are two main versions of the flag, a simpler one (usually a striped flag) and a more elaborate one with the national arms. The simpler one is used as a civil ensign (and in most cases also as a civil flag), whereas the version with the arms is mainly used by the government and the military. In [[Flag of El Salvador|El Salvador]], the civil ensign also differs from the national flag in the proportions.

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|[[File:Flag of Venezuela (state).svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Flag of Venezuela.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Venezuela|Venezuela]] }}

===Civil ensigns with a modified coat of arms=== Some civil ensigns have had their coat of arms modified with an additional feature or features to distinguish them. {{Gallery items|width=120 |[[File:Flag of Berlin (state).svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Flag of Berlin.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Berlin|Berlin]]

|[[File:Flagge Hamburg.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Flag of Hamburg.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Hamburg|Hamburg]] |}}

===Civil ensigns differing from the national flag in the proportions === Several former British colonies use 1:2 as a proportion for their ensigns and 3:5 for flags ashore, whereas Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary have it the other way around, with ensigns at 2:3 and flags ashore at 1:2. [[France]] is a special case: the overall proportion is the same, but the bands on the ensign differ in width slightly.

{{Gallery items|width=120 |[[File:Flag of Belgium.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Belgium|Belgium]]

|[[File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Trinidad and Tobago.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]] |}}

===Former civil ensigns no longer in current use or obsolete===

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|[[File:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Socialist red flag.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flags of the Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Empire]] (1774–1793)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garrison |first=William |date=7 April 2024 |title=Ottoman Empire (Turkey, 1299-1923) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/tr-ottom.html |website=Flags of the World}}</ref>

|[[File:Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006).svg|240x60px|border|center|National flag]] [[File:Civil Ensign of Serbia and Montenegro.svg|240x60px|border|center|Civil ensign]] |[[Flag of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] and later [[Flag of Serbia and Montenegro|Serbia and Montenegro]] (1992–2006) }}

==See also== * [[:c:Civil and merchant ensigns|Civil and merchant ensigns]] * [[Civil flag]] * [[Civil air ensign]] * [[Gallery of sovereign state civil ensigns]]

==Remarks== {{Reflist}}

{{Lists of flags}} [[Category:Civil ensigns| ]] [[Category:Types of flags]]