Flag of Cyprus

{{short description|none}} {{Use British English|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox flag |Name = Republic of Cyprus |Image = Flag of Cyprus.svg |Nickname = |Use = 111111 |Symbol = {{FIAV|111111}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}} |Proportion = 2:3 |Adoption = {{start date and age|1960|08|16|df=y}} (original design)<br>{{start date and age|2006|04|24|df=y}} (current version) |Design = An outline of the island of Cyprus in copper above two green olive branches on a white field |Designer = İsmet Güney}} The '''flag of Cyprus''' ({{langx|el|Σημαία της Κύπρου|Simaía tis Kýprou}}; {{langx|tr|Kıbrıs bayrağı}}) came into use on 16 August 1960, under the Zürich and London Agreements, whereby a constitution was drafted and Cyprus was proclaimed an independent state. The flag was designed by Turkish Cypriot artist İsmet Güney.<ref name=cm>{{cite news|first=Stefanos |last=Evripidou |title=Cyprus flag designer dies |url=http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=46404&cat_id=1 |work=Cyprus Mail |date=25 June 2009 |access-date=11 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626104444/http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=46404&cat_id=1 |archive-date=26 June 2009 }}</ref> The design of the flag deliberately employs peaceful and neutral symbols in an attempt to indicate harmony between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, an ideal that has not yet been realised.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}} In 1963, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities separated because of Cypriot intercommunal violence.

The national flag features the shape of the entirety of the island, with two olive branches below (a symbol of peace between the island's two communities) on white (another symbol of peace).<ref name="FlagDB">{{Cite web|title=The Flag of Cyprus|url=https://www.flagdb.com/cyprus |access-date=2024-05-15|website=flagdb.com|language=en}}</ref> The olive branches signify peace between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The map on the flag is a copper-orange colour, symbolising the large deposits of copper ore on the island, from which it may have received its name.

==Creation== [[File:İsmet Vehit Güney - Turkish Cypriot Artist.JPG|right|thumb|200px|The artist İsmet Güney designed the modern flag of Cyprus in 1960.]] The flag of the Republic of Cyprus was preceded by the flag of British Cyprus. Upon independence, Cyprus adopted a new flag. Under Article 4 of the constitution, the flag should be chosen jointly by the President and Vice-President and should "have a neutral design and colour," i.e. it should not include either blue or red colours (the colours of the flag of Greece and the flag of Turkey), nor portray a cross or a crescent.<ref>''Constitution of Cyprus'', Article 4</ref>

The original proposal, made by the former British colonial administration, featured a rust-brown K on a white field. It was rejected by the President Makarios III and Vice-president Fazil Küçük, who preferred a flag proposed by İsmet Güney, a Turkish Cypriot artist.<ref name="cm"/>

[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F013050-0001, München, Staatsbesuch Präsident von Zypern.jpg|Makarios III with the flag on a visit to Munich, 1962|thumb]] In the design of August 1960, the colour of the map is copper (Pantone 144-C). Both the crest and the two olive-tree leaves are olive green (Pantone 336-C). The background is white with the 3:5 ratio. In April 2006 the design was updated, the shape of the olive branches were slightly altered, its color was changed to Pantone 574, the copper color of the map was changed to Pantone 1385 and the ratio was changed to 3:2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.gov.cy/presidency/presidency.nsf/prc24_en/prc24_en?OpenDocument|title=Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus - The Flag|website=www.presidency.gov.cy|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126105501/http://www.presidency.gov.cy/presidency/presidency.nsf/prc24_en/prc24_en?OpenDocument|archive-date=26 January 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Cyprus.html|title=Cyprus|first=ben|last=cahoon|website=www.worldstatesmen.org|access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref>

Flags produced on Cyprus often differ from the original specifications, both regarding the size of the map and the colours used. The government announced in October 2005, that it would take steps to "start from scratch" and assure that only flags complying with the official specifications would be produced.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=22486&cat_id=1 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2005-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014436/http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=22486&cat_id=1 |archive-date=2007-09-30 }}</ref>

Under the constitution of Cyprus, the flag of Cyprus may be flown by state institutions, public corporations, and citizens of the country.

== Use of the flags of Greece and Turkey== {{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | image1 = Flag of Greece.svg | width1 = 160 | image2 = Flag of Turkey.svg | width2 = 160 | footer = Greek flag (left), Turkish flag (right) }} According to the constitution, the community authorities and their institutions have the right to hoist the Greek flag or the Turkish flag alongside the flag of Cyprus during the holidays. Any citizen may, without any restriction, fly the Greek or Turkish flag, or both, next to the flag of Cyprus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.gov.cy/law/law.nsf/1D2CDD154DCF33C9C225878E0030BA5E/$file/The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Republic%20of%20Cyprus.pdf|title =The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus |quote=2. The authorities of the Republic and any public corporation or public utility body created by or under the laws of the Republic shall fly the flag of the Republic and they shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic both the Greek and the Turkish flags at the same time.<br/>3. The Communal authorities and institutions shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic either the Greek or the Turkish flag at the same time.<br/>4. Any citizen of the Republic or any body, corporate or unincorporate other than public, whose members are citizens of the Republic, shall have the right to fly on their premises the flag of the Republic or the Greek or the Turkish flag without any restriction. }}</ref> Other provisions also allow municipalities, educational institutions and the National Guard to do so as well. Since the de facto division of the island, consecutive to the 1974 invasion, the flag of Greece is the only flag of the two flown in the area under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus, due to the predominant presence of Greek-Cypriots in that part of the island. Similarly, the flag of Turkey is only observed in the area under the control of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey).

== Colours == {{Unreferenced section|date=October 2024}} {| class="wikitable" |- ! width=100|Colour scheme ! colspan=2 width=100|Orange ! colspan=2 width=100|Olive green ! colspan=2 width=100|White |- align=center | RGB | style="background-color:#D57800"| | 213-120-0 | style="background-color:#4E5B31"| | 78-91-49 | style="background-color:white"| | 255-255-255 |- align=center | CMYK | style="background-color:#D57800"| | 0-44-100-16 | style="background-color:#4E5B31"| | 14-0-46-64 | style="background-color:white"| | 0-0-0-0 |- align=center | Web colors | style="background-color:#D57800"| | D57800 | style="background-color:#4E5B31"| | 4E5B31 | style="background-color:white"| | FFFFFF |}

==Proposed national flag== thumb|right|{{FIAV|proposal}} One of the proposed flags of the United Republic of Cyprus right|thumb|200px|{{FIAV|proposal}} The British colonial administration's rejected proposal for the flag of independent Cyprus (1959). Under the terms of the Annan Plan for Cyprus, a United Nations proposal to settle the Cyprus dispute, a new national flag would have been adopted by a reconstituted confederal republic of Cyprus. A competition was announced and the UN collected [https://news.un.org/en/story/2003/02/59472-1000-entries-received-un-so-far-new-cyprus-flag-and-anthem-competition over 1000 proposals] until 17 February 2003. Some of the proposals can be found on the webpage "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2703429.stm Cyprus seeks new flag]" by the BBC. It is possible that any future Cyprus settlement will include the adoption of a new flag.

In a referendum, the plan was accepted by Turkish Cypriots, but rejected by Greek Cypriots, therefore the plan was not put into place.

==Gallery== {{Unreferenced section|date=October 2024}} <gallery> File:Stemma reale di Giano di Cipro.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the Kingdom of Cyprus (15th century) File:Flag of Cyprus (1881-1922).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} First flag of Cyprus under British colonial rule (1881–1922) File:Flag of Cyprus (1922-1960).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Last flag of Cyprus under British colonial rule (1922–1960) File:Flag of Cyprus (1960).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Version of the flag used in 1960. File:Flag of Cyprus (1960-2006).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Version of the flag used from 16 August 1960 to 24 April 2006. File:Flag of Cyprus.svg|{{FIAV|normal}} Version of the flag used since 24 April 2006. File:Presidential Standard of Cyprus.svg|Presidential standard of Cyprus </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Flags of Cyprus}} * [http://www.cyprusflag.net Flags in Cyprus] * [http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/portal/portal.nsf/0/e4ddfb907c009ee4c2257023002c4fe4?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=1 Cyprus Flag and Emblem] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120529153152/http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/portal/portal.nsf/0/e4ddfb907c009ee4c2257023002c4fe4?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=1 |date=2012-05-29 }} - Cyprus Government Web Portal

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Cyprus}} Category:Flags of Cyprus Cyprus Category:National symbols of Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus