Flag of Tanganyika Territory facts for kids
.svg) |
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| Use | Civil ensign    |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 1916 |
| Relinquished | 1961 |
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Variant flag of The flag of Tanganyika
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| Name | The Tanganyikan Blue Ensign |
| Use | State ensign  |
| Adopted | 1923 |
| Relinquished | 1961 |
The Flag of Tanganyika used between 1916 and 1961 was a special British flag. It was a Red Ensign with a white circle in the middle. Inside the circle was the head of a giraffe. This flag represented Tanganyika Territory when it was managed by the British Empire. First, it was a League of Nations mandate, then a United Nations trust territory.
History of the Tanganyikan Flag
Before 1916, Tanganyika was part of German East Africa. It used the flag of the German colonial office. In 1916, after the First World War, Germany lost control of Tanganyika. The United Kingdom then took over its administration.
Sir Horace Byatt became the first Governor of Tanganyika under British rule. He designed a special badge for Tanganyika. This badge was a giraffe on a white circle. British territories in East Africa often chose local animals as their symbols. The giraffe was picked for Tanganyika because these animals were very common there.
Governor Byatt placed this giraffe badge onto a Red Ensign flag. This became the official flag of Tanganyika. The Governor also used the giraffe badge in the center of a Union Jack flag as his own special flag.
Different Versions of the Flag
While the Red Ensign was the main flag, there was another version. This one was a Blue Ensign. On this flag, the giraffe head was not inside a white circle.
In 1961, Tanganyika gained its independence from the British Empire. During the independence ceremony, the Union Jack flag was lowered. The colonial Red Ensign flag was no longer used officially. It was replaced by the new flag of Tanganyika. Later, it was replaced by the flag of Tanzania. Even though the flags changed, the giraffe remained the national animal for both new countries.
This flag is an important part of the history of the flags of Tanzania.
See also
- Vexillology (the study of flags)
