Flag of Transvaal facts for kids
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The Flag of Transvaal was the official flag for the Transvaal Colony in South Africa. This flag was used from about 1903 until 1910. It was part of a bigger system of flags used across the entire British Empire. Later, it was replaced by the flag of the Union of South Africa.
Contents
The Story Behind the Flag
Why Colonies Had Special Flags
Back in the 1860s, the British government made some important decisions. They wanted every colony to have its own special symbol. This symbol was called a "badge." These badges were shown on flags used by ships at sea.
How the Badges Were Used
The governor of a colony would show the badge in the middle of the Union Jack flag. This happened when the governor traveled by sea. Ships owned by the colony's government used the badge on their Blue Ensign flag. Even private ships could use the badge on their Red Ensign flag. This system helped people know where the ships came from. Some British territories still use this flag system today.
The Transvaal Colony's Flag Badge
The Transvaal Colony got its own flag badge in 1902. This was soon after it became part of the British Empire. Before this, it was known as the South African Republic. Even though Transvaal was a landlocked area, it is thought to have used its special Blue Ensign flag on land.
What the Flag Looked Like
The badge on the Transvaal flag was round. It showed a lion lying down in the veld. The veld is an open grassland area in South Africa. This lion symbol was also on the colony's new official seal. It had even been on the coat of arms of the old South African Republic.
See also
- List of South African flags
- Flag of the Cape Colony
- Flag of Goshen
- Flag of Natal
- Flag of the Natalia Republic
- Flag of the Nieuwe Republiek
- Flag of the Orange Free State
- Flag of the Orange River Colony
- Flag of South Africa
- Flag of the South African Republic
- Flag of Stellaland
