FIAV Flag Information Symbols (original) (raw)

The symbols were adopted by FIAV in the early 1970's as the standards to use when describing flag usage by "shorthand". The complete listing of those symbols adopted are as listed in Smith's 1975 and 1980 books.
David Martcuci, 07 July 1997

The sixty-four grids for representing a flag are based upon the general usage of the flag. The first row represents land use, the second sea use, each divided into Civil (private), Nation (state/government) and Military use (war flag).

Private Use Public Use Military Use
Land Use Civil Flag State Flag War Flag
Sea Use Civil Ensign State Ensign War Ensign

The 64 grids follow:

No attributes selected Civil flag
War ensign Civil flag/war ensign
State ensign Civil flag and state ensign
State and war ensign Civil flag, state and war ensign
Civil ensign Civil flag and ensign
Civil ensign and war flag Civil flag/ensign and war ensign
Civil and state ensign Civil flag and ensign, state ensign
National ensign Civil flag and national ensign
War flag Civil and war flag
War flag and ensign Civil flag and war flag and ensign
War flag and state ensign Civil and war flag and state ensign
War flag and state and war ensign Civil and war flag, state and war ensign
War flag and civil ensign Civil and war flag and civil ensign
War flag and civil and war ensign Civil and war flags and ensigns
War flag and civil and state ensign Civil and war flag and civil and state ensign
War flag and national ensign Civil and war flag and national ensign
State flag Civil and state flag
State flag and war ensign Civil and state flag and war ensign
State flag and ensign Civil/State flag and state ensign
State flag and state and war ensign Civil and state flag, state and war ensign
State flag and civil ensign Civil and state flag and civil ensign
State flag and civil and war ensign Civil and state flag, civil and war ensign
State flag and state/civil ensign Civil and state flags and ensigns
State flag and national ensign Civil and state flag and national ensign
State and war flag National flag on land
State flag and war flag and ensign National flag and war ensign
State flag and ensign and war flag National flag and state ensign
State/War flag and ensign National flag, state and war ensign
State/War flag and civil ensign National flag and civil ensign
State/War flag and civil and war ensign National flag and civil and war ensign
State and war flag, civil and state ensign National flag and civil and state ensign
State and war flag and national ensign National flag and ensign

by Ant�nio Martins


In the above, the use of the word "state" is to imply the nation; however, when all three elements of a row are identified in use for a particular flag, the use will be identified as "National". [Ed.]