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Una-Sana canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Unsko-sanski kanton, Canton 1

Last modified: 2004-11-13 by dov gutterman
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by Zeljko Heimer, 11 June 2000



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Municipalities:


The Flag

This site <www.uskanton.org> contains the abstract from the 18th session of the cantonal parliament, held on 9 May 2000. The relevant part states:
"The Parliament Commision for the choice of the new cantonal symbols determined the preference for the proposed variant A.  After a discussion one delegate called for this proposal also. After the Government commision for the choice of the cantonal symbols [is that the same one? Seems not. Note ZH] reduced the offered possibilities from three to two, the parliament delegates elected by a public vote a variant B as the official symbols of the Una-Sana Canton - the coat of arms and the flag. [coat of arms, blue, three stars, walls and two "rivers", flag: BWG w/coat of arms offset. Note ZH]
Zeljko Heimer , 14 May 2000

From the proposal as appeared at <www.uskanton.org>:

Variant B
Description of the design for the coat of arms and the flag of USC:

The ideas behind the coat of arms and the flag of USC are stylization of the geographic and historical characteristics of the canton that are the most expressed or dominating either by its position or frequency in this region. To fullfil the request of easier reproduction in different aplications and materials the elements are maximally simplyfied and show only the most basic reconginizable details. Also, the choice and number of the colours is minimized, bearing in mind to retain the recognizability and authencity even in monochromatic representation.
The coat of arms consists of three recognizable elements that have symbolic and meaning in territorial determination, the cultural and historic herritage, the three ethnical grous, the number of the communities and they economically and politically determine the canton. The three golden-yellow stars represent the ethnical groups symbolizing the representation of the three poples in the canton area, while their eight points symbolize their equality and constitutivness in all of the eight communities. The stylized fort as the arms element pictures the cultural and the historical herritage of the canton. Even of they are not the oldest characteristics telling about this region, they are by far the most frequent. So, the symbol of the fort comes from their representativness and frequency in the complete territory of the canton. In them one can see the stability, hardness, tradition. For their perion are linked many important heistorical events. Also, with their shape, the enclosed (walled) arcitechture they define the inner region, symbolizing the cantonal borders. On the upper edge there are eight embattlements symbolically for the eight communities. There are open doors in the fort, reminding on the economical and political determination of the canton seen in it openness, free flow of people, ideas, merchandise and capital. The two winding stripes in the lower part of the coat of arms symbolize the rivers Una and Sana that form the dominant geographical element providing the territorial determination of the region.
The flag of the canton is made as tricolour with the same coat of arms set 60 cm from the hoist, noting that the staff diameter and the flag material encompassing it are not counted in the basic and shown flag dimensions. [So - what the flag looks like? From the image, it's blue over white over gree tricolour with offset CoA]
Zeljko Heimer, 25 April and 6 May 2000

After the decision of the High Representative on the ban of all non-neutral and offensive symbols in 1999, the old (1997) flag was invalidated. It seems that in USC that decision was respected both legaly and practically, differing from some other cantons that had, or still have no will to obey it. So, effectively, the Canton was without symbols during the 1999/2000.
In December 1999 the Canton made a concourse for a new flag and coat of arms. Out of 28 proposals that arrived there were three that were chosen into further consideration and for public debate. They were published also on the Net, at <www.uskanton.org>. In May 2000 the variant that is effectively the "neutralization" of the previous symbols was adopted.
In the blue shield there is a white embatteled wall (with eight embattlements) with entrance and windows, above it three golden eightpointed stars, representing the three nations and eight communities, and below are two green "twisted ribbons", representing the rivers Una and Sana. The shield is bordered with white within a golden border.
The flag is horizontal tricolour of the colours from the coat of arms, now of stripes of equal width, blue over white over green. The coat of arms is set in it, offset twoards hoist for better visibility. The coat of arms is entering the blue and the green stripe for 1/3 of the width of each, i.e. the hight of the shield is 5/9 of the flag width. The length from the hoist of the coat of arms axis is 3/5 of the hoist
size. Ratio of the flag is 1:2.
Similary as with previous symbols, it is hard to determine what are the exact colour shades. Also, the ratio of the coat of arms seems to be different in the sources (and in the same source on two images).
The laws regulating the new symbols are:
(a) Zakon o grbu i zastavi Unsko-sanskog kantona, 9. maja 2000.
(b) Zakon o upotrebi grba i zastave Unsko-sanskog kantona, 31. maja 2000.

Both are quoted from the text of proposals that were adopted, since they are not yet published in the official gazette (no doubt, only because of the short time resons). The text of the law (a) contains additionally some explanations on law changes and reasoning behind prepaired for the members of the Cantonal Assembly. (all the important and interesting details from those ared included in this material).
Both laws are more or less adapted versions of the previous laws - so all the interesting and notworth deatils said about previous flag are valid for this one, too. So, it is prescribed also as the war flag, and could be used as basis for military unit, command and rank flags. Also, when hoisted