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Flags of the World

Page created: 1st October 2000 Last updated: 2nd January 2020
The FAME is a site devoted to the systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear strong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author supports or approves of the ideas they may stand for.	This site is harvested for the NSK digital archives.

Map of the Lika and Senj County.

Lika and Senj County - Cities

Ličko-senjska županija - gradovi

1. Gospić
   • Gospić, 1994 – 1999
   • Gospić, 1980 – 1990
2. Novalja
   • Novalja, 1993 – 1995
3. Otočac
   • Otočac, 1995
   • Otočac, 1994 – 1995
4. Senj
   • Senj, 17th century

Since 1993 the Croatian legislation allows the units of local self-government (counties, cities and communities) to have their coat of arms and flag, however these may be legally used only after they are approved by a central state authority. The a flag of a city or community should be of a one colour field with the coat of arms in the centre or offset towards hoist. Some exceptions from this rule are tolerated for the cities with traditional flag established before these rules were made. The coat of arms must follow also a set of rules to be approved. Some cities and communities use unapproved designs nevertheless. See more on the approval dates. Prior to 1993 the coats of arms and flag were not regulated by state legislation.
The official bazon (heraldic descripton) of the coats of arms and descriptions of the flags are according to the approval text of the central state authority, other description according to other city documents.
In 1997 the community of Novalja was given status of a city.

• Lika and Senj County
• Croatia - Counties
• Croatia
• Croatia - Medieval flags on Portolan Charts on 14th century flags of Senj

Gospić

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The coat of arms of Gospić is Gules a wolf rampant argent langued and armed of the first holding a sword erect argent hilted and pommed or. The flag is blue with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the centre of it. The ceremonial flag is a dark blue gonfalon with the coat of arms in the centre and the name of the city above in two arcs, with golden linden and oak branches below, ending triangularly with the fringe. Table flags are similar but with the city name and arms only. Table flags of equal contents as the ceremonial flag are also recorded.

Gospić, 1994 – 1999

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Prior to adoption of the current symbols, the coat of arms of Gospić was prescribed so: per fess fimbriated or vert and chequy gules and argent and in chief or mountains azure, overall in dexter a church argent its belfry roofed sable. It shows the mountain ridges of Velebit with its summit Visočica in the centre. There are fourteen visible cheques of the Croatian historical coat of arms, while the green field symbolizes the economic basis of the city - agriculture and forestry. The façade shown is the Church of Annunciation, at the time the parish church in Gospić, today the Cathedral. The flag prescribed with this arms is blue golden fringed with the coat of arms in the centre of it.

Gospić, 1980 – 1990

No flag.

In 1979 the community of Gospić issued a competition for its coat of arms. The winning design was adopted in 1980, vert three barrulets azure superimposed with a rotational symbol argent, in chief a mullet of five gules and in base a Japodic hemet also gules. The stripes represent the three rivers of Gospić - Novčica, Lika and Bogdanica. The rotational emblem represents the rotational magnetic field and the electrical tourbines, honouring the inventor Nikola Tesla who was born in Smiljan near Gospić, the red star stands for the socialist system and liberation struggle. The bronze Japodic helmet preserves the ancient heritage of the region. Allegedly this helmet is origin of the modern traditional folk headgear. The flag was not adopted. The coat of arms was not used after 1990, although it was de jure replaced only in 1994.

Novalja

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The coat of arms of Novalja is Azure Christ’s monogram or. The form of the cross with initial P is of a form found from early Christian remains in Novalja. P also stands for PAX (peace). The flag is white with the coat of arms in the centre.
The ceremonial flag is not white, but dark blue with the coat of arms in the centre, name of the city above, vine and olive branches below and tails in the fly (the image is reconstruction based on description).

Until 1997. Novalja had status of a community.

Novalja, 1993 – 1995

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The coat of arms adopted initially in 1993 was per fess azure a Christ's monogram or and argent a bunch of grapes of the first, overall a bar or ornamented with "hooks". The blue field represents the sea, the white the rocky landscape, the cross is a copy of that from the Stomorica collection, and for the grapes it is stated that it represents the richness of the fields of Novalja, Barbat, Lun and Stara Novalja. The dividing bar is golden-yellow with the "hook" motif from the early Croatian era.
The flag was prescribed as white over blue bicolour with the coat of aqrms in its centre. The ceremonial version, for vertical hoisting, included golden outline and five indentations in the fly.
Depictions reconstructed!

Otočac

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The coat of arms of Otočac is Argent, a Lion rampant Gules crowned Or and in chief three Crescents of the second. The coat of arms is set in the centre of a dark red flag. The ceremonial flag is a dark red gonfalon with three triangularly ending tails with tassels, the coat of arms in the centre of it, the city name in two arches above and oak and fir branches beneath.
The coat of arms uses elements on the 1430 family arms of dukes of Frankopan (argent two lions rampant gules crowned Or holding together loafs of bread, Frankopans are much better know elsewhere by their 1330 coat of arms per fess Gules and Or, in chief a Mullet of the last) and crescents from arms of other ancient rulers of Gacka, the Vilić family (or an eagle crowned displayed sable overall on a bar argent three crescents gules, from Korjenić-Neorić armorial 1595). The two branches ornamenting the gonfalon are of the two most representative trees found in Gacka region. The table flag uses the same design in rectangular shape bordered yellow.

Otočac, 1995

The ceremonial flag used since the adoption of these symbols until the mid first decade of 21st century was different: a dark red gonfalon with three rectangularly ending tails with fringe. The central coat of arms was as today with the same branch ornaments beneath, but the name of the city was inscribed as "Otočac u Gackoj", naming the region in which the city lays. It is not clear when and why the gonfalon was changed for a new one.

Otočac, 1994 – 1995

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The first adopted coat of arms of Otočac included already the elements retained in the current design. It also included the depiction of Fortica - three towered fort built in 1819, devastated in the 20th century, shown on a green mound canting for the island (otok) after which the city was named. The wavy line in the base represented the Gacka river. The flag was white-red bicolour with the golden outlined coat of arms in the centre.
Depictions reconstructed!

Senj

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The coat of arms pictures the saint patron of the city, St. George killing the dragon. In background there is a silhouette of the Fort Nehaj, made in such way as to associate to the Croatian coat of arms. The coat of arms is encircled in an ornament including floral and naval elements. The flag is a tricolour of colours derived from the coat of arms, according to the Central-European tradition, basedon the 17th century flag. Both coat of arms and the flag are apparently against the general rules set by the Ministry of Administration regarding the local symbols, but since those were adopted quite early and are historically based they were allowed to stay.

Senj, 17th century

The city of Senj was using seals with iconographic depiction of St. George killing the dragon since at least 1268, and this was heraldized into shield shape by the 17th century. However, in 1607 king Rudolf I of Croatia (Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire) confirmed the municipal rights and granted somewhat modified coat of arms that is used since interchangeably with the old one. The Rudolf’s design was used in the city flag since, one tricolour background of red, green and blue: depicting St. George standing in full armour, one leg on a dragon crawling from water, other on a snake on land, holding a mace in his right and in his left hand a swallow-tailed golden flag depciting the Mother of God.
The reconsctruction shown here is tentetive, using Ströhl's depiction of Rudolf's arms, as no more deatils are known about the flag, lost by the 20th century.

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Flags of the World