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Flags of the World

Page created: 1st October 2000 Last updated: 21st 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 Zadar County. Legend: Bi. = Bibinje, FJ. = Sveti Filip i Jakov, Ga. = Galovac, Ka. = Kali, Ku. = Kukljica, Su. = Sukošan, Šk. = Škabrnja

Zadar County - Cities

Zadarska županija - gradovi

1. Zadar
   • Zadar, 1990 – 1994
   • Zadar, ca. 197x ? – 1990
   • Zadar, 1918 – 1943
2. Benkovac
3. Biograd na Moru
   • Biograd na Moru, variant
   • Biograd na Moru, 1994 – 1999
   • Biograd na Moru, 1993 – 1994
4. Nin
   • Nin, de jure
   • Nin, ca. 199x
5. Obrovac
6. Pag
   • Pag, 2001 de jure
   • Pag, 1997

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 1993, with the new administrative division (re)introducing the county system the kotars were introduced as intermediate level of local self-governing in areas with dense Serb population, as a means to granting them wider self-government. However, due to the aggression and occupation the kotars never lived up, and were dismembered in 1997 reform. In the Zadar and Knin County there was Kotar Knin established, with seat in the same named town, consisting of communities of: Benkovac, Civljane, Donji Lapac, Ervenik, Gračac, Jasenice, Kijevo, Kistanje, Knin, Kruševo, Lisičić, Lišane ostrovičke, Lovinac, Nadvoda, Obrovac, Orlić, Polača, Smilčić, Smoljanac, Stankovci, Titova Korenica and Udbina. In the 1997 reform some of those are included in neighbouring communities and some are promoted to city status. In any case, the Kotar and its communities never functioned, and certainly did not have the symbols.
Except those, in 1997 the community of Nin was given a city status, as well as the community of Pag that was taken from Lika and Senj County. The community of Kolan was formed in 2003, seceeding from Pag, and the community of Vrsi in 2006 seceeding from Nin.

• Zadar County
• Croatia - Counties
• Croatia
• City of Fiume/Rijeka, 1918 - 1924 and Italian provinces in the eastern Adriatic 1918 - 1943 on the Province of Zara during the Italian rule

Zadar

1:2

The coat of arms is modernized version of the ancient arms of Zadar (known also by the Italian name Zara) picturing the saint patron of the city St. Grisogon (Sv. Krševan) in full armour riding a horse and holding a shield and a flag in front of the city walls beside the coast (water). Through the history the actual image of St. Grisogon was changed according to the artistic preference of time and the rulers. The oldest preserved seals shows only a three towered city, letter during the rule of Venetia, it is moved in the background on a hill, with a figure of St. Grisogon on a golden harnessed black horse, shield topped with a five embattlements masoned crown with a winged lion holding a book. After 1797 uder teh Austrian rule the city with surroundings received a status of a duchy, with the coat of arms argent a horseman on a black horse, similar to the previous Venetian model, however, now holding a lace in his right hand and equipped with a large red feather on his helmet. After the World War I under the Italian rule the coat of arms similar to the previous Venetian is used. During the period of the Socialist Yugoslavia, the horseman was shown without the staint's attributes and with simple red banner.
The flag adopted in 1994 is blue with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the centre of it.
There exists also a ceremonial flag being blue vertical gonfalon with the coat of arms in lower part and golden name of the city in two rows in arc above, nad ornaments from the St. Simon's chest in the three tails at the bottom.

Zadar, 1990 – 1994

Flag unknown.

The coat of arms of Zadar used previously is a mopdification o fthe design used in the socialist period, with the star removed and minor artistic differences - in several minor variations.

Zadar, ca. 197x ? – 1990

Flag unknown.

The coat of arms adopted in mid-1970's is a variation of the historical coat of arms depicting St. Grisogon on a horse carying a flag and a shield (from which the cross is removed), the shield is coloured red-white-blue and there are triple wattle ornaments in the base.

Zadar, 1918 – 1943

Citta' di Zara

A red gonfalon with the coat of arms of the city, the shield picturing St. Grisogon on a horse galloping in front of the city walls, crowned with the massoned Venetian crown with the winged lion of St. Mark holding an open book and with a red ribbon with inscription in base. Below is the name of the city and golden fringe along the lower edge. The flag was taken to Italy in 1944, and since 2002 is kept in the Golden Medal Museum. It is not clear if this is the same as recognized in 1941. Soon afterwards the coat of arms was recognized, depicing St. Grisogon on a horse galloping over green fields, with two chiefs, the so called lictorial cheif (gules fasces withing a wreath vert bind with atricolour ribbon) over a Venetian chief (azure winged lion holding an opened book all or).
Zadar was capital of the Austrian crown-land Dalmatia until the break up of Austria-Hungary, when it was occupied by Italian troops. With the Rapallo agreements in 1920 Zadar was given to Italy. With the decisions of the 2nd session of the AVNOJ in Jajce and with the Italian capitulation Zadar was rejoined with Croatia.

Benkovac

1:2

The coat of arms is azure a semi griffin rampant or issuant from the base holding in the claws a branch vert with three leaves and a lily flower argent. The lily flower is the symbol of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron of the city. The flag is blue with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the centre. The ceremonial flag is a blue gonfalon ending trianguarly with golden fringe, the coat of arms in the centre, the name of the city above in two arches and oak and vine branches below. The actual produced version includes tripple-wattle ribbon around the coat of arms and along the edges and other minor differences, especially in the ornements under the coat of arms. On the other hand, thetable flag is in rectangular form of the designed ceremonial flag.

Until 1997 Benkovac had status of a community.

Biograd na Moru

1:2

The coat of arms of Biograd na Moru is quartered, first and fourth chequy gules and argent a Tomislav's crown or and second and third azure on a base vert a two storied tower embatteled maroon with a doorway. The first, old Venetian coat of arms of Biograd is recorded from 1574. The new coat of arms was designed by Simičić from Zadar after an idea of Šimo Ljubić (1822-1896), a known historian. This coat of arms is basically still in use. Originally, the shield was crowned as a symbol of the royal and coronation city and was inscribed "Insigni civitatis Albae maris Biograd" ("Arms of White City at Sea Biograd"). During the socialism the crown was replaced with a red five-pointed star.
The flag is adopted in 1997, light blue with the coat of arms in the centre. Althouigh a golden outline around it is not explicitly prescribed, it seems that it is regularly used. Both horizontal and vertical version of the flag is prescribed.

Biograd na Moru, variant

1:2

While the city actually uses the first shown version, the original designer artwork shows versions differing in the drawing of the crown, notably the black backpiece at the bottom of each crown. If the actual design was changed prior or after the adoption is not know at this point.

Biograd na Moru, 1994 – 1999

1:2

The coat of arms adopted in 1994 was basically the same as the current one, but the massoned crown above the shield was described as brown. The flag adopted in 1997 was 11-striped blue and white flag with the coat of arms set in a golden-yellow shield with its crown towards the hoist. Such flag could have been hoisted horizontally or vertically.

Biograd na Moru, 1993 – 1994

The coat of arms adopted in 1993 was the same as those used afterward, but the crown above the shield was golden yellow "with two rows of stones and three stylized towers". A flag was not adopted.

Nin

1:2

The coat of arms of Nin depicts in blue the white city with its walls, bridge and three towers accompanied by a golden six-pointed star, originating from the emblem of the city of pre-heraldic period. The modern depiction of the coat of arms is based on the Nin Commune from a document dated 30 August 1775 preserved in the Petricioli archives in Zadar. Based on that depiction, a medieval relief was made and set over the entrance in the city walls, and used as the arms of the previous Local Community of Nin. Several minor variants of the coat of arms design are in use, including the same as shown here, but with inside of the doorway coloured white. The flag is blue with the coat of arms outlined yellow in the centre of it.

Until 1997 Nin had status of a community.

Nin, de jure

1:2

Although a flag with the coat of arms in the canton is prescribed by the decision, the flags in use are blue with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the centre, following the Ministry approval.

Nin, ca. 199x

No flag.

In 1990's the city used a variant of the arms depicting a ship with rectangulary chequy seal infront of the city walls. The shield was topped with a ancient Croatian crown and on the ribbon beneath was inscribed "Nin - the Oldest Croatian Royal City" (Nin - najstariji hrvatski kraljevski grad).

Obrovac

1:2

The coat of arms of Obrovac is gules a goat rampant argent next to the hornbeam tree eradicated vert fructed or. Goats were traditionally herded in the region of sparse vegetation among which the horbeam (Carpinus betulus) is notable. The flag is blue (the text of the Statutes call it the indigo blue) with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the centre of it. The ceremonial flag is a blue gonfalon with three triangularly ending tails with golden ornaments of fig and vine branches, with the coat of arms in the centre and the name of the city above.

Until 1997 Obrovac had status of a community.

Pag

1:2

The coat of arms of Pag is in a blue shield showing St. George killing the dragon. The flag is red with the golden bordered coat of arms in the centre of it. The ceremonial flag is a dark red gonfalon ending with three tails with golden fringe. In the centre of it is set the coat of arms of the city, above is inscribed in two arches in golden "GRAD PAG" and below are set golden ornaments of sage (Salvia officinalis) elements in the tails.
The Ministry of Administration approved this design with the 1998 decision, amending it previous valid decision of 1993.

Until 1997 Pag had status of a community in the Lika-Senj County.

Pag, 2001 de jure

1:2

Although in 1997 a new design was adopted, the 2001 (and 2009) statutes describe a combination of the first and the second - prescribing the first design of the arms, but without the crown, while the ceremonial flag is described as well. It seems that this design is "on paper" only and that the above Nuvember 1997 design is actually used.

Pag, 1997

1:2

The 1997 Statutes prescribe the coat of arms with slight differences to the current cesign, most notably, the spear is black and there are four flame tongues out of the beast's mouth. The cross in the shield is different as well. Two crowns, a masoned civic crown encircled with a leafy crown with ring of perls, are prescribed atop the shield. This coat of arms was set in the centre of a drak red flag.
This is probably matching the design approved by the 1993 Ministry decision.

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Flags of the World