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Subnational Flags (Spain)

See also:

Spanish Administrative Subdivisions

According to the Spanish Constitution, there are three main administrative subdivisions: Autonomous Communities, Provinces and Municipalities. As this appears in the Constitution, these three are compulsory administrative entities which cannot be abolished except through Constitutional reform. Besides, the Constitution allows the creation of other administrative subdivisions, without specifying which. The Law on Basic Local Rules (that includes provinces, municipalities and islands) states that these may create their own administrative subdivisions, with the approval of the respective Autonomous Community. These subdivisions may be:

In the provinces:
- Comarca: Grouping of several municipalities with common interests
- Área Metropolitana: Grouping of several municipalities of big urban areas
- Mancomunidad: Association of municipalities for fulfilment of common works and/or services
In the municipalities:
- Ente local (Local Entity): Decentralized administration of villages when municipalities comprise more than one inhabited location

Islands, as stated in the said Law, are established entities in both archipelagos. The term island may prove misleading, as it may comprise only one island or a group of them. The administrative subdivisions of the Balearic and Canary islands are:

Balearic Islands (3 islands or groups): Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza-Formentera
Canary Islands (7 islands): Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Gomera and Hierro

Beneath these remain the municipalities. More? I think Catalonia is completely divided in Comarcas and in the Community of Madrid there are seven (without flags, AFAIK). To make this more flag related, I know cases of Comarcas (those of Catalonia, for example), Mancomunidades and Local Entities with officially approved flag and arms. As well as the islands, some of whose flags are already in FOTW.

Antonio Gutiérrez, 27 September 1999

Comarcas are only traditional or historical territories, not administrative ones, with some (important) exceptions. The only one I know for certain is that of Catalonia whose Autonomous Government does not like/accept the division of its juridiction into provinces, and uses the division into comarques as official administrative entities, requesting the Spanish government to englobe all of Catalonia into a single province. On the other hand, archipelagos are not divided into comarcas but into islands. Island councils are called cabildo(s) insular(es) in the Canary Islands and consell(s) insular(s) in the Balearic Islands.

Santiago Dotor, 27 September 1999

Former Administrative Regions

During the Francoist regime, Spanish provinces (with their current boundaries) were grouped in historical regions, similar to the current autonomous communities:

Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Navarre and Valencia as today
Zamora, León and Salamanca provinces separated as León region
Castilla la Vieja [Old Castile] region including Cantabria and La Rioja
Castilla la Nueva [New Castile] region including Madrid province
Murcia region included the provinces of Murcia and Albacete

The obvious question is: were there any distinctive flags or coat-of-arms for these regions? (Apart from the historical and current ones, like Catalonia, Basque Country and Galicia.)

And a comment: although this division is not politically correct nowadays (so told me Santiago Dotor), it was much more correct from an ethnist and regionalist point of view (the map, not the self-governing structure!): Murcia complete with the Cartagena cantonal territory, separate León, no non-ethnical non-traditional divisions (Cantabria and La Rioja) etc.

António Martins, 27 September 1999

Pascal Vagnat asked, "I forgot to ask in my mail about the former flag of the province of Madrid, if the other provinces of the uniprovincial communities, (Murcia, Cantabria, La Rioja, Navarre, Asturias, Baleares) had also a flag and/or a coat of arms". Sure, at least all of them used a coat of arms. As far as I know La Rioja had another flag, and I think the flags of Navarre and Asturias used to be the same they use now. Santiago Dotor and I are working on the subject. The results of the investigation will be posted to the list.

Antonio Gutiérrez, 22 November 1999

Cantabria (province of Santander): the provincial Diputación never adopted a flag officially. I don't know if any flag was in fact used.
Murcia province: dark blue (near purple) flag with provincial coat-of-arms in center.
La Rioja (former province of Logroño): provincial flag was vertically yellow-red bordered in all sides in blue, with, in the upper fly corner and upper fly corner [sic - "upper hoist"?], a golden fleur-de-lys, and in center of the lower border another golden fleur-de-lys. As far I know flag was never adopted officially (but was certainly used officially).
Navarre (province but also former region): before 1916 a plain dark red flag; in 1916 the coat-of-arms was added. Similar to the current design with minor changes in the shape of crown and shield. On November 8th 1937 a military decoration was added to the coat-of-arms (Cruz laureada de San Fernando). In 1977 an unofficial dark red flag with chains (no coat-of-arms) widely used. Horizontal red-yellow-green (5:2:1) was proposed by the government party (UCD) [late 70s and early 80s] but never adopted.
Asturias (former province of Oviedo): the provincial Diputación didn't adopt any flag but the President of the Diputación adopted a flag that was used by the provincial government [ie. by the Diputación]. This was light blue (celeste) with the coat-of-arms in the centre.
Baleares (former province of Palma de Mallorca). No flag was adopted or used.

Jaume Ollé, 27 November 1999

Provincial Flag Descriptions

This is a list of the existing Spanish provincial flags. I give the Spanish description of the flag and an English translation (if I could translate). Could anyone translate what I couldn't translate and add some other informations, or images? I have also the descriptions of all the coats-of-arms of the provinces, but only in Spanish. If anyone is interested to have it or translate it (it is quite long) I can send them. I am using the acronym "coa" for coat of arms. "Historical flag/coa" means that there isn't any date known for the adoption. Source for these descriptions.

ANDALUCIA
Almería: coa: adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 29th July 1952; flag: "Sobre fondo verde oscuro el Escudo provincial" [on dark green the provincial coa]
Cádiz: coa: adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 2nd January 1886, with a modification in 1927; historical flag: "Sobre fondo verde, en su parte central, el Escudo o Blasón provincial y orlada con las armas de Castilla y León" [Green with the provincial coat-of-arms surrounded by coas of Castilla y Leon]
Córdoba: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "De color morado oscuro con el Escudo Provincial, cuyo eje se colocará a una distancia de la vaina de un tercio de la bandera." [dark violet with the provincial coat-of-arms at a distance from the hoist equal to one third of the length of the flag]
Granada: coat-of-arms adopted on the 31st May 1969 by the Diputación Provincial; historical flag: "De color verde cinc con el escudo heráldico privativo de la provincia en el centro." [zinc green with the exclusive provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Huelva: historical coat-of-arms (16th-18th c.); no flag
Jaén: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag (or better: banner): "Pendón morado, en forma especial al describir en la parte inferior una curva parecida a la cola de un gallo".
Málaga: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "Sobre fondo blanco y una bordura de color azul, cuyo ancho equivale a una quinta parte de la altura de la bandera, el escudo provincial en su zona interior." [white with a blue border, which width equals one fifth of the height of the flag, with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Sevilla: coat-of-arms used since 1938; historical flag: "Verde con el escudo provincial en el centro." [green with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]; no flag [sic, ed.]
ARAGON
Huesca: historical coa; historical flag: "De forma rectangular, y sobre fondo blanco, cruzada horizontal y verticalmente en su medio por una franja roja y, sobre el punto de unión, el escudo provincial." [white with a red cross with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Teruel: coat-of-arms adopted by decree of the 10th May 1957; flag adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 26th October 1956 and by decree of the 10th May 1957: "Color blanco, cruzada perpendicularmente con una estrecha banda roja y, en el centro, el escudo provincial." [white with a red cross with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Zaragoza: coat-of-arms: since 1869, approvaed by the Real Academia de la Historia [Royal Academy of History] in 1921, modified on the 24th of July 1939, approved by the Real Academia on the 1st March 1940; historical flag: "La cruz roja de San Jorge sobre fondo blanco." [red Saint George cross on white]
BALEARIC ISLANDS
Ibiza y Formentera: coat-of-arms (without date); flag (without date): "está integrada por símbolos distintivos legitimados históricamente, constituida por cuatro barras rojas horizontales sobre fondo amarillo, con un castillo de siete torres en cada una de las esquinas" [nine alternated yellow and red stripes with a castle with seven towers... ???]
Mallorca: coat-of-arms (without date); flag (without date): "está formada por barras rojas horizontales sobre fondo amarillo. A la izquierda, un castillo con cinco torres." [five (if the flag is based on the coa) alternated yellow and red horizontal stripes. At the hoist, a white castle with five towers (colour? field under the castle?)]
Menorca: coat-of-arms (without date); flag (without date): "está formada por cuatro barras rojas sobre fondo amarillo" [nine alternated yellow and red stripes]
BASQUE COUNTRY
Álava / Araba: coa: adopted on the 20th December 1984; flag: adopted on the 20th December 1984: "La Bandera del Territorio Histórico de Alava es de color carmesí, figurando en el centro de la misma, y en ambas caras, el Escudo del Territorio Histórico."
Guipúzcoa / Gipuzkoa: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "De color blanco, figurando en el centro de la misma el escudo del Territorio Histórico." [White with the coat-of-arms of the Historical Territory in the center]
Vizcaya / Bizkaia: coat-of-arms adopted with the Norma Foral 12/1986 of the 15th of December 1986 (BOSV de 27-XII-86); flag: adopted with the Norma Foral 12/1986 of the 15th of December 1986 (BOSV de 27-XII-860): "Color carmesí, figurando en el centro de la misma el escudo del Territorio Histórico de Bizcaia" (art. 1.º) [carmine red with the coat-of-arms of the Historical Territory in the center]
CANARY ISLANDS
Las Palmas: historical coat-of-arms; the flag isn't mentioned
The flags and coas of the other islands aren't mentioned.
CASTILE LA-MANCHA
Albacete: coat-of-arms: adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 6th July 1957 (BOA de 21-VIII-1957); historical flag: "De color carmesí con el escudo grande de la provincia al centro." [carmine red with the greater provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Ciudad Real: historical coat-of-arms; no flag
Cuenca: coat-of-arms: adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 20th September 1975, by decree 2872/1975 of the 31st October 1975 (BOE núm. 269, de 10-XI-75); no flag
Guadalajara: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "De color morado, lleva en el centro el escudo de la Provincia bordado." [violet with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Toledo: historical coat-of-arms; no flag
CASTILE AND LEON
Ávila: historical coat-of-arms; traditional flag: "Sobre fondo rojo, en el centro, el escudo Provincial." [red with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Burgos: coat-of-arms: adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 9th November 1877; flag: (not adopted yet), used since 1979: "De color morado, con el escudo de la provincia en el centro" [violet with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center].
León: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "Sobre fondo púrpura el escudo Provincial." [purple with the provincial coa]
Palencia: coat-of-arms; adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 8th February 1949 and decree of the 25th January 1949; historical flag: "Sobre fondo morado, y en el centro, el escudo provincial." [violet with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Salamanca: coat-of-arms used since the years 1950; no flag
Segovia: coat-of-arms agreed by the Real Academia de la Historia on the 16th December 1952, adopted definitively in 1956; flag: adopted by autonomous decree 75/1986, of the 12th June 1986 (BOCL núm. 70, de 25-VI-86): "Lienzo rectangular de tamaño no superior a 1,52 x 1,98, de color rojo carmesí. En el centro, el escudo de la provincia." [1,52 x 1,98, carmine red with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Soria: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "Sobre color morado el escudo provincial en el centro". [violet with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Valladolid: coat-of-arms: adopted in the 19th c., completed with the cruz laureada by decree of the 17th July 1939; historical flag: "Sobre fondo rojo carmesí el escudo de la provincia." [carmine red with the provincial coat-of-arms in the center]
Zamora: historical coat-of-arms; historical flag: "Nueve bandas, ocho de color encarnado, que simbolizan las victorias de Viriato, y una verde situada en la parte superior, concedida a Zamora por el Rey Fernando por su contribución a la batalla de Toro en 1476."
CATALONIA
Barcelona: coat-of-arms: adopted by royal ordinance of the 1st March 1871 and by the Corporación provincial on the 30th June 1874 (BOP de 10-XI-1874); flag: adopted by the Corporación provincial on the 27th July 1971: "el Pendón provincial, previo informe de la Real Academia de la Historia: "Bandera cuadrada, con nueve listas horizontales, cinco amarillas y cuatro rojas, y en su abismo, o centro, losange con cruz de gules, contoneado de amarillo sin que alcance las orillas, la vaina para enastar será carmesí, propia del Estamento Real"."
Girona / Gerona: historical coat-of-arms; no flag
Lleida / Lérida: coat-of-arms: adopted by the province on the 28th December 1897, and ratified on the 14th April 1898; historical flag: "Sobre tela de color verde Pantome (sic) 348/U, el escudo de la Provincia." [green (Pantone 348/U) with the provincial coa]
Tarragona: coat-of-arms: adopted by royal ordinance on the 24th March 1928, agreement of the Diputación Provincial on the 3rd April 1928; no flag
EXTREMADURA
Badajoz: coat-of-arms adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 27th October 1868; no flag
Cáceres: coat-of-arms adopted by the Diputación Provincial on the 21st November 1980; no flag
GALICIA
A Coruña / La Coruña: coat-of-arms authorized by Decree on the 10th August 1963; no flag
Lugo: coat-of-arms adopted on the 2nd August 1958 and again on the 29th July 1985; no flag
Ourense / Orense: historical coat-of-arms; no flag
Pontevedra: historical coat-of-arms (19th c.); historical flag: "Tajada o partida en banda, de color blanco la parte superior y azul la inferior. El conjunto bordurado en oro con flequillo y en el centro o corazón llevará bordado el escudo de la provincia rodeado de la leyenda "Excma. Diputación Provincial de Pontevedra". El asta termina en un pasador dorado del que arranca una doble hoja de lanza."
VALENCIAN COMMUNITY
Alacant / Alicante: historical coat-of-arms; no flag
Castelló / Castellón: historical coat-of-arms; no flag
València / Valencia: coat-of-arms: since 1841, simplified in 1972; no flag

There are no provinces in the following Communities: Asturias, Cantabria, Ceuta, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra.

Pascal Vagnat, 16 July 1999

I hope to make a deep revision of the data provided by Pascal Vagnat. I think the descriptions come from the book published by the Ministerio de Administraciones Públicas. Some descriptions in this book are inaccurate and other are out-of-date (for example the coat-of-arms of Albacete; there is a new one for this province). There are provinces in all Autonomous Communities (except Ceuta and Melilla), even if some of them are made up of only one province (Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre and the Balearic Islands.

Antonio Gutiérrez, 16 July 1999

Some comments to Pascal Vagnat's impressive and most interesting list of Spanish provincial flags. First of all it is interesting to compare how differently the flags are legislated in each province: different wording for the same things, the same names for different things — the vexillologist's nightmare... I wonder especially about the differences between morado and púrpura, and between encarnado, rojo and carmesí. I noticed also that Pascal Vagnat's translation was sometimes quite simplified, possibly intended to remove useless "niceties".

Cádiz: I guess that orlada means that the flag has a border divided in alternating red and white squares, each charged respectively with a golden castle with blue windows and gate (on the red squares) and a purple lion (on the white squares). This border is quite common in hispanic COAs -- Puerto Rico and the Mexican state of Chihuahua come to mind.
Córdoba: The original text specifies that the [vertical] axis of the coat-of-arms is set one third of the flag's width off from the hoist.
Jaén: Historical banner, "Purple banner with its bottom describing a shape similar to that of a rooster's tail"
Huesca: At FOTW-ws Jaume Ollé gives a completely different flag.
Teruel: The flag reported by Pascal appears quoted by Jaume Ollé at FOTW-ws as a variant, while showing the official with a bend sinister.
Zaragoza: At FOTW-ws Jaume Ollé shows it with the coat-of-arms over all.
Segovia: The law says the flag should be "not larger than 1,52 x 1,98", supossedly refering to meters. It is the most stupid ratio/size legislation I ever saw!
Lleida / Lérida: "green (Pantone 348/U) with the provincial coat-of-arms"; PMS 348 CV (uncoated) seems to be CMYK 100-0-79-27, which Photoshop renders as RGB 0-104-62, remarkably similar to RGB 0-102-51, the nearest browser safe colour. Dark green (V+), anyway.
A Coruña / La Coruña: "No flag". It is interesting to note that the current Galician flag derived from the 19th century naval ensign of Corunna
Pontevedra: I'll leave the translation for those who know what's "flequillo" and "pasador"... :-) It is essentially a white over blue diagonal (per bend, i.e. from upper hoist to lower fly).

In those regions where there is only one province, the administrative role of the province is minimized (and also its vexillological importance). In the Balearic and Canary Islands, the natural scope of identity (and vexillology) is each island.

Aragonese, Asturian and Leonese toponyms may appear in the local minority languages (that haven't the same official status as Catalan, Galician and Basque), for instance:

Asturias / Asturies (capital: Oviedo / Uviéu)
Teruel / Terol
Huesca / Uesca
Zaragoza / Saragossa

António Martins, 16 July 1999

Some comments:

Segovia: The 76:99 ratio [implied by the 1,52x1,98 dimensions] is the same as the Castile and Leon flag.

Antonio Gutiérrez, 19 July 1999

More comments:

Cá:diz: I guess António Martins is right, even if the description (in Spanish) is horrible. Orlada is feminine which implies it is referring to the flag and not the coat-of-arms. And what is an orlada flag? It might be a flag with a certain charge (or a escutcheon) repeatedly applied along its borders, in a square, oval or circular fashion, or perhaps around the coat-of-arms in a circular manner (as the collar of an Order would be shown), etc.
Jaen: I guess the shape in question is what would heraldically be described as counterarched invecked if you see what I mean...
Huesca, Teruel, Zaragoza: Again, these three examples show that the source quoted by Pascal Vagnat has many outdated and unofficial descriptions (though possibly used at a certain point -maybe even today- in actual flags).
Cáceres: According to Calvo and Grávalos 1983 ill. 62, the flag of the city of Cáceres from circa 1477. The book says:
Elizabeth the Catholic Queen, in view of the alarm caused in Cáceres by the fighting between the Castilian and Leonese factions, decided to visit the city on January 30th 1477, settling the disputes and achieving an appeasement [sic]; as a symbol she ordered that the two seals owned by the city council, one with a castle [for Castile] and the other with a lion [for Leon], were to be destroyed, and she gave it a new one which incorporated both. The flag [a banner-of-arms of that seal, per pale Castile and Leon] is still kept in the City Hall."
Pontevedra: I would say: "per bend argent and azure", fimbriated and fringed in gold with the provincial coat-of-arms in the centre, surrounded by the words Excma. Diputación Provincial de Pontevedra [Most Excellent Provincial Council of Pontevedra].
Balearic and Canary Islands: Each island has its flag, both in the Balearic and Canary islands. Also, each island has its own island council, a Cabildo Insular in the Balearic Islands and a Consell Insular in the Canary Islands.

Santiago Dotor, 20 July 1999