Flag of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia

The flag of West Herzegovina Canton and Herzeg-Bosnia Canton flag in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the same as the flag of the former Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (1992–96). The flag consists of three equal size, horizontal stripes in the pan-Slavic colours arranged in Croat tricolour: red, white and blue. In the middle is the coat of arms of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia stylised with a triple wattle at the top.

Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
Use
Proportion1:2
Adopted1992 (Herzeg-Bosnia)
26 March 1996 (West Herzegovina)[1]
DesignA horizontal tricolor of red, white and blue with the coat of arms of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia in the centre

Usage

The flag was adopted by the short-lived Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia in 1992 as a variation of Croatian flag and used throughout the war. Since the entity's incorporation into the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994–96, the flag has come to represent all Croats in the country.[2] However, no official decision has been made about it, since no body has the competency to decide upon this matter. It is more favoured by the country's Croats than the official state flag. Between 1994 and 1996, before the Bosniak-Croat Federation adopted its own symbols, three flags were hoisted in the sessions of the Parliament of the Federation: the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina of the time, the flag of Bosniaks, and the flag of Herzeg-Bosnia "(that is, the flag of Bosnian Croats, red-white-blue with chequy coat of arms)."[3]

As an unofficial flag of Bosnia's Croats, it is present in the office of Croat member of state presidency,[4][5][6] as well as in many Croat-majority municipalities and schools in the country.[7] Croatian National Assembly uses it regularly, just as all mainstream Croat political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Canton flag

Since the creation of Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994 and the establishment of its 10 cantons in 1996, as Herzeg-Bosnia was abolished, it was used as the official flag of three Croat-majority cantons (Posavina Canton, Canton 10 and West Herzegovina Canton). In 1997 and 1998 the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled its usage as a canton flag unconstitutional, since the symbols of cantons and municipalities cannot represent just one ethnic group.[8][9] Posavina Canton changed its flag in 2000, while it is still used as an official flag of West Herzegovina Canton, where Croats comprise 98,8% of the population, and Canton 10, where 77% of the population are Croats.

Other flags of Bosnian Croats

See also

References
  1. Constitution of West Herzegovina Canton
  2. Mario Jareb: Hrvatski nacionalni simboli, Alfa, Hrvatski institut za povijest, Zagreb, 2010.
  3. "Flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996-2007)", Željko Heimer, Mark Sensen & Jos Poels, 8 February 1997, crwflags.com
  4. Photo from the office of Željko Komšić, Croat member of the Presidency 2006-14
  5. "Čović se sastaje sa zvaničnicima u Predsjedništvu BiH pod neustavnom zastavom Herceg-Bosne", klix.ba, 19.2.2016.
  6. "Pod zastavom Herceg Bosne: Čović razgovarao s veleposlanicom SAD-a i voditeljem izaslanstva EU", pogled.ba, 01.12.2015
  7. Mark Lowen: "Balkan divisions survive in Bosnian schools", BBC News, 1 April 2010
  8. "U-11/97". Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2009.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  9. U-7/98, July 7, 1998
  10. "Intervju s Ivanom Markešićem Simbioza Katoličke crkve i HDZ-a nije ništa novo", prometej.ba, 01.07.2013
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