Last modified: 2026-02-28 by antónio martins
Keywords: ribeira brava | ribera braba | stanxa | saltire | church | river | mountains | dragon tree | chain (green) | chain: 3 links | stars: 10 (yellow) | nicholas of bari | vila da ribeira brava |
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![[flag]](../images/c/cv-31.gif)
image by António Martins, 17 Dec 2025
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This municipality takes up eastern and central Saint
Nicholas Island. The names of this town and municipality (and of their
namesake waterbody) mean "wild creek": "Ribera braba" in Caboverdean
and "ribeira brava" in Portuguese (the latter also the name of both
a municipality and a
commune within it, in Madeira, Portugal). The same epithet is also the name
of one of the Cabo Verde islands, Ilha Brava / Dja Braba —
the Wild Island.
António Martins, 17 Dec 2025
The flag of the Municipality of Ribeira Brava is diagonally divided on both
sides in four triangles — green over white at hoist, and white over green at
fly, with the council emblem in the center. It can be seen on several photos
(taken on 2021.12.07, and on 2022.12.06:
1st and
2nd)
with partial views, but I might be wrong about the position of the colors of
the triangles.
Valentin Poposki, 01 Jun 2024
I think that the shown flag is instead divided
per saltire, with a total of only 4 triangles: green at top and bottom,
white at hoist and fly.
António Martins, 17 Dec 2025
Here’s one more photo,
taken on 2024.12.13: It shows the saltire quarters, less unclearly.
António Martins, 02 Jan 2026
![[flag]](../images/c/cv-31).gif)
image by António Martins, 17 Dec 2025 |
(source)
The namesake waterbody is present in the foreground of the
stylized landscape represented in the municipal emblem — therefore canting
emblematics. It is shown in naturalistic style as a stream of irregularly sized
and placed ribbons of light blue and white.
Also represented are a rocky island or river bank also in foreground, on the fly
side, in light brown edged in white, and on it a tree (Draecena draco) in
black outline. At the hoist side on the riverbank a church façade (depicting an
actual
building), cream colored
walls with maroon accents and white interiors — all set against a background
of mountains also light brown against pale blue sky. At the edge of the circular
outline of the emblem, on the upper hoist side, a device that resembles one of
the sides of a rolled up paper, white, in typical scroll style, wrapped loosely
around what might be a curved quill, divided lengthwise maroon and white.
António Martins, 17 Dec 2025
![[flag]](../images/c/cv-31_h.gif)
image by António Martins, 16 Dec 2025
There’s also the colonial-era municipal flag, a typical
Portuguese item, 2:3 quartered background of yellow over blue with the coat of
arms centered on it. The arms are Azure a representation of St. Nicholas of Bari
Proper clothed Purple and wearing a mitre Argent and holding a crozier Argent and
flanked by two dolphins Or urinant and respectant.
Mural crown Argent with four visible towers (town rank)
and white scroll reading in black upper case serifed letters "Vila da Ribeira Brava".
The banner should have golden and blue tassels and cord, and golden staff with a
spear finial.
António Martins, 18 Dec 2025
Flag and arms approved by the Overseas Ministry in Ministerial Diploma (Diploma Legislativo Ministerial) n.º 3 and published in the official journal (of the colony) Boletim Oficial de Cabo Verde : I Série : 11.º Suplemento 20 of 1955.05.19:
Em campo azul, a imagem de S. Nicolau de Bari, vestida de púrpura forrada de prata e ostentando mitra e bácula do mesmo, acompanhada de dois golfinhos de ouro afrontados. Coroa mural de quatro torres de prata. Listel branco com os dizeres "VILA DA RIBEIRA BRAVA". Bandeira - Esquartelada de ouro e azul. Cordões e borlas de ouro e azul. Lança e hasta douradas.António Martins, 18 Dec 2025
At HeraldicaCivica.PT
we can see that the great Sérgio Horta has already done the due dilligence
of ferreting this legal document, but didn’t come around to create an image
of these arms and flag in contemporary CHAAP artwork style yet. As usual, other sources
exist, such as the colonial armourial book [lgh66]
the 0$20 postage stamp Michel
CV-313, issued 1961.
António Martins, 18 Dec 2025
The toponym on the scroll is, as usual, the name of the municipality seat,
and not the official name of the municipality, which was back then "São
Nicolau" (canting arms and flag). That’s because the municipality with
its seat in town Ribeira Brava back then included the whole Saint
Nicholas Island and also, as said, the uninhabited Saint
Lucy Island and the surrounding islets.
António Martins, 18 Dec 2025
![[flag]](../images/p/pt-'yb4.gif)
image by António Martins, 29 Feb 2010
Non-monocolored portuguese subnational flags are
allowed to have armless variations.
Jorge Candeias, 18 Jul 1999
While the current law, adopted in 1991,
doesn’t apply to municipal flags in the colonies, independent in 1975, it
however draws most of its content from the 1930 ministerial dispatch, incl.
the regulation of armless variations allowed for non-monocolor municipal flags.
This 1930 ruling affected all future Portuguese municipal flags, including the
colonial ones.
António Martins, Feb 2026
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