This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

FIAV Flag Information Symbols

Last modified: 2020-05-02 by rob raeside
Keywords: symbols | flag information symbols |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



See also:

The symbols were adopted by FIAV in the early 1970's as the standards to use when describing flag usage by "shorthand". The complete listing of those symbols adopted are as listed in Smith's 1975 and 1980 books.
David Martcuci, 07 July 1997

Vexillological Symbols

Vexillological Symbols

Alternate version of the flag
De facto Version, no official law or edict making the flag official
Historic flag no longer in use *
No flag approved
Normal presentation (view) *
Proposal
Reconstruction based upon written sources only
Reverse (mirror image)
reverse side is not the same
Sinister hoist - the flag is intended to be viewed with the staff on the right
Two sided; the reverse is different from the obverse
Variant - this flag is one of several which can be displayed
by António Martins (no flag and historical images) and Željko Heimer

* indicates an extended symbol not in the standard FIS set. This symbol has been proposed by Željko Heimer.

For a full explanation of these and other symbols, see Željko Heimer's Flag Information System page.


António Martins has developed a true type font for Windows applications using the FIAV Information System codes. The vexillological symbols font can be downloaded from FOTW.

Another TrueType font developed by Phil Nelson using the Information symbols and all grids (shown below) is available for download at FOTW using the Unicode personal use area and compatible with Windows 2000 and above.


Usage symbols

The sixty-four grids for representing a flag are based upon the general usage of the flag. The first row represents land use, the second sea use, each divided into Civil (private), Nation (state/government) and Military use (war flag).

Private Use

Public Use

Military Use

Land Use

Civil Flag

State Flag

War Flag

Sea Use

Civil Ensign

State Ensign

War Ensign

The 64 grids follow:

 

No attributes selected Civil flag
War ensign Civil flag/war ensign
State ensign Civil flag and state ensign
State and war ensign Civil flag, state and war ensign
Civil ensign Civil flag and ensign
Civil ensign and war flag Civil flag/ensign and war ensign
Civil and state ensign Civil flag and ensign, state ensign
National ensign Civil flag and national ensign
War flag Civil and war flag
War flag and ensign Civil flag and war flag and ensign
War flag and state ensign Civil and war flag and state ensign
War flag and state and war ensign Civil and war flag, state and war ensign
War flag and civil ensign Civil and war flag and civil ensign
War flag and civil and war ensign Civil and war flags and ensigns
War flag and civil and state ensign Civil and war flag and civil and state ensign
War flag and national ensign Civil and war flag and national ensign
State flag Civil and state flag
State flag and war ensign Civil and state flag and war ensign
State flag and ensign Civil/State flag and state ensign
State flag and state and war ensign Civil and state flag, state and war ensign
State flag and civil ensign Civil and state flag and civil ensign
State flag and civil and war ensign Civil and state flag, civil and war ensign
State flag and state/civil ensign Civil and state flags and ensigns
State flag and national ensign Civil and state flag and national ensign
State and war flag National flag on land
State flag and war flag and ensign National flag and war ensign
State flag and ensign and war flag National flag and state ensign
State/War flag and ensign National flag, state and war ensign
State/War flag and civil ensign National flag and civil ensign
State/War flag and civil and war ensign National flag and civil and war ensign
State and war flag, civil and state ensign National flag and civil and state ensign
State and war flag and national ensign National flag and ensign

by António Martins


In the above, the use of the word "state" is to imply the nation; however, when all three elements of a row are identified in use for a particular flag, the use will be identified as "National". [Ed.]