1.
Glossary of vexillology
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Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display. Badge A coat of arms or simple heraldic symbol, canton Any quarter of a flag, but commonly means the upper hoist quarter, such as the field of stars in the flag of the United States or the Union Jack in the Australian Flag. Charge A figure or symbol appearing in the field of a flag, emblem A device often used as a charge on a flag. It may be heraldic in origin or modern, for example the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag, field The background of a flag, the color behind the charges. Fimbriation A narrow edging or border, often in white or gold, for example the white and gold lines of the South African Flag. Fly The half or edge of a flag farthest away from the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the horizontal length of a flag. Hoist The half or edge of a flag nearest to the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the vertical width of a flag. Length The span of a flag along the side at right angles to the flagpole, width The span of a flag down the side parallel to the flagpole. Flags often inherit traits seen in traditional European heraldry designs and as a result patterns often share names, banderole or bannerol A small flag or streamer carried on the lance of a knight, or a long narrow flag flying from the mast-head of a ship. Banner Generically, a synonym for a flag of any kind, in heraldry, a flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms, but usually in a square or rectangular shape, also known as a banner of arms. Burgee A distinguishing flag of a recreational boating organisation, Civil ensign, merchant flag or merchant ensign A version of the national flag flown by civil ships to denote nationality. Civil flag A version of the flag flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. Colour or color The flag of a military unit, courtesy flag or courtesy ensign A flag flown by a visiting ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. Ensign The flag of a ship or military unit, may also be used generically as a synonym for a flag of any kind. Fanion A small flag used by the French military, gonfalon, gonfanon or gonfalone A type of heraldic flag suspended from a crossbar. Guidon A small flag borne by a military unit, in Scots heraldry, a smaller version of the Standard. Pennon or pennant A flag larger at the hoist than at the fly, pipe banner A decorative flag for the Scottish Highland bagpipes. Prayer flag A type of flag found strung along mountain ridges and peaks in the Himalayas, rank flag or distinguishing flag The flag flown by a superior naval officer on his flagship or headquarters
2.
Civil flag
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A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on nongovernmental installations or craft. The use of flags was more common in the past to denote buildings or ships not manned by the military. In some countries, the flag is the same as the war flag or state flag but without the coat of arms, such as in the case of Spain. In others, it is an alteration of the war flag, in Scandinavia, state and war flags can be double and triple-tailed variants of the Nordic Cross flag. Many countries, particularly those with a British heritage, still have distinctive civil flags for use at sea, many based on the Red Ensign
3.
State flag
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There are two separate meanings for the term of state flag in vexillology, the flag of the government of a sovereign state and the flag of an individual subnational state. A state flag is a variant of a national flag specifically designated and restricted by law or custom to use by a government or its agencies. For this reason they are referred to as government flags. Scandinavian countries also use swallowtailed state flags, to differentiate them from civil flags. In addition, some countries have state ensigns, separate flags for use by government ships such as guard vessels. For example, government ships in the United Kingdom fly the blue ensign, state flags should not be confused with the national flag as used by military organisations, these are referred to as war flags and naval ensigns. To avoid confusion with the first meaning of the term, however, such a flag would be more referred to as the flag of the state of X. For this usage, see also, Flags of the Australian states and territories Flags of Brazilian states Flags of the U. S. states Flags of German states Znamierowski, the world encyclopedia of flags, The definitive guide to international flags, banners, standards and ensigns
4.
Triskelion
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A triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs, both terms are from Greek τρισκέλιον or τρισκελής, three-legged, from prefix τρι-, three times + σκέλος, leg. A triskelion is a symbol of Sicily, where it is called trinacria. It appears as an emblem on warriors shields depicted on Greek pottery. The triskelion is an ancient symbol of Sicily, with the head of the Gorgon, whose hair are snakes, the symbol dates back to when Sicily was part of Magna Graecia, the colonial extension of Greece beyond the Aegean. The Celtic symbol of three conjoined spirals may have had triple significance similar to the imagery that lies behind the triskelion, the triple spiral motif is a Neolithic symbol in Western Europe. Though popularly considered a Celtic symbol it is in fact a pre-Celtic symbol and it is carved into the rock of a stone lozenge near the main entrance of the prehistoric Newgrange monument in County Meath, Ireland. Newgrange, which was built around 3200 BC, predates the Celtic arrival in Ireland, the symbol is also found carved in rock in Castro Culture settlement in Galicia and Northern Portugal. Traditional Asian versions of the include the Japanese Mitsudomoe, the Tibetan Buddhist Gankyil. A triskelion is featured on the seal of the United States Department of Transportation, a triskelion shape is the basis for the roundel of the Irish Air Corps, and the logo for the Trisquel Linux distribution. A triskelion is used as a seal of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity, a member of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity is called Triskelion and Lady Triskelion for the Tau Gamma Sigma sorority member. The design was practical, the three curved arms providing equal spring and thus keeping the hole centred, the iconic design of the Spider has led to its adoption as a popular symbol for record and music enthusiasts. One of the most commonly used symbols of the BDSM community is a derivation of a triskelion shape within a circle, the crest of the Breton football club En Avant de Guingamp combines the Flag of Brittany, the team colours and the triple spiral triskelion. The triskele, usually consisting of spirals, but also the horned triskelion, is used by some polytheistic reconstructionist and neopagan groups. As a Celtic symbol, it is used primarily by groups with a Celtic cultural orientation and, less frequently, the spiral triskele is one of the primary symbols of Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism. Celtic Reconstructionists use the symbol to represent a variety of triplicities in their cosmology and theology, the endocytic protein, clathrin, is triskelion-shaped
5.
Isle of Man
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The Isle of Man, also known simply as Mann, is a self-governing crown dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Northern Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann, the Lord of Mann is represented by a Lieutenant Governor. Foreign relations and defence are the responsibility of the British Government, the island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC. Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century and the Manx language, in 627, Edwin of Northumbria conquered the Isle of Man along with most of Mercia. In the 9th century, Norsemen established the Kingdom of the Isles, magnus III, King of Norway, was also known as King of Mann and the Isles between 1099 and 1103. In 1266, the became part of Scotland under the Treaty of Perth. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of Scotland and England, the short form often used in English, Mann, is derived from the Manx Mannin, though sometimes the name is written as Man. The earliest recorded Manx form of the name is Manu or Mana, the Old Irish form of the name is Manau or Mano. Old Welsh records named it as Manaw, also reflected in Manaw Gododdin, the name for an ancient district in north Britain along the lower Firth of Forth. The oldest known reference to the calls it Mona, in Latin, in the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder records it as Monapia or Monabia. Later Latin references have Mevania or Mænavia, and Eubonia or Eumonia by Irish writers and it is found in the Sagas of Icelanders as Mön. The name is cognate with the Welsh name of the island of Anglesey, Ynys Môn, usually derived from a Celtic word for mountain. The name was at least secondarily associated with that of Manannán mac Lir in Irish mythology, later, a Manannán is recorded as the first king of Mann in a Manx poem. The island was cut off from the islands around 8000 BC. The first residents were hunter gatherers and fishermen, examples of their tools are kept at the Manx Museum. There were also the local Ronaldsway and Bann cultures, during the Bronze Age, burial mounds became smaller. Bodies were put in stone-lined graves with ornamental containers, the Bronze Age burial mounds created long-lasting markers around the countryside. The ancient Romans knew of the island and called it Insula Manavia although it is whether they conquered the island
6.
Coat of arms of the Isle of Man
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The Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man dates from 12 July 1996. As the Isle of Man is a Crown dependency, the arms are more accurately described as the Arms of Her Majesty in right of the Isle of Man. The coat of arms—featuring a triskeles—is based upon the coat of arms associated with island which first appears on record in the late thirteenth century. The origin of the triskeles is obscure but appears to stemmed from the Scottish takeover of the island at this point in history, the heraldic supporters are birds associated with the island, whilst the motto first appears on record in the seventeenth century. The coat of arms was granted by Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann, the escutcheon is blazoned, gules a triskele argent garnished and spurred or. The crest is blazoned, an imperial crown proper, the supporters are blazoned, dexter a peregrine falcon and sinister a raven both proper. The motto is, Quocunque Jeceris Stabit, the heraldic device of the triskele or triskeles has been associated with the Isle of Man for centuries. The supporters are symbolically associated with the island as well, in 1405, Henry IV, King of England gave the Isle of Man to John Stanley. The latter gave Henry two peregrine falcons, and was required to provide the same to every future English king on his coronation and this formal bestowal of two falcons continued as a late as the coronation of George IV in 1822. The raven is a bird associated with Norse mythology. The Latin motto Quocunque jeceris stabit can be translated as whithersoever you throw it, it will stand, or whichever way you throw, the motto dates to the 17th century, when it is first recorded on Manx coinage dating to the year 1668. The coat of arms is a form of the traditional arms associated with the island. It is unknown when the triskeles was originally adopted as a symbol in a Manx context and it appears associated with the island in several late 13th-century armorials, such as Camden Roll, Heralds Roll, Segars Roll, Walfords Roll, and Wijnbergen Roll. Just before this period in history, the formed part of the Kingdom of the Isles. The last member of ruling family died in 1265 without a legitimate heir. The island then passed into the possession of Alexander III, King of Scotland, in 1266, sovereignty of the Isle of Man and the Hebrides was formally transferred from the Norwegian Crown to the Scottish Crown. There is no evidence that the Crovan dynasty utilised the triskeles as a heraldic device, instead, members of this family are known to have borne ships and lions on their seals. The appearance of the triskeles in the last third of the 13th century may well be connected with the change on the island in 1265
7.
Mycenaean Greece
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Mycenaean Greece was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece. It represents the first advanced civilization in mainland Greece, with its states, urban organization, works of art. Among the centers of power emerged, the most notable were those of Pylos, Tiryns, Midea in the Peloponnese, Orchomenos, Thebes, Athens in Central Greece. The most prominent site was Mycenae, in Argolid, to which the culture of this era owes its name. Mycenaean and Mycenaean-influenced settlements also appeared in Epirus, Macedonia, on islands in the Aegean Sea, on the coast of Asia Minor, the Levant, Cyprus and Italy. Their syllabic script, the Linear B, offers the first written records of the Greek language, Mycenaean Greece was dominated by a warrior elite society and consisted of a network of palace states that developed rigid hierarchical, political, social and economic systems. At the head of society was the king, known as wanax. Various theories have proposed for the end of this civilization. Additional theories such as natural disasters and climatic changes have also suggested. The Mycenaean period became the setting of much ancient Greek literature and mythology. The Bronze Age in mainland Greece is generally termed as the Helladic period by modern archaeologists, after Hellas, the Greek name for Greece. This period is divided into three subperiods, The Early Helladic period was a time of prosperity with the use of metals, the Middle Helladic period faced a slower pace of development, as well as the evolution of megaron-type dwellings and cist grave burials. Finally, the Late Helladic period roughly coincides with Mycenaean Greece, the transition period from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in Greece is known as Sub-Mycenaean. Moreover, it revealed that the bearers of Mycenaean culture were ethnically connected with the populations that resided in the Greek peninsula after the end of this cultural period. Various collective terms for the inhabitants of Mycenaean Greece were used by Homer in his 8th century BC epic, the Iliad, in reference to the Trojan War. The latter was supposed to have happened in the late 13th – early 12th century BC, Homer used the ethnonyms Achaeans, Danaans and Argives, to refer to the besiegers. These names appear to have passed down from the time they were in use to the time when Homer applied them as terms in his Iliad. There is an reference to a-ka-wi-ja-de in the Linear B records in Knossos, Crete dated to c.1400 BC
8.
Lycia
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Lycia was a geopolitical region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey, and Burdur Province inland. Known to history since the records of ancient Egypt and the Hittite Empire in the Late Bronze Age, written records began to be inscribed in stone in the Lycian language after Lycias involuntary incorporation into the Achaemenid Empire in the Iron Age. At that time the Luwian speakers were decimated, and Lycia received an influx of Persian speakers, Lycia fought for the Persians in the Persian Wars, but on the defeat of the Achaemenid Empire by the Greeks, it became intermittently a free agent. Due to the influx of Greek speakers and the sparsity of the remaining Lycian speakers, the Lycian language disappeared from inscriptions and coinage. On defeating Antiochus III in 188 BC the Romans gave Lycia to Rhodes for 20 years, in these latter stages of the Roman republic Lycia came to enjoy freedom as part of the Roman protectorate. The Romans validated home rule officially under the Lycian League in 168 BC and this native government was an early federation with republican principles, these later came to the attention of the framers of the United States Constitution, influencing their thoughts. Despite home rule under republican principles Lycia was not a state and had not been since its defeat by the Carians. In 43 AD the Roman emperor Claudius dissolved the league, Lycia was incorporated into the Roman Empire with a provincial status. It became an eparchy of the Eastern, or Byzantine Empire, after the fall of the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century, Lycia was under the Ottoman Empire, and was inherited by the Turkish Republic on the fall of that empire. The Greeks were withdrawn when the border between Greece and Turkey was negotiated in 1923, Lycia comprised what is now the westernmost portion of Antalya Province, the easternmost portion of Muğla Province, and the southernmost portion of Burdur Province. In ancient times the surrounding districts were, from west to east, Caria, Pisidia, and Pamphylia, all equally as ancient, and each speaking its own Anatolian language. The name of the Teke Peninsula comes from the name of Antalya Province. Four ridges extend from northeast to southwest, roughly, forming the western extremity of the Taurus Mountains, furthest west of the four are Boncuk Dağlari, or the Boncuk Mountains, extending from about Altinyayla, Burdur, southwest to about Oren north of Fethiye. This is a low range peaking at about 2,340 m. To the west of it the steep gorges of Dalaman Çayi, the stream,229 km long, enters the Mediterranean to the west of modern-day Dalaman. Upstream it is dammed in four places, after an origin in the vicinity of Sarikavak in Denizli Province. The next ridge to the east is Akdağlari, the White Mountains, about 150 km long, with a point at Uyluktepe, Uyluk Peak. This massif may have been ancient Mount Cragus, along its western side flows Eşen Çayi, the Esen River, anciently the Xanthus, Lycian Arñna, originating in the Boncuk Mountains, flowing south, and transecting the several-mile-long beach at Patara
9.
Union Jack
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The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Further, it is used as a flag in some of the smaller British overseas territories. The Union Jack also appears in the canton of the flags of several nations, the claim that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage has been disputed, following historical investigations by the Flag Institute in 2013. The origins of the flag of Great Britain date back to 1606. King James also began to refer to a Kingdom of Great Britaine, the present design of the Union Flag dates from a Royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Notably, the country of Wales is not represented separately in the Union Jack, being only indirectly represented through the cross of St George. The terms Union Jack and Union Flag are both historically correct for describing the de facto flag of the United Kingdom. Whether the term Union Jack applies only when used as a flag on a ship is a modern matter of debate. According to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two independent kingdoms. This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I of England, because the Queen died unmarried and childless, the English crown passed to the next available heir, her cousin James VI, King of Scotland. England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a union of the crowns, in 1606, James VI gave orders for a British flag to be created which bore the combined crosses of St. George and of St. Andrew. The result was the Union Jack, Jack being a shortening of Jacobus, the institute also notes, it is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. In 1908, a government minister stated, in response to a parliamentary question, notwithstanding Their Lordships circular of 1902, by 1913 the Admiralty described the Union Flag and added in a foot note that A Jack is a Flag to be flown only on the Jack Staff. However, the authoritative A Complete Guide to Heraldry published in 1909 by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies uses the term Union Jack, the term Union Flag is used in King Charles Is 1634 proclamation. Andrew and St. Patrick Quarterly per Saltire, counterchanged Argent and Gules, when the first flag representing Britain was introduced on the proclamation of King James I in 1606, it became known simply as the British flag or the flag of Britain. The royal proclamation gave no name to the new flag. The word jack was in use before 1600 to describe the maritime bow flag, by 1627 a small Union Jack was commonly flown in this position. Reinforcing the distinction the Kings proclamation of the day concerning the arms
10.
Civil ensign
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Civil ensign is the ensign used by civilian vessels to denote nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and its also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag. Some countries have civil ensigns for yachts, and even for specific yacht clubs. Most countries have one national flag and ensign for all purposes. In other countries, a distinction is made between the flag and the civil, state and naval ensigns. The civil ensigns that are different from the flag can be grouped into a number of categories. Several countries use red flags with, in most cases, either the national flag or the Union Flag in the canton. British overseas territories fly the plain Red Ensign or a Red Ensign with the colonial arms in the fly. Saudi Arabia puts its national flag in the canton of an otherwise-green flag, Ghana stopped using its Red Ensign in 2003 with the adoption of a new merchant shipping act, which made the Ghanaian flag the proper national colors for Ghana ships. Similarly, Sri Lanka stopped using its Red Ensign in 1969, several countries have civil ensigns that are very different from the national flag, for instance Malta and Luxembourg. Well-known examples are the Italian civil ensign showing the shield with the arms of the sea republics or the Polish civil ensign with the arms of Poland, most of these emblems were added to distinguish the ensign from similar flags of other countries or from other signal flags. In several countries there are two versions of the flag, a simpler one and a more elaborate one with the national arms. The simpler one is used as ensign, whereas the version with the arms is mainly used by the government. In Spain and Argentina the flag without the arms is only a variant for civil use, in El Salvador, the civil ensign also differs from the national flag in the proportions. France is a case, the overall proportion is the same. Civil and merchant ensigns Civil air ensign
11.
Tynwald
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Tynwald, or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald or Tynwald Court is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, the Houses sit jointly, on Tynwald Day at St Johns for largely ceremonial purposes, and usually once a month in the Legislative Buildings in Douglas. Otherwise, the two Houses sit separately, with the House of Keys originating most legislation, and the Legislative Council acting as a revising chamber. The name Tynwald, like the Icelandic Þingvellir and Norwegian Tingvoll, is derived from the Old Norse word Þingvǫllr meaning the place of the assembly. Tynwald meets annually on what is called Tynwald Day at a ceremony at Tynwald Hill at St Johns. The Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man presides, unless HM The Queen as Lord of Mann, here, all laws are promulgated and special petitions are received. If an Act of Tynwald is not promulgated at St Johns within 18 months of passage, it becomes null, while Tynwald sits in Douglas, which occurs once a month from October to July, the President of Tynwald, who is chosen by the other members, presides. In some cases, however, Tynwald votes as one body, when Tynwald votes by branches, if a majority of each House approves, the motion is carried. If the Council vote ties, then the President of Tynwald casts the vote in line with the majority vote of the Keys. However, if the Keys approves a motion but the Council disapproves, in this case, the vote is determined by a majority of all the members of Tynwald. If this occurs, the Keys, with its size, is likely to prevail. Normally, both houses of Tynwald must pass a bill before it goes to the sovereign or her representative Lieutenant Governor, representing the Lord of Mann, Assent is granted following consultation with the Privy Council in London coordinated by the Ministry of Justice in the UK. Tynwald claims to be over 1,000 years old, in 1979, the Manx people celebrated the millennium of their parliament. The year was picked arbitrarily by officials there is no evidence indicating that such an assembly was held in 979. Tynwald originally comprised only the 24 Members of the House of Keys, four members were present in the Keys for each of the six sheadings of the island. The earliest surviving record of the Keys dates from 1422, the Keys were not originally an elected body, and membership was for life. When a vacancy arose the remaining members selected the replacement member, in general, membership of the Keys passed down through the leading families on the island. In the 16th century the Keys met irregularly and they were akin to a jury which was summoned from time to time by the Lord of Mann or by the deemsters when they required advice as to the law
12.
Flag of Sicily
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The flag of Sicily was first adopted in 1282, after the successful Sicilian Vespers revolt against the king Charles I of Sicily. The flag is characterized by the presence of the triskelion in its middle, the three bent legs allegedly represent the three points of the triangular shape of the island of Sicily, or the historical three valli of the island. Palermo and Corleone were the first two cities to found a confederation against the Angevin rule. The flag looks somewhat similar to the flag of the Isle of Man, the symbol is also known as the trinacria, which is also an ancient name of Sicily. The name was revived and used during the Aragonese period of the Kingdom of Sicily immediately after the Sicilian Vespers which ended Angevin rule. During the period of Muslim rule under Emirate of Sicily, the island used a green flag. History of the Sicilian flag La Bandier della Sicilia, La Trinacria
13.
Flags of the World
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Flags of the World is an Internet-based vexillological association and resource. Its principal project is the Internets largest website devoted to vexillology, containing information about all kinds of flags. The mailing list began as a group in about September 1993, while the website was founded by Giuseppe Bottasini in late 1994. FotW became the 56th member of the FIAV in 2001, both the website and the mailing list operate in the English language, though there are members from around the world and as such information from many languages is translated and included. The mailing list is monitored by the FOTW Listmaster, while work on the website is coordinated by the FOTW Editorial Director, the website is updated once a week with fresh material, some mirrors update monthly. Due to the amount of material there is an editing backlog. There are also some mirrors that have not been updated for varying periods of time, the source for material on the FOTW website are contributions to the FOTW mailing list, which has over 1000 members, of which some 100 are active contributors. The mailing list has notable minorities of Portuguese, French, Dutch, a staff of three unpaid volunteers manages and moderates the list. An affiliated Flags of the World Facebook group has established, inaugurated by Edward Mooney. As of November 2016 the group is run and moderated by a team of ten administrators, FOTW displays standardized flag images in GIF format, usually at a height of 216 pixels. While the GIF file format is capable of displaying 256 colours, the organizations flag is a design by Mark Sensen, which was selected over 10 challengers in a poll of FOTW mailing list members and was adopted 8 March 1996. Since then, March 8 has been regarded as FOTWs Flag day, Sensen described its symbolism, White on the hoist stands for peace, blue on the fly for progress. The six colours of the stars are the colours used in flags. The stars help to make one bigger symbol, the way the stars are all connected to each other represents the Internet. The flag is used as a rare representation of the Internet on a flag. List of flags List of flags by country Gallery of country flags Flags of the World Dictionary of Vexillology Flag Days Of The World FOTW mailing list
14.
Town
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A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size definition for what constitutes a town varies considerably in different parts of the world, the word town shares an origin with the German word Zaun, the Dutch word tuin, and the Old Norse tun. The German word Zaun comes closest to the meaning of the word. An early borrowing from Celtic *dunom, in English and Dutch, the meaning of the word took on the sense of the space which these fences enclosed. In England, a town was a community that could not afford or was not allowed to build walls or other larger fortifications. In the Netherlands, this space was a garden, more specifically those of the wealthy, in Old Norse tun means a place between farmhouses, and is still used in a similar meaning in modern Norwegian. If there was any distinction between toun and burgh as claimed by some, it did not last in practice as burghs, for example, Edina Burgh or Edinburgh was built around a fort and eventually came to have a defensive wall. In some cases, town is a name for city or village. Sometimes, the town is short for township. A places population size is not a determinant of urban character. In many areas of the world, as in India at least until recent times, in the United Kingdom, there are historical cities that are far smaller than the larger towns. Some forms of settlement, such as temporary mining locations, may be clearly non-rural. Towns often exist as governmental units, with legally defined borders. In the United States these are referred to as incorporated towns, in other cases the town lacks its own governance and is said to be unincorporated. Note that the existence of a town may be legally set forth through other means. In the case of planned communities, the town exists legally in the form of covenants on the properties within the town. Australian geographer Thomas Griffith Taylor proposed a classification of towns based on their age, although there is no official use of the term for any settlement. In Albanian qytezë means small city or new city, while in ancient times small residential center within the walls of a castle
15.
Castletown, Isle of Man
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Castletown is a town geographically within the Malew parish of the Isle of Man but administered separately. Lying at the south of the island, it was the Manx capital until 1869, the centre of town is dominated by Castle Rushen, a well-preserved medieval castle, originally built for a Viking king. Castletown is the capital of the Isle of Man and site of Tynwald. The town has narrow streets and small fishing cottages, Castle Rushen was originally built in 1265 for a Norse king, then fortified and added to by successive rulers between the 13th and 16th centuries. The Castle has been used as a fortress, a residence for the Kings and Lords of Mann, the town and castle were the site of a number of sieges and battles, especially during the years when control of the island passed between the Norse, Scots and English. Robert the Bruce laid siege to and captured the Castle three times, fishing boats still go out to fish from the harbour. Commercial traffic to the port ended in the 1970s, although there has been an expansion of financial and industrial businesses in the area. The first telephones appeared in Castletown in 1901, Castletown is, along with Douglas, Peel and Ramsey, one of four town local authorities. They were all designated as towns by the Town Act 1852, Castletown became a local authority in 1883. Until 2016 Castletown was also a House of Keys constituency, electing one Member of the House of Keys, the towns representative until 2011 was Tony Brown, who was the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man after the Manx general election,2006. He retired in 2011 and was replaced as MHK for Castletown by Richard Ronan, since 2016 Castletown has been part of the Arbory, Castletown & Malew constituency. In 1874, the House of Keys moved from Castletown to Douglas, the town lies on the northwest side of Castletown Bay. The opposite shore of the bay is the west coast of the distinctively-shaped Langness Peninsula, the older parts of the town are largely built of local grey limestone. At Scarlett, a distance to the south of the town, there are the remains of an ancient volcano and various other features such as fossils. To the north-east are Ronaldsway Airport and industrial zone, and the village of Ballasalla, to the north-west the villages of Ballabeg and Colby, and to the west Port St Mary and Port Erin. The A3 road connects Castletown with Ramsey via St Johns, while the A5 road connects the town with Douglas to the north-east, the A25 road was the historical route to Douglas and is now bypassed by the A5. There are free electric car charging stations available in a car park in the centre of the town. 00pm, some of these services do not run through the town but use the bypass road. These routes are the islands busiest, in part because they also serve Ronaldsway Airport just outside the town, a late evening service also operates on Friday and Saturday evenings, called the Hullaid Oie, which charges premium fare rates
16.
Douglas, Isle of Man
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Douglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 27,938. It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, the River Douglas forms part of the towns harbour and main commercial port. Douglas was a settlement until it grew rapidly as a result of links with the English port of Liverpool in the 18th century. The town is the Islands main hub for business, finance, legal services, shipping, transport, shopping, the annual Isle of Man TT motorcycle races start and finish in Douglas. In the absence of any data, the origins of the town may be revealed by analysis of the original street. Scholars agree that the name of the town derives from Early Celtic Duboglassio meaning black river and these may be references to the site of the later Nunnery, a little upstream from the port. This suggests that the origins of the nucleus were as a non-urban port. Current speculation links the buildings with the Irish Sea Herring fishery. Other forms of trade grew, and following the Revestment Act 1765, Douglas began to reap the benefits of trans-Atlantic trade. Legitimate merchants who rose to prominence over the period included the Murreys, the Moores, the towns later prosperity was facilitated by the low cost of living, and the favourable legal status enjoyed by English debtors and half-pay officers. The initial growth and development of the town owed much to its natural harbour, over the 18th century, the towns population rose from about 800 in 1710 to nearly 2,500 in 1784. Throughout the 19th century, the towns demographics followed the trends as the United Kingdom. The number of visitors grew from the early 19th century, and from around 1870 onwards. But there were increasingly unsanitary conditions, and poor quality housing, the open sewage, middens, and smell from the harbour at low tide all contributed to the towns uncleanliness. Douglas in the first half of the 19th century often suffered from the destitution of its population and the many epidemics, in particular cholera. However, an Act passed later that decade, which did not include opt-out clauses, was accepted, and in 1860, Douglas elected its first town council, which was predominantly middle class in its makeup. The Town Commissioners could tackle the problems with greater efficiency. The Commissioners also designed to alter the anachronistic architecture of Douglas, built during the era of fishing and trading, the proportion of the Manx population living in Douglas was also expanding, with 35% living there by 1891
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Peel, Isle of Man
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Peel is a seaside town and small fishing port on the Isle of Man, in the parish of German but administered separately. It has a castle and a cathedral, Peel is the third largest town on the island after Douglas and Ramsey but the fourth largest settlement, as Onchan has the second largest population but is classified as a village. Until 2016 Peel was also a House of Keys constituency, electing one Member of the House of Keys, Peel has a ruined castle on St Patricks Isle, and a cathedral, seat of the Diocese of Sodor and Man. Peel is on the west coast of the Isle of Man, to the north west is St Patricks Isle, connected to the mainland by a causeway, and to the west across the river is Peel Hill. The A1 road connects Peel with Douglas, the A3 road connects it with Kirk Michael and Ramsey. To the south of Peel is Castletown, the capital of the island. Ireland to the West and Scotland to the North may be seen on a clear day, the older part of Peel is built of reddish Peel Sandstone, mostly the original homes and businesses of fishermen and merchants with narrow winding lanes by the quayside. Before 1765, the town had a busy import-export trade importing goods from such as Amsterdam. The Isle of Man census 2011 lists the population as 5,093, the local authority is Peel Town Commissioners who are based at the Town Hall on Derby Road. The day-to-day activities of the authority are run by the clerk, Peel was the de facto capital of the island before 1344. Peel is the main fishing port and Peel Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Sodor. Peel is sometimes referred to as the red city, due to the red sandstone used to build the castle. As it is in the west, it is called the sunset city. Peel is a seaside destination for Manx residents and visitors in summer. It has narrow streets of fishermens cottages and a Victorian promenade which was built on reclaimed land, for many years the main industries in the town were fishing, trading and shipbuilding. There is evidence of settlers in the Mesolithic Age on both St Patricks Isle and the nearby Peel Hill, and Neolithic farmers are believed to have settled in the area. About 550, a Celtic monastery was founded on St Patricks Isle, excavations in the 1980s found a large early Christian burial ground, many of the burials dating from around 550. Some later graves had Norse burial goods, e. g. the Pagan Lady, the ruins of the original Peel Cathedral can be seen within the walls of Peel Castle on St Patricks Isle
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Ramsey, Isle of Man
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Ramsey is a coastal town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas and its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census. It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier and it was formerly one of the main points of communication with Scotland. Ramsey has also been a route for several invasions by Vikings, Ramsey is also known as Royal Ramsey due to royal visits from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1847 and by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902. The name of the town derives from the Old Norse hrams-á, meaning wild garlic river, More specifically, it refers to the plant known as buckrams or wild garlic, in Latin Allium ursinum. The Isle of Man has been an important strategic location in conflicts between the Norse rulers of Man and the Isles, and the Scots and English, smugglers and pirates were also common at many times in Manx history. Ramsey was the place of the Viking warrior Godred Crovan around 1079, he was determined to subjugate the island. Two miles inland, on Sky Hill, an important battle was fought, on 17 May 1313 Robert the Bruce landed at Ramsey with a multitude of ships on his way to capturing Castle Rushen. Captain François Thurot, a then-famous French privateer, and notorious scourge of the British fleet, was defeated off the north-west of the island in February 1760 and his badly damaged, captured ship was brought into Ramsey Bay after the battle. Thurots actions had been part of a planned French invasion of Britain, in previous years Thurot had traded between Ireland and the Isle of Man and had been well liked by many Manx people, and regarded as an intelligent gentleman. Several cottages and bridges were built using timbers from the ship, hence Thurot Cottage. Pirate radio station Radio Caroline North was based in Ramsey Bay from 1964–68, during World War II, thirty boarding houses on the North Shore were requisitioned for the Mooragh Internment Camp. Ramsey is in the sunniest area of the Isle of Man and this is because Ramsey is in a rain shadow just to the north-east of the Manx hills, on the edge of the northern plain of the island. Rain clouds coming from the wind direction, the south-west. Ramsey is built mostly on ground and has miles of sandy beaches. To the north of Ramsey the beaches run continuously to the tip of the island. On the southern edge of Ramsey, at the edge of the hills, are a network of woods and glens, Ballure Walk, Lhergy Frissel, the Millennium Way and other paths and roads lead up to and across the upland heath. The new Ramsey Forest project aims to increase the tree cover in this area, a popular vantage point is Ramsey Hairpin, where enthusiasts gather to watch the racers
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Village
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A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town, with a population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Though often located in areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods. Villages are normally permanent, with fixed dwellings, however, transient villages can occur, further, the dwellings of a village are fairly close to one another, not scattered broadly over the landscape, as a dispersed settlement. In the past, villages were a form of community for societies that practise subsistence agriculture. In Great Britain, a hamlet earned the right to be called a village when it built a church, in many cultures, towns and cities were few, with only a small proportion of the population living in them. The Industrial Revolution attracted people in numbers to work in mills and factories. This also enabled specialization of labor and crafts, and development of many trades, the trend of urbanization continues, though not always in connection with industrialization. Although many patterns of life have existed, the typical village was small. Homes were situated together for sociability and defence, and land surrounding the living quarters was farmed, Traditional fishing villages were based on artisan fishing and located adjacent to fishing grounds. The soul of India lives in its villages, declared M. K. Gandhi at the beginning of 20th century, according to the 2011 census of India,68. 84% of Indians live in 640,867 different villages. The size of these villages varies considerably,236,004 Indian villages have a population of fewer than 500, while 3,976 villages have a population of 10, 000+. Most of the villages have their own temple, mosque, or church, auyl is a Kazakh word meaning village in Kazakhstan. According to the 2009 census of Kazakhstan,42. 7% of Kazakhs live in 8172 different villages, to refer to this concept along with the word auyl often used the slavic word selo in Northern Kazakhstan. Peoples Republic of China In mainland China, villages 村 are divisions under township Zh, 乡 or town Zh, Republic of China In the Republic of China, villages are divisions under townships or county-controlled cities. The village is called a tsuen or cūn under a rural township, japan South Korea In Indonesia, depending on the principles they are administered, villages are called Kampung or Desa. A Desa is administered according to traditions and customary law, while a kelurahan is administered along more modern principles, Desa are generally located in rural areas while kelurahan are generally urban subdivisions. A village head is respectively called kepala desa or lurah, both are elected by the local community. A desa or kelurahan is the subdivision of a kecamatan, in turn the subdivision of a kabupaten or kota, the same general concept applies all over Indonesia
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Ballabeg
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There are several small villages and hamlets with the name Ballabeg in the Isle of Man. The name Ballabeg derives from the Manx Balley Beg which means homestead, although the spelling is different. Another source of the name is said to be Ball and Bag, a house nearby which was built by Sir David Mark Jordan. Of the several Ballabegs in the Isle of Man the most well-known, the village has the parish church, a Methodist chapel and railway station, served by the Isle of Man Railway. The village also had a shop and Post Office. It also has Arbory Primary School, serving the villages of Ballabeg and Colby, the Parish Church has a large churchyard with many graves dating back at least to the mid-18th century, although there has been a church on the site for much longer. Its most famous occupant is Captain John Quilliam, who steered the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, every year a parish festival, Laa Columb Killey, is held in the parish of Arbory. This festival is main event of the year and it traditionally alternates between Ballabeg and Colby, but in recent years has been held only in Ballabeg, and is in commemoration of the parishs patron saint, Columba. Laa Columb Killey is Manx for St Columbas Day, there are a number of farms which produce high quality Manx produce. Manx Archaeological Register, available from the Centre for Manx Studies
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Ballasalla
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Ballasalla is a village in the parish of Malew in the south-east of the Isle of Man, close to the airport and the town of Castletown. The village was mostly from the ruins of the nearby Rushen Abbey. The lowest-level local authority is Malew Parish Commissioners who are based in Ballasalla, the day-to-day activities of the authority are run by the clerk, Mr Barry Powell. The commissioners offices are located on the road of the village close to the Whitestone Inn. The village has a residents association, Ballasalla and District Residents Association. The HQ of Citywing, the Isle of Man airline, is at Hangar 9 at Isle of Man Airport near Ballasalla, the former Manx Airlines also had its head office at the Airport. The village has its own school, Ballasalla School. Malew football club play their games at the Malew Football Ground, Clagh Vane. Both clubs compete in the Isle of Man Football League, there are 3 buses an hour to Onchan, Douglas, Castletown, Port St Mary and Port Erin operated by the nationalised Bus Vannin. There are also infrequent buses to Peel and Foxdale, Ballasalla railway station on the Isle of Man Railway is at the eastern side of the village and the railway operates between March and November. The A5 Douglas to Port Erin road runs through the village, the Isle of Man Airport is at Ronaldsway just south of the village and also has a small request stop on the railway, a short distance from the terminal. Arriving air passengers sometimes catch trains for the novelty value of travelling by steam train, St Marks Church is in St Marks Road, some distance from the village. The foundation stone was laid in 1771 and it was consecrated in 1772 by the then Bishop of Sodor and Man and it was intended to serve as a chapel of ease and a parish school more conveniently located for those from the outlying hill district than Kirk Malew Church. There was an ancient church near the site which is said to have dedicated to St Mark. The church was consecrated in 1896 and remains in use today. Both churches are Church of England in the Diocese of Sodor, Ballasalla has had three Methodist chapels in the past. The original Ballafesson Wesleyan Methodist Chapel dates from about 1798 and it was restructured in 1846, although the original roof slate is still intact. Ballasalla Primitive Methodist Chapel was built in 1833 and it closed as a chapel in 1949, but continued to be used as a Sunday school until 1975
Civil Ensign of the Isle of Man
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Civil Ensign of the Isle of Man
