Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Eleven squared

There are now 121 flags in the virtual collection from visitors around the world. Today Sudan joined Aruba and the Bahamas, whence we had visitors a few days ago. Welcome to all of you!

I left home this morning a few minutes after six and, with a serious grocery and necessity shopping tour on the way home (a new chap has joined our ranks and had nothing with him), got home a few minutes after nine tonight. So I shall be brief but I need to welcome our new friends.

Aruba (official tourism site here) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. You may read about it at Wikipedia.
About the flag:
The Aruba flag has four colors: Bunting yellow, Larkspur (or U.N.) Blue, Union Jack Red and White. Each of these colors is significant: the blue represents the sea that surrounds Aruba; yellow is the color of abundance, representing the island's past and its industries of gold, aloe and oil; red is for the love each Aruban has for the country and the ancient industry of Brazilwood; and white symbolized the snow-white beaches as well as the purity of the hearts of Aruba's people who strive for justice, order and liberty.

The symbols on the flag consist of a red star and two yellow stripes. The red star represents the four points of the compass, with the island having drawn people from around the world. The star also represents the island itself, surrounded by the beautiful blue sea. The horizontal yellow stripes denote the free and separate position Aruba enjoys in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Wikipedia introduces the Bahamas thus:
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an independent sovereign, English-speaking country consisting of two thousand cays and seven hundred islands that form an archipelago. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and the United States, north of Cuba, the island of Hispanola and the Caribbean, and northwest of the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
God save the Queen!
The Bahamas is an independent country and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom.

Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State, represented by a Bahamian governor-general. The prime minister is the head of government and is the leader of the party with the most seats in the elected House of Assembly. [also from Wikipedia]
Of Sudan we read:
Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) (Arabic: السودان ‎as-Sūdān)[2] is the largest country in Africa[3] and the Arab World, and tenth largest country in the world by area. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. [Yep, Wiki again.]
Sudanese Music - Majzob Onsa



Aruba band



The Bahamas - Salute to Joseph Spence



Enjoy!

Bonbini! means Welcome! in Aruba.
--the BB

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