Flag of Argovia

The flag of Argovia is a square field divided into two vertical halves: the flagpole one black with three white waves, and the fly one light blue with three white stars.

How it came about

Argovia is a canton in northern Switzerland, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Aare. Its flag is square, with a 1:1 ratio, like that of all the Swiss cantons.

The design sets two things against each other: water and sky. The three white waves on black are a river, and the three stars on blue are reference points in the firmament.

How it has changed

No approval date is recorded.

What it means

• Black

  the ground of the half by the flagpole.

• White waves

  three lines of equal thickness, parallel, crossing that half from side to side.

• Light blue

  the ground of the half towards the fly side.

• Stars

  three, white, five-pointed, with a black outline.

• Arrangement

  two stars at the top, aligned, and one below in the centre.

Fun facts

1. Three and three, face to face

   Each half has three elements: three waves on one side, three stars on the other. The number is the same and the order is reversed, as if each half were a reflection of the other with a different element.

2. The black outline of the stars

   The stars are white on blue, a contrast that is already enough. Even so they carry a black outline. It is a detail of the Swiss tradition: figures are outlined even when they do not need it, in order to separate them from the field.

3. Square, like all the Swiss ones

   The 1:1 ratio is not a rarity: all the Swiss cantonal flags are square. It is a national habit that identifies the country by shape before you even look at the colours.

Location