Azores

Azores
Country	Portugal
Adopted	April 10, 1979
Designed by	Regional Assembly of the Azores
Proportions	2:3

The flag of the Azores, Portugal, contains a rectangular bicolour of blue and white superimposed by a golden goshawk and surmounted by nine stars with traditional Portuguese shield in the left corner.

The flag was adopted on April 10, 1979, and designed by the Regional Assembly of the Azores.

Symbolism

Explorers from Portugal named the islands "Azores", from the Portuguese word açor, meaning goshawk, because it was supposed to be a common bird at the time of the discovery, despite the bird never existing on the islands. Thus the flag depicts a golden goshawk between the blue and white.

The shield of Portugal represents the Portuguese patriotism of the Azorean people, Blue and white were traditional colours used by the Portuguese nation and also represent the Portuguese Constitutional Monarchy borne in the Azores, the nine stars symbolize the archipelago's nine islands.

History

Flag of the Azores Liberation Front

In the late 19th century, some political movements advocating for greater autonomy for the Azores adopted a flag with a design closely resembling the current Flag of the Azores. The colors of these autonomist flags were derived from the Portuguese National Flag of that era, symbolizing the Azores' significant role in the establishment of the Portuguese Constitutional Monarchy.

The 1976 Constitution of Portugal created the Autonomous Region of the Azores. In 1979, the Regional Assembly of the Azores officially adopted the region's symbols, including its Regional Flag. The Azorean Flag was adapted from the Portuguese flag used between 1830 and 1910, drawing inspiration from the autonomist flags of the late 19th century.