Top 5 for Tree Huggers

Thanks to everyone who became a facebook fan or follower of my new blog! I hope some of you are tree huggers, because this list is dedicated to those lovers of the world's majestic oxygen makers. I've chosen flags that have a tree or tree leaf as the primary focus.

1. Flag of Lebanon

"The righteous fluorish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psalms 92:12)

Topping my list is the flag of Lebanon, home of the Lebanon Cedar, a symbol of immortality and steadiness. There is a woodland in Lebanon titled Forest of the Cedars of God.

2. Flag of Norfolk Island

The tree depicted on the flag of this Australian island is the Norfolk Island Pine. Though now grown elsewhere for use as houseplants and Christmas trees, the species is native to Norfolk Island only. The design of this flag is very similar to the next flag on my list...

3. Canada Flag

A tree hugger's flag list could not be complete without my own nation's flag. Canada has ten varieties of Maple which span the country, including Bigleaf, Black, Douglas, Manitoba, Mountain, Red, Silver, Striped, Sugar and Vine.

4. Flag of South Carolina, USA

During the American Revolution, Palmetto Palm logs were used to build a fort on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, which held strong when attacked by a British fleet in 1776. Sabal Palmetto is the state tree of both South Carolina and Florida.

5. Cascadian Flag

There is a movement toward building a sovereign state, most often called Cascadia (or The Republic of Cascadia), in the Pacific Northwest of North America. British Columbia, Oregon and Washington would be wholly included in this independent nation, and the inclusion of other states and provinces is also a possibility. Of the flag designs proposed for Cascadia, the most recognizable is "Doug," a design which utilizes an image of a Douglas Fir,  a conifer that is common to the region.

 

Top 5 for Fantasy Geeks

I myself am a total fantasy geek, so my first list is dedicated to the D&Ders of the world, the Harry Potheads, and the Lord of the Rings fanatics.

1. Flag of Bhutan

The Bhutanese call their country Druk, or Land of the Thunder Dragon, believing thunder to be the voices of roaring dragons.

2. Flag of Albania

The double-headed eagle is often associated with the Holy Roman and Byzantine Empires, but also appears in many works of fiction, including the film Sinbad's Seventh Voyage.

3. Flag of Wales

Though the origin of the symbol has been lost, popular belief is that the Red Dragon was the battle standard of King Arthur.

4. Xliponian Royal Flag

Xliponia is an imaginary nation in Southern Europe. That's right... imaginary. But I don't care; this is, afterall, a list for fantasy geeks, and The Griffin Flag is pretty stylish.

5. Imperial Dragon Flag of China

This flag is no longer in use, dating back to the late 1800s, used at that time as the State Flag and naval ensign. The Chinese regarded the dragon as a cloud gatherer who brought much needed rain to the land.