The stripes refer to the nine original departments of Uruguay; the Sun of May is a symbol of freedom that also appears on the Argentine flag.
The flag was adopted in 1828.
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Flag of Uruguay
The flag of Uruguay (officially Pabellón Nacional) consists of nine horizontal stripes that are alternating white and blue (five white and four blue), with a white square in the upper left corner (the canton) containing the golden Sun of May (Sol de Mayo) with 16 rays.
San Joaquin
San Joaquín is a village in the Corozal District in northern Belize, one of the larger villages in the district.
It was founded in the 1850s by Mestizo refugees fleeing the Yucatán Caste War (1847–1901) in Mexico.
The settlement was named San Joaquín in 1904, after Saint Joachim (patron saint of the village), to whom the safe arrival was attributed.
The population was approximately 1,470 in 2010 and about 1,528 according to the 2022 census; the inhabitants are predominantly Mestizo and speak mainly Spanish (often also English).
The village is located close to Corozal Town and the Mexican border (near Chetumal).
It is best known for La Fiesta de San Joaquín, a major annual festival in August (starting around August 8 with a torchlight procession from Bacalar, Mexico, until around August 16) featuring novenas, mass, traditional dances, music, food, and a fair.
It is a typical rural Mestizo community with strong cultural and religious ties to the Yucatán region.
Friday, August 14, 2026
Flag of Vanuatu
The flag of Vanuatu is a horizontal bicolor of red (top) and green (bottom), separated by a black triangle on the hoist side and a yellow Y-shaped band (pall) with black borders.
In the black triangle is a yellow wild boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves.
It was adopted on February 18, 1980 (shortly before independence on July 30, 1980).
Brief symbolism:
Red: blood of humans and pigs (unity and traditions).
Green: fertility and wealth of the islands.
Black: the Melanesian ni-Vanuatu people.
Yellow (Y-shape): shape of the islands, peace, and the light of Christianity.
Boar's tusk: prosperity and traditions.
Namele leaves: peace.
Oostkerke
Oostkerke is a picturesque polder village and a sub-municipality of Damme in West Flanders (Belgium).
It was an independent municipality until the municipal merger of 1977.
The village is situated in the typical West Flemish polder landscape (at an elevation of approximately 2 m), surrounded by old sea dikes (such as the Krinkeldijk), canals (Damse Vaart/Napoleon Canal, Leopold Canal, and Schipdonk Canal) and open agricultural land.
In 1974, Oostkerke was voted the most beautiful village in West Flanders.
The small center is characterized by whitewashed old houses, the Sint-Quintinus Church (Sint-Kwintenskerk, one of the oldest parishes in the region, with a legend surrounding Saint Guthago/Guthagon), Oostkerke Castle (with medieval roots and gardens by Mien Ruys), and several windmills.
The history possibly dates back to the 8th century (first written mention as Ostkerka in 1028); the parish was formerly much larger and encompassed surrounding places.
The village and castle suffered damage in both world wars (including inundations and the destruction of the church in 1944), after which reconstruction followed.
It is a quiet, rural, and touristically attractive spot in the polders between Bruges and the coast.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Flag of Vatican City
The flag of Vatican City is a vertical bicolor: yellow (left, hoist side) and white (right).
On the white field are the crossed keys of Saint Peter (gold and silver) beneath the papal tiara.
This is the only national flag in the world that is square.
Nauders
Nauders (Tyrol) is a charming mountain village in the Landeck district of Austria, situated on a sunny high plateau at an altitude of approximately 1,394 m on the Reschen Pass (Resia Pass).
It lies in the Austria–Italy–Switzerland tri-border area, in the Ötztal Alps.
Historically, it was an important post along the Roman Via Claudia Augusta and later a customs station; the medieval Schloss Naudersberg is located there, among other attractions.
It is primarily known as a family-friendly winter sports destination with the Nauders-Bergkastel ski area (approx. 75 km of slopes, up to about 2,750–2,800 m, guaranteed snow).
Access to nearby Italian areas (Zwei Länder Skiarena) is available via a joint ski pass.
In summer, it is popular for hiking, mountain biking (3-country region), and culture.
It is often referred to as a quiet "hidden gem" with a traditional Tyrolean character.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Flag of Venezuela
The flag of Venezuela is a horizontal tricolor with equal stripes: yellow (top), blue (middle), and red (bottom).
In the blue stripe is an arc of eight white five-pointed stars.
The state or government flag also features the national coat of arms in the upper left corner of the yellow stripe.
The ratio is 2:3.
Symbolism (common interpretation):
Yellow: wealth of the country, gold, sovereignty, and agriculture.
Blue: the Caribbean Sea / the ocean separating Venezuela from Spain, and independence.
Red: the blood of the fighters for independence.
Eight stars: the seven provinces that signed the declaration of independence in 1811 (Caracas, Cumaná, Barcelona, Barinas, Margarita, Mérida, and Trujillo), plus the eighth star for Guayana (added in 2006 at the request of Simón Bolívar).
The basic design with the colors yellow-blue-red dates back to Francisco de Miranda (early 19th century) and the flag of Gran Colombia.
The current version with eight stars was officially adopted in 2006.
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