Flag of Cyprus
In view of the hostilities which took place after its adoption, the Cypriot flag is a poignant symbol of attempts to unite the island’s Greek and Turkish communities. Use of blue and red, colors of Greece and Turkey, was deliberately avoided; instead, the adoption of both the white field and crossed olive branches symbolizes a desire for ethnic peace, white also being a neutral color between the two. A map of Cyprus appears in orange, recalling the rich copper deposits for which the island was famous in ancient times. The flag came into use when the island became independent from Britain in 1960, and it may be flown with the Greek and Turkish flags on public holidays. The ratio of the flag is 2:3.
