Last modified: 2003-04-05 by antonio martins
Keywords: district | district governor |
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Only three district flags are known for the moment
(Aveiro, Santarém
and Viseu). The question is: are they part
of the law on the local and regional
emblems?
Pascal Vagnat, 28 Jul 1999
The law is not explicit about which
entities it may apply — and districts may be either in or out its
scope. At any rate, however, none of the known district flags follow
the pattern prescribed by that law.
Antonio Martins, 30 Jul 1999
Other districts may have flags still unseen by us or none at all.
All of those very seldom seen — district governors (also very seldom seen
themselves), in “institucional pose”, usually appear in front of (or by
the side of) the portuguese national flag.
Antonio Martins, 30 Jul 1999
It is odd that in Portugal the locally elected bodies (commune and
municipality goverments / parlaments and the once to be regional ones)
have their arms approved (and in prectice chosen) by a central government
entity, who also sets severe rules for the flags — and yet seems that the
district goverments, that are appointed by the central government and
not locally elected, make up their own flags as pleased... Odd.
Antonio Martins, 30 Jul 1999
There is also a district governor flag (2:3 white swallowtail with
green horizontal stripe and the portuguese arms over all). Though this
is a naval flag, designed to be used in Navy ships when a District
Governor is on board, it is known to be used alson on land, incl.
indoors.
Antonio Martins, 30 Jul 1999 and 08 Aug 2001
Note that the portuguese division distrito has nothing to do with
the current meaning of the english cognate word.
Portuguese districts are 18 in the continental part. Before becoming
autonomous regions, Madeira was one district
(Funchal) and Azores had three (Horta,
Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo).
António Martins, 07 Jan 1998
The two municpalities of Macao are not attached
to any district, and East Timor had it’s portuguese
administrative entities in a void during the indonesian occupation
(1975-1999), these consisting of the district of Dili (covering the whole
territory) and the local municipalities (13) and communes (64).
Antonio Martins, 30 Jul 1999 and 29 Feb 2003