As acondominium with no single governing body, the continent ofAntarctica does not have an official flag of its own. However, several designs have been created for the purpose of representing the continent.
This should be distinguished fromflags flown in Antarctica in general, which includes those used by national missions and outposts in Antarctica.
Since the 1970s, there have been manydesigns proposed as a flag for Antarctica.[1]
In 1929, members of theBritish Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition onRRSDiscovery used white cotton sheeting to improvise acourtesy ensign for Antarctica, which had (and currently has) no official flag. The banner is now in theNational Maritime Museum in London. The white flag was used to represent Antarctica on at least two occasions on the voyage to Antarctica. On 1 August 1929,The Times noted that "the ship was flying theUnion Jack at her forepeak, the white Antarctic flag at the foremast, and theAustralian flag at the stern."[2][3]
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VexillologistWhitney Smith presented an orange flag with a white emblem in the hoist at the 1978 annual meeting of theNorth American Vexillological Association (NAVA). The letter A stands for Antarctica, the semi-sphere represents the area below the Antarctic Circle, and the hands represent human protection of the environment. For high visibility, he choseinternational orange, a color commonly used in the aerospace industry to set objects apart from their surroundings.[1] The bright orange color was also chosen due to its rarity among national flags, as no nation with an active research base on the continent uses the color orange in their flag. The design elements are positioned on thehoist side of the flag so that it would remain visible even if the flag were damaged by the harsh Antarctic winds.[4]
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Graham Bartram, the chief vexillologist of a British organization, theFlag Institute, designed another proposal in 1996 for a 3D Atlas program developed by The MultiMedia Corporation and published byElectronic Arts.[5] Using theflag of the United Nations as his model, he chose a plain white map of the continent on a blue background to symbolize neutrality. The flag was inspired by the emblem of theAntarctic Treaty System.[6]
VexillologistTed Kaye had Bartram's design printed and took them with him on an Antarctic cruise. At Kaye's request, it flew at the Brazilian baseComandante Ferraz and the British museum atPort Lockroy.[1] Since 2015, Bartram's design has been used on most supported platforms as the "Flag of Antarctica"emoji implemented using theregional indicator symbol sequenceAQ.[7]
In a 2024 update to his design, Bartram introduced modifications to the flag which were aimed at raising awareness about the environmental challenges facing the continent, specifically focusing on the issue of microplastic pollution. This initiative seeks to highlight the presence ofmicroplastics in Antarctica, drawing global attention to the impact on wildlife and ecosystems and advocating for international efforts to tackle this pressing issue.[8]
The True South proposal was designed by Evan Townsend in 2018.[9][10] The flag has the following meaning:
Horizontal stripes of navy and white represent the long days and nights at Antarctica's extreme latitude. In the center, a lone white peak erupts from a field of snow and ice, echoing those of the bergs, mountains, and pressure ridges that define the Antarctic horizon. The long shadow it casts forms the unmistakable shape of a compass arrow pointed south, an homage to the continent's legacy of exploration. Together, the two center shapes create a diamond, symbolizing the hope that Antarctica will continue to be a center of peace, discovery, and cooperation for generations to come.[11]
The flag is named aftergeographic South, or "true South", which differs frommagnetic south.[12]
The flag has quickly gained popularity since its introduction.[13] It has been adopted by a fewNational Antarctic Programs,[14][15] Antarctic nonprofits, and expedition teams; flown at several research stations across Antarctica;[16] and was used in the 2022 marker for thegeographic South Pole.[17] The flag is also used as the flag of Antarctica by theCIA World Factbook.[18]
The emblem of theAntarctic Treaty System is occasionally used, both for its use by its members since the first consultative meeting in 1961[19][20] and for having inspired other similar flags.[6] While the origin of this design can be traced to the first redaction of the treaty in 1959,[21] the consultative members of theAntarctic Treaty System have officially adopted it as emblem only in 2002.[22]
The emblem is used in the form of a flag,[23][24][25] among other forms, along with being used on all official documents, and officially this emblem represents the Antarctic Treaty System and not the continent itself.[23] Acommemorative stamp was also issued by theUS Post Office in 1971.[26]
...One flag was designed by Graham Bartram and is very similar to the flag of the Antarctic Treaty, and the other is by Whitney Smith... Neither of these flags has ever been flown on the territories governed by the treaty.
The representatives recommend their governments:...that the most prominent feature of the stamp should be the Atlantic Treaty emblem representing a map of Antarctica, which appears on the official documents of consultative meetings;
