REPUBLIC OF PORTUGAL

CURRENT NAVAL ENSIGNS & FLAGS

The current national flag and coat of arms of Portugal were adopted in 1911, after a revolution that resulted in the abolition of the monarchy and the proclamation of a republic. The arms consist of the traditional shield of Portugal over an armillary sphere, an antique navigational device symbolizing Portugal's maritime heritage. The colors green and red were chosen for the flag because they had been widely used by various republican clubs and movements prior to the revolution. In the years following the establishment of the republic, a complete range of naval flags was adopted. The national flag doubles as the naval ensign; the naval jack displays the arms on a red field with a green border. Perhaps reflecting Portugal's longstanding ties to Britain, the naval rank flags in use since 1911 are similar to those of the Royal Navy. The President of the Republic, who is titular commander-in-chief of the armed forces, flies his flag when aboard ship. There is at any given time only one full admiral on active duty, who serves as the Chief of the Naval Staff;  thus his rank flag (with the national arms in the canton) is in effect a positional flag. Up to the 1970s, the Portuguese Navy was a small and not particularly up-to-date force that mostly concerned itself with the policing of Portugal's extensive colonial possessions in Africa and East Asia. In the years since the loss of the colonial empire the Navy has been progressively modernized, and today it is a much more capable force centered on frigates of German and Dutch design. Flag Proportions: Most Portuguese naval flags have 2:3 proportions. The jack is square.

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