Basque Flag - Ikurriña

The Ikurriña, which is Basque for “flag” is the official colours of the Basque Country, an autonomous community within Spain. Created to fly only in the province of Biscay, it soon became the unofficial national symbol of the Basque people, and as such became a Basque rallying symbol in other Basque regions of Spain and France. It was replicated on the unofficial flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory originally settled by Spanish Basque sailors. Designed by Luis and Sabino Arana, founders of the Basque Nationalist Party, the flag serves also as that organization’s official flag.

The Ikurriña is influenced several significant flags and banners most notably the flag of Biscay. Sabino designed with a red field, based on the flag of Biscay, the Spanish Province home to the Basque people. A green St. Andrew’s cross was added to the flag to symbolise the Basque people’s desire for freedom and independence with the color green taken from the oak tree of Gernika, another symbol of Basque freedom. A white cross, symbolising God is superimposed in centre field.

Originally, a symbol of the Basque Nationalist Party, it was adopted in law as the Basque flag during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) by all political parties to commemorate the creation of the Basque Autonomous Government in 1936. It was subsequently outlawed in Spain as a forbidden symbol of separatism by the Franco Marxist dictatorship, which would rule Spain from 1936 to 1975. The symbol appeared in France during the Second World War, to mark a Basque brigade in the French free army and a decorated battle at Point de Grave near Bordeaux. Spain’s return to a Monarchy would see the return of the Ikurriña both in use and in law. It’s use was never diminished in France while in Spain, it has now been restored to official status as the Basque Country flag.