An ethnic flag is a flag that symbolizes a certain ethnic group. Ethnic flags are often introduced to the ethnic community through the respective cultural or political ethnic movements. They are popular among ethnic minorities and some ethnic majorities, especially in multiethnic countries.
Like the concept of the national flag itself, that of an "ethnic flag" is modern, first arising in the late 19th century; strictly speaking, the national flags of nation states are themselves "ethnic flags", and often so used by ethnic minorities in neighbouring states, especially in the context of irredentism (e.g. the flag of the Republic of Albania used as an "ethnic Albanian flag" by Kosovar Albanians).
Ethnic flags are often used in irredentism, representing the "national flag" of a proposed or unrecognized state. The first such flags were designed at the end of the 19th century, such as the Basque flag (1894) or the "Flag of Zion" used to symbolize Zionism from 1898, which became the national flag of Israel 50 years later[citation needed].
The concept of using ethnic flags to symbolize ethnic groups within a multiethnic state, not necessarily connected with irredentism, became popular in the later 20th century, such as the Australian Aboriginal flag (1971), the Assyrian flag (1971), the flag of the Romani people (1971), the Berber flag (1970s), the Sami flag (1986) or the Māori flag (1990). Designing ethnic or tribal flags has become very popular since the 1990s, especially for online use, and mostly do not have any kind of "official" status and must be judged based on de facto use.
^This is just one of several flags used by groups that make up this macro-group.
^Akha are considered part of the Hani by the government of People's Republic of China, though this is a subject of some dispute among the Akha themselves.
^"Native Peoples of Colombia". Flags of the World. July 3, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2010. According to FOTW, this flag represent primarily the Guambiano or Misak tribe, but it also represents Native peoples of Southwestern Colombia.
^"Zazaistan". Flags of the World. April 24, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2010. FOTW shows this banner as the alleged flag of Zazas. Moreover, according to an article published in Le Monde, signed by Lucien Philippe, the site states that the flag has been used in several ethnic riots until 1980. Finally FOTW shows other three flags that are not supported by any source definable as reliable.
^"Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias"(PDF) (in Spanish). Gobierno de Canarias. Retrieved June 13, 2010. The flag, which was made official by the Organic Law 10/82 on 16 August 1982, is based upon the original design attributed to Carmen Sarmiento, Jesús Cantero and Arturo Cantero and adopted by the Canarias Libre movement in 1961.
^"Estatuto de Autonomía de Aragón"(PDF) (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial de Aragón. April 23, 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2010. The Statute defines Aragonese People as an "historical nationality".
^Vickers, Miranda (2007), The Cham Issue — Where to Now?, ARAG Balkan Series, Swindon, United Kingdom: Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, p. 21, ISBN978-1-905962-01-3
^"Rusyn Symbols". Academy of Rusyn Culture in the Slovak Republic. Retrieved June 12, 2010.