Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Ethiopia - Regional State Flags 2000


Ethiopia Flag Definitive, 2000, 10 values:

0.25 Ethiopian Santim - Harari, People National Regional State Flag
0.30 Ethiopian Santim - Oromia, Regional State Flag
0.50 Ethiopian Santim - Amhara, National Regional State Flag
0.60 Ethiopian Santim - Tigrai, National Regional State Flag
0.70 Ethiopian Santim - Benishangul Gumuz, National Regional State Flag
0.80 Ethiopian Santim - Somale, National Regional State Flag
0.90 Ethiopian Santim - Southern Nation, Nationalities, and People's Regional State Flag
0.95 Ethiopian Santim - Gambella, National Regional State Flag
1.00 Ethiopian Birr - Afar, National Regional State Flag
2.00 Ethiopian Birr - Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Flag

The US stamp newspaper "Scotts Stamp Monthly," reports a set of stamps issued by Ethiopia in the year 2000, with 9 stamps total. These stamps depict the regional states of Ethiopia. In addition, the national flag is shown on the high value of this set.
Roger Moyer, 29 August 2001

There are some differences to what we have reported for each of the states individually from other sources:
1- All flags on stamps appear to be 2:1 (possibly it was done intentionally for the sake of uniformity)
2- Gambella is upside down then reported in FOTW (four bands:b-g-w-r), instead of r- w-g-b as shown here. At least the black star in over the white band.
3- The Afar flag shown here has the sabers less inclined, of lighter color, and more elongated, while the star is golden (not red) and straight up (not rotated to the fly).
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 29 August 2001

Not to say that one source is better than the other, but the stamps themselves are also issued by the government. The stamps in general are not always accurate, but most stamps are issued by the governments that sell them.
On the other hand, stamps are typically issued by an independent statal organism that, despite depending from the government, has (typically) authonomy in terms of stamp design. Of course, there are exceptions, and from what I know Ethiopia might even be one of those exceptions. In any case, I've seen so many inaccuracies in stamps, flagwise, that I'm quite reluctant to treat them as trustworthy sources. To me, stamps are more or less at the level of flag plates in encyclopaedias in what concerns reliability. Therefore I guess that caution is not unwise.
Jorge Candeias, 31 August 2001

The regions and chartered cities of Ethiopia, numbered alphabetically:

1. Addis Ababa
2. Afar
3. Amhara
4. Benishangul-Gumuz
5. Dire Dawa
6. Gambela
7. Harari
8. Oromia
9. Somali
10. Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
11. Tigray


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