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Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Region, France)

by Philippe-Pierre Darras

Administrative data
Regional flag of Nord-Pas-de-Calais

See also:

Administrative data

Departments: Nord, Pas-de-Calais
Bordering Region: Picardie
Bordering country: Belgium
Traditional provinces: Flandre, Artois, Picardie

Area: 12,413 km²Population (1995): 3,994,800 inhabitants
Regional prefecture: Lille

Regional flag of Nord-Pas-de-Calais

The flag of the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais is white with an orange stripe placed along the hoist and the logotype of the region in the middle. The orange stripe is often omitted on flags shown on French flag manufacturers' catalogues.

The flag was adopted in 1993 when the logotype of the region was modified. It exists in four different sizes: 1 x 1,50 m; 1,2 x 1,8 m; 1,5 x 2,25 m; and 2 x 3 m.
The width of the orange stripe is ca. 4/18 of the width of the flag, the height of the logotype corresponds to ca. 21/24 of the height of the flag.

The colour specifications are:

Orange: Pantone 1235 c / CMYK (%) C 0 - M 30 - Y 100 - K 0
Blue: Pantone 288 c / CMYK (%) C 100 - M 70 - Y 0 - K 20

The former logotype was created in 1982 by the agency OPN, from Lille.
The current logotype was created by the agency Quetzal-Jérôme Watrelot, from Marcq-en-Baroeul, and still combines a heart and a belfry.
The heart is the universal symbol of love and friendship and expresses the most essential qualities of the region's inhabitants : generous, welcoming, wholehearted. It is 'the' sign of life. The orange color symbolizes youth, light and the sun. The belfry is a durable witness of independence. It is the region's most particular landmark, the relief of an otherwise fairly flat region, its history and particularity. The blue color stands for the European future of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
The model for the belfry is the belfry of the city of Béthune.

Pascal Vagnat, Philippe-Pierre Darras & Ivan Sache, 11 September 2004