Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (Zeelandic Flanders), the northwestern part of historic Flanders, is the southernmost part of the Dutch Province of Zeeland. The region is separated from the rest of Zeeland by the estuary of the Westerschelde and has land borders with Belgium only. Since the administrative reformation of 2003, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is made of the three municipalities of Hulst, Sluis and Terneuzen.
On 6 January 2009, René Hoonhorst reports in “PZC” (Provinciale Zeeuwsche Courant) the official presentation of the flag of Zeelandic Flanders, held on 5 January in Terneuzen. The flag was designed by the expert in heraldry Dingeman de Koning, from Axel (Terneuzen).
Flags used in the past to represent the region (including, I guess, the flag shown on the FOTW website) did not meet the Higher Council of Nobility’s requirements and were, accordingly, never officially approved. Aware of the Council’s requirements and of local history, de Koning designed a flag representing Terneuzen, Sluis and Hulst. The flag is horizontally divided red-white-red-yellow-blue-white-blue.
The apparent prorportions of the stripes are 1:1:1:6:1:1:1 and the border between the coloured stripes and the yellow stripe is wavy. The upper red stripes come form the flag of Sluis, while the lower blue stripes come from the flag of Terneuzen. The stripes represents the North Sea, the Zwin and Wester Schelde, that is water bordering more than 60% of the region. The yellow stripe in the middle of the flag is charged with a black lion, recalling the flags of Flanders and Hulst (but, seemingly, without the red tongue and nails). The particular design of the lion was not copied on any existing arms, but was created as a “young, robust and dynamic lion”. The colours of the flag also recalls the links of the region with both the Netherlands and Belgium.
