National Symbols

Learn about the national symbols of the Federated States of Gapla.

Gapla’s national symbols provide an international identity for our nation.

Our national symbols, including our flag, national anthem, Coat of Arms, and seal, provide a framework for representing Gapla internationally.

Our National Symbols

The following section provides an overview of Gapla’s national symbols and how they are used.

The National Flag

The national flag of the Federated States of Gapla, known as the Standard of Greater Gapla, is the national flag and naval ensign of the Federated States of Gapla, meaning that it is also valid for use on Gaplan national and commercial ships. The Standard of Greater Gapla consists of a blue background with a red cross, an orange circle, and a yellow star.

It was adopted on 28 February 2019 as one of the primary national symbols of Gapla, and was only revised twice to standardize the ratio of the flag. The current design of the standard of Greater Gapla is to the left. The ratio of the flag’s width to its length is 2:3, a common standard internationally.

Colors of the Flag

The blue touches the red, and the orange, because the pride of the people are made from the people, and the National Assembly and Association of Ministries are made of the people. Also notice that citizens themselves cannot change the nation, the star.

The red touches all of the areas, because the pride of the people is made from the people, gives people to National Assembly and the Association of Ministries, and affects the nation.

The orange represents the National Assembly, which most closely touches the star. The orange also is made from the pride of the people and the people.

This yellow star is the government, and touches everything except for the blue, because citizens cannot change the government alone. It is touching the orange because the National Assembly and the Association of Ministries can change the government. It is touching the red because the pride of the people can change the government.

The Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms of the Federated States of Gapla, designed by Chris Ramsay, is the official state Coat of Arms of Gapla. Its greater and lesser versions serve as symbols for the Gaplan monarchy, while the same arms, the middle version is the only official state arms.

Symbolism

The crown on the top of the Coat of Arms is the heraldic crown of the Sovereign Prince, distinct from the physical crown. The Order of the Gaplan Star is displayed due to it being the most prestigious order in the nation. The motto is Gapla’s federal motto.

The two bears symbolize California, where Gapla was founded, and the Princess Islands, as there are known to be many brown bears in the surrounding area. The hummingbirds symbolize New Gaplastovia and Gapla’s official animal, as hummingbirds were very common in the former location of New Gaplastovia and were therefore considered the national animal.

The two divided lands separated by a sea represent Princess Chelsea Island on the right and Princess Emma Island on the left, which are separated by the Danube river and make up Gapla’s main territory.

In the escutcheon, the sun represents the heat and constant sun in most of Gapla’s territory, and the land represents Princess Emma Island, the larger of the two Princess Islands. The person standing on the territory symbolizes Gaplan ownership of the islands.

The State Seal

The State Seal of Gapla, rarely known as the Golden Royal Star, is used when the Coat of Arms or flag are not appropriate depictions of the nation. It is mainly used on documents, government logos, and as a simple marker of the Gaplan government. The seal’s predominant color is gold, and is based on Spanish military emblems.

It is composed of a laurel wreath, signifying unity and federation, a six-pointed star, signifying the six dominions of Gapla, and the heraldic crown of the Sovereign Prince, signifying the monarchy that ties the country together.

The National Motto

The official state motto is Erit Ergo Justitia (in Latin), translating roughly to “Justice Will be Served” – but the original government-sponsored interpretation of the motto is “May Justice be Served.” The motto describes a want for justice in Gapla, one of the founding reasons of the micronation.

However, there has been a proposed change of the motto to Justice, Liberty, Peace, and Progress (without a Latin form), which, according to the proposers “better describes the Gapla of today and its promise of these four elements.” Justice, Liberty, Peace, and Progress became Gapla’s secondary motto, but it was rarely used outside of official government branding, compared to the primary motto (Erit Ergo Justitia) being used to express satisfaction, joy, and pride in Gapla by many news sources and individuals.

The national anthem and march

The national anthem and march are the two musical pieces used to represent Gapla musically.

The national anthem, A Proud Royal Union, had its music written in 1956 by famous composer William Latham as a processional march. Gaplan lyrics were added in 2023 by Wyatt Baek. The national anthem is used to represent Gapla internationally, in diplomatic situations, and in sports. The following audio file is the official state recording of the National Anthem of the Federated States of Gapla.

The national march, March of the Revolution, had its music written in 1890 by John Philip Sousa, a famous composer of military marches. It was adopted as the national march in 2023. The march is used in the Ministry of the Armed Forces as well as in many patriotic events. The following audio file is the official state recording of the National March of the Federated States of Gapla.

A note on our Coat of Arms

Our Coat of Arms also has a lesser and greater version. However, these are only used in context of the monarchy and are therefore not official national symbols. Visiting the “About our Monarchy” page on this website will have an explanation of how those symbols are used within the monarchy.

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