Flags of portuguese colonial officials

Last modified: 2002-06-14 by antonio martins
Keywords: coat of arms: escutcheons | armillary sphere | cross: christ knights | general governor | governor | district intendant | colonization inspector | work and colonization inbetweener |
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• Introduction
• General Governor
• Governor
• District Intendant
• Colonization Inspector / Work and Colonization Inbetweener

Introduction

The portuguese colonies (“overseas provinces”) were organized in “districts” (each 5 000-20 000 km² in average) which were adminstered by Intendants (intendente distrital). The colony was administered by a (colonial) Governor and there was a General Governor that superintended the governors. There was also a double office holder called something like "Colonization Inspector / Work and Colonization Inbetweener" (Inspector de Colonização / Procurador de Trabalho e Colonização). I’m not quite sure of the real nature of this office, apart from what the name implies.
António Martins, 26 May 1998

General Governor

The flag of the Governor General of the Portuguese Overseas Territories was white, with the cross of the Order of Christ, on which was centred the arms of Portugal. Two light green stripes ran horizontally across the flag.
Stuart Notholt, 10 Jan 1996

The official proportions in these flags where:

• coat of arms - 1/2 of the hoist;
• green stripes - 1/10 of the width, i.e., 3/20 of the hoist);
• distance between the stripes and the flag edge - twice the stripe’s width.

The charges of these flags are: a large Christ Order cross, unusually bordered gold, charged with the national (lesser) coat of arms, all over green stripes.
António Martins, 26 May 1998

Governor

The flag of the Governor was similar to that of the Governor-General, except that the stripes were vertical.
Stuart Notholt, 10 Jan 1996

District Intendent

The District Intendent had a flag with the same badge as the (colonial) Governor and General Governor, but swallowtailed and with only one vertical green stripe.
António Martins, 26 May 1998

Colonization Inspector / Work and Colonization Inbetweener

A similar flag lacking the stripe was used by the Colonization Inspector / Work and Colonization Inbetweener.
António Martins, 26 May 1998