Maps of Europe.

[Imran Siddiqui]

therefore, we will go with my source, until you find an academic one.

YOU can go with your source (talking about axe to grind). I'll trust wikipedia, in which the entry on the French flag has not been changed, indicating little (if any) opposition to the statement. Seeing how self-policing is very vigilant, if it was contested, you'd see changes or a revision fight or something in the discussion. Neither exists.

So until you can get me a historical or academic source for the Embassy's listing, I'll just keep with mine.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

in that case you conceed defeat and i win. that fine with me

[Imran Siddiqui]

Actually I believe you've conceeded defeat and I win. That's fine with me

[Lawrence of Arabia]

well, you believe wrong

[Imran Siddiqui]

Nope, I'm definetly right. Thanks for conceeding. We have some lovely parting gifts for you.

[Spiffor]

Geez, such a good childish spam is completely wasted on 'Poly. You could do it on Eventis you know

[Lawrence of Arabia]

yeah? you got a nice gift for me? is it similar to gift that newcastle got from Safri in the 68th minute? or did you prefer ashtons last second gift? that one was my favorite, i dont know bout you tho.

[Imran Siddiqui]

More like the nice gifts Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard gave to Switerland during Euro2004 when they drubbed the **** out of the Swiss team 3-0 . Though the second Rooney one, off the keeper's head was my favorite, I don't know about you, though.

[Locutus]

Originally posted by Nacht
So the only period the Netherlands had a government with a social democratic alignment was 1973-1977

Yeah, that map (almost) completely excludes the possibility of coalition governments, and apparently the maker has a bias towards Christian democrats...

[Locutus]

Wikipedia is NOT a good source for historic info, I've found dozens of instances where Wikipedia was incorrect, grossly incomplete, blatantly biased, etc. On many, many topics it only presents the point of view of one or two individuals, and AFAIK very few of the people involved in the wikipedia project have any real credentials as historians.

It's a great encyclopedia for some generic info on common topics, but I would never ever ever use it as a source for historic info (certainly not on its own).


Of course, a French embassy isn't exactly a neutral source either....

[Locutus]

This is what a professional vexilllologist has to say about the French flag issue:

In brief we can accept that the colours are basically those of Paris as used on the day of the storming of the Bastille, mixed with the Royal white. It is thought that the Marquis de Lafayette was responsible for inventing the red, white and blue cockade which soon became compulsory for Revolutionaries in 1789. We don't have to believe that the combination arose because the King placed a red-blue cockade in his hat next to a Royal white one, but combinations of Revolutionary and Royal emblems were common at that time.

The flag was created in 1790 but with the colours the reverse of what they are today, i.e. with red at the hoist, and revised in 1794 to the modern form. The 1790 flag existed only as part of the jack and ensign of the navy.

The flag went out of use with Napoléon I's defeat at Waterloo, but was brought back in 1830 (again by Lafayette) and has remained in use ever since. Although significances have been attached to the colours these are all spurious and invented after the fact. The red and blue of Paris were the livery colours of the coat of arms and natural ones for use by the militia.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fr.html

Another scholarly source backing it up (with literary references): http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/frflag.htm

[Ben Kenobi]

Who else could it have been? China? Ethiopa? Brazil?

The folks with the second largest navy at the time?

How about Canada?

We did way more than the French did in WWII.

[Ben Kenobi]

Czech Republic.

By what measure? Membership lists show a majority number are Christians.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
in that case you conceed defeat and i win. that fine with me

My history prof in college disagrees with you. QED you are wrong.

Also the tri-color started showing up before Liberty, Equality and Fraternity became the official motto of the French state.

[Ben Kenobi]

Baltic religion is messed up. Kalingrad oblast (Prussia) is not Catholic, and is historically protestant.

Historically, but the Russians have made sure to destroy most of the churches that were there in Koenigsberg.

As well, they have very few Germans there, most have been forceably removed. The Germans are all Volga Germans, and not ones from Germany.

It is a very good question though, that you stumbled upon. I managed to find a good article from a Protestant who writes about the revival of many of the pentecostals and Lutherans, but also of the Catholics.

Apparently Lithuania is rather fond of 'Lithuania minor'

http://www.georgefox.edu/academics/undergrad/departments/soc-swk/ree/2003/yoder03rbw.html