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3 Quiet Caribbean Islands That Beat the Crowds (Go World Travel) ²⁰²⁵

The crimson and white colors of the Alabama flag were officially adopted in the year 1895 by the Alabama legislature. The flag has two crimson bars in an X pattern that is similar to the St. Andrews Cross. There has been much debate since the creation of the flag over whether or not it is supposed to be rectangular or square shaped. It was not until 1987 that this matter was settled by then Attorney General Don Siegelman, who determined that since the flag had been reproduced so many times in the shape of a rectangle that it should continue in that manner from that point onwards.^[2]

State Agricultural Insect: Queen Honeybee
State American Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Amphibian: Red Hills Salamander
State Bird: Northern Flicker
State Butterfly: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
State Crustacean: Brown Shrimp
State Desert: Lane Cake
State Flower: Camelia
State Fossil: Basilosaurus Cetoides
State Freshwater Fish: Largemouth Bass
State Fruit: Blackberry
State Game Bird: Eastern Wild Turkey
State Gemstone: Star Blue Quartz
State Insect: Monarch Butterfly
State Mammal: Black Bear
State Marine Mammal: West Indian Manatee
State Mineral: Hematite
State Nut: Pecan
State Reptile: Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle
State Rock: Marble
State Saltwater Fish: Fighting Tarpon
State Shell: Johnstone’s Junonia
State Soil: Barna Soil
State Spirit: Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey
State Tree: Southern Longleaf Pine Tree
State Tree Fruit: Peach
State Wildflower: Oak-Leaf Hydrangea

State Amphibian: Arizona Tree Frog

State Bird: Cactus Wren

State Butterfly: Two-Tailed Swallowtail Butterfly

State Firearm: Colt Single-Action Army Revolver

State Fish: Apache Trout

State Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom

State Fossil: Petrified Wood

State Gem: Turquoise

State Mammal: Ringtail

State Metal: Copper

State Motto: Ditat Deus (God enriches)

State Neckwear: Bola Tie

State Reptile: Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake

State Soil: Casa Grande Soil

State Tree: Palo Verde Tree

The captivating flag of California was originally used to declare their independence from Mexico in 1846. Quickly designed and built with materials they had available, the settlers raised the flag at the Mexican garrison in Sonoma after taking the commander there as prisoner and the flag declared the land as “California Republic.” The other symbols on the flag include the grizzly bear, which stands for strength, and the red star, which is representative of the “Lone Star” of Texas. The California legislature officially declared this as the state flag in 1911.^[2]

State Amphibian: Cal. Red-Legged Frog
State Animal: California Grizzly Bear
State Artifact: Chipped Stone Bear
State Bird: California Quail
State Colors: Blue & Gold
State Dance: West Coast Swing
State Fabric: Denim
State Fish: California Golden Trout
State Flower: California Poppy
State Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Fossil: Saber-Toothed Tiger
State Gemstone: Benitoite
State Gold Rush Ghost Town: Bodie, CA
State Grass: Purple Needlegrass
State Holiday: California Poppy Day
State Insect: Cal. Dogface Butterfly
State Lichen: Lace Lichen
State Marine Fish: Garibaldi
State Marine Mammal: Grey Whale
State Mineral: Gold
State Motto: Eureka!
State Reptile: Desert Tortoise
State Rock: Serpentine
State Silver Rush Ghost Town: Calico
State Soil: San Joaquin Soil
State Tall Ship: The Californian
State Tree: State Redwood Tree

The flag consists of three alternate stripes of equal width and at right angles to the staff, the two outer stripes to be blue of the same color as in the blue field of the national flag and the middle stripe to be white, the proportion of the flag being a width of two-thirds of its length. At a distance from the staff end of the flag of one fifth of the total length of the flag there is a circular red C, of the same color as the red in the national flag of the United States. The diameter of the letter is two-thirds of the width of the flag.^[2]

State Amphibian: Western Tiger Salamander
State Animal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
State Bird: Lark Bunting
State Cactus: Claret Cup Cactus
State Fish: Greenback Cutthroat Trout
State Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
State Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Fossil: Stegosaurus
State Gemstone: Aquamarine
State Grass: Blue Grama Grass
State Insect: Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly
State Mineral: Rhodochrosite
State Motto: Nil sine Numine (Nothing without providence)
State Reptile: Western Painted Turtle
State Marble: Yule Marble
State Summer Heritage Sport: Pack Burro Racing
State Tree: Colorado Blue Spruce

The state flag of Idaho contains the only state seal in the country that was designed by a woman, Emma Edwards. The right of women to vote was being debated at the time that she created the seal and she placed the man and woman in the seal next to one another and at equal heights. While designing the seal she spoke with many prominent citizens within the state to determine the most important symbols of Idaho. Some of the symbols include the miner, the scales (to denote liberty and justice), the trees, the shield, the stamp mill, the cornucopia, and the elk’s head.^[2]

Seemingly simple in design, the Texas state flag incorporates many values that both Texans and Americans in general hold in the highest regard. The red, white, and blue colors used for the flag represent bravery, purity, and loyalty respectively. The Lone Star flag was officially adopted in 1839 and each point of the star on the flag has been given an unofficial meaning. The author Adina de Zavala described how each point stands for the characteristics of an outstanding citizen which are: fortitude, loyalty, righteousness, prudence, and broadmindedness.^[2]

State Amphibian: Texas Toad
State Bird: Mockingbird
State Bluebonnet City: Ennis, TX
State Bread: Pan de Campo
State Cobbler: Peach Cobbler
State Crustacean: Texas Gulf Shrimp
State Dinosaur: Paluxysaurus Jonesi
State Dish: Chili
State Dog Breed: Blue Lacy
State Fiber: Cotton
State Fish: Guadalupe Bass
State Flower: Bluebonnet
State Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Footwear: Cowboy Boot
State Fruit: Texas Red Grapefruit
State Gem: Texas Blue Topaz
State Grass: Sideoats Grama
State Hat: Cowboy Hat
State Health Nut: Pecan
State Horse: American Quarter Horse
State Insect: Monarch Butterfly
State Large Mammal: Longhorn
State Motto: Friendship
State Music: Western Swing
State Musical Instrument: Guitar
State Native Pepper: Chiltepin
State Native Shrub: Texas Purple Sage
State Pastry: Strudel
State Pepper: Jalapeño
State Pie: Pecan Pie
State Plant: Prickly Pear Cactus
State Pollinator: Western Honey Bee
State Precious Metal: Silver
State Reptile: Texas Horned Lizard
State Saltwater Fish: Red Drum
State Shell: Lightning Whelk
State Ship: USS Texas
State Shrub: Crape Myrtle
State Snack: Tortilla Chips & Salsa
State Sport: Rodeo
State Squash: Pumpkin
State Stone: Petrified Palmwood
State Tall Ship: Tall Ship Elissa
State Tie: Bolo Tie
State Tree: Pecan Tree
State Vegetable: Texas Sweet Onion
State Vehicle: Chuck Wagon
State Waterlily: Nymphaea Texas Dawn

State Animal: White-Tailed Deer
State Artifact: Pirogue
State Bird: Northern Cardinal
State Exercise: Cycling
State Fish: Bluegill
State Flower: Violet
State Folk Dance: Sqaure Dance
State Fossil: Tully Monster
State Fruit: Goldrush Apple
State Insect: Monarch Butterfly
State Mineral: Flourite
State Pie: Pumpkin Pie
State Prairie Grass: Big Bluestem
State Reptile: Painted Turtle
State Snack Food: Popcorn
State Soil: Drummer Soil
State Tree: White Oak Tree
State Vegetable: Sweet Corn

The first Oklahoma State Flag was adopted in 1911, four years after Oklahoma became the 46th state to join the Union. Remarkably, prior to that as many as 14 different flags flew proudly over what is now the state of Oklahoma, including the flag of Great Britain, Spain, France, Mexico, and the Choctaw Indian Nation to name a few. The flag of 1911, a white star outlined in blue with a blue “46” centered on a red field, lost popularity because it too closely resembled the symbols of Communism. So in 1924, a contest was held to come up with a new design to represent the unity of its Native American and European-American cultures. The winner of the contest (sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution) was Mrs. Louise Fluke, and her design featured an Osage Nation buffalo-skin shield with seven eagle feathers hanging from it. On the shield are an olive branch and a peace pipe, symbols of peace to Europeans and Native Americans, and six white crosses represent stars, symbolizing high ideals to Native American cultures. The shield is centered on a blue background, the color based on the flag carried by Choctaw soldiers during the Civil War. Mrs. Fluke’s flag was officially adopted in 1925. The state name in white letters was added to the design in 1941, and in 1988 the Oklahoma legislature added specific detail to the coloring of the flag.^[2]

State Amphibian: Bullfrog
State Animal: Buffalo
State Beverage: Milk
State Bird: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
State Cartoon Character: Gusty
State Colors: Green & White
State Fish: White Bass
State Floral Emblem: Mistletoe
State Flower: Oklahoma Rose
State Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Folk Song: “Oklahoma Hills”
State Fossil: Saurophaganax Maximus
State Fruit: Strawberry
State Furbearer Animal: Racoon
State Game Animal: White-Tailed Deer
State Game Bird: Wild Turkey
State Grass: Indiangrass
State Insect: Honeybee
State Monument: The Golden Driller
State Musical Instrument: Fiddle
State Percussive Instrument: Drum
State Reptile: Collared Lizard
State Rock: Rose Rock
State Soil: Port
State Tree: Redbud Tree
State Vegetable: Watermelon
State Wildflower: Indian Blanket

Since New Mexico had no official state flag during the early years of its statehood, an unofficial flag was displayed at the San Diego World’s Fair in 1915. This flag, one of very few state flags that featured the Stars and Stripes on its canton, was composed of the words “New Mexico” and the numeral “47” in silver and the state seal in the lower right corner. In 1920, the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored a competition to create a new design for a state flag. Dr. Harry Mera, a physician and archaeologist from Santa Fe, won the contest with an interpretation of a Zia sun symbol discovered on a 19th century water jar found at the Zia Pueblo. The sun symbol contains four groups of rays at right angles with four rays in each group, with the inner rays longer than the outer ones. Four is a sacred number for the Zia Indians, repeating itself in the rays radiating from the center of the sun, which symbolizes the Circle of Life. The sun is red in the center of a yellow background, colors chosen to honor the Spanish explorers who came to Mexico in the 1500’s.^[2]

State Bird: Western Meadowlark
State Code of Ethics: Code of the West
State Coin: Sacajawea Golden Dollar
State Dinosaur: Triceratops
State Fish: Cutthroat Trout
State Flower: Indian Paintbrush
State Fossil: Knightia
State Gemstone: Jade
State Grass: Western Wheatgrass
State Holiday: Wyoming Day
State Mammal: American Buffalo
State Motto: Equal Rights
State Reptile: Horned Lizard
State Shrub: Wyoming Big Sagebrush
State Soil: Forkwood Soil
State Sport: Rodeo
State Tree: Plains Cottonwood Tree

The Montana state flag, officially adopted in 1905, was born of the initiative of Colonel Harry C. Kessler in 1898. Colonel Kessler, head of the 1st Montana Infantry (a group of volunteers recruited to fight in the Spanish-American War), created a flag to distinguish his men from other forces. This flag consisted of the Montana state seal on a dark blue background with the words “1st Montana Inft’y U.S.V.” at the top. On the seal are a miner’s pick and shovel with the Great Falls of the Missouri River running nearby surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. A ribbon beneath the pick and shovel displays the words “Oro y Plata” (gold and silver in Spanish). Upon their return, the flag grew in popularity and was officially honored in 1905 (minus the Infantry headline). In 1981, the Montana Legislature added the word “Montana” in Roman lettering above the seal, and further detail was approved in 1985, specifically requiring Helvetica Bold type to be used in displaying the state name.^[2]

In 1913, Utah adopted an official state flag consisting of a gold circle around the Great Seal of Utah, adopted in 1896, which was the year Utah became the 45th state to join the Union. Centered on a dark blue background, the Seal is made up of the coat of arms featuring a beehive flanked by sego lilies, the state flower. The state motto “Industry” arches above the beehive with “Utah” below. An eagle ready for flight perches on top of the coat of arms with six arrows beneath it. Two American flags flank the arms with their flagstaffs crossed to enclose two dates: 1847, the year Brigham Young and his Mormon followers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, and 1896, the year of statehood. Initially, Utah code called for “1847” to be placed on the coat of arms. However, an error was made in 1922 placing the date beneath the arms on the Seal itself, and this design remains on the flag to this day.^[2]

State Animal: Rocky Mountain Elk
State Bird: California Gull
State Cooking Pot: Dutch Oven
State Emblem: Beehive
State Fish: Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
State Flower: Sego Lily
State Folk Dance: Square Dance
State Fossil: Allosaurus
State Fruit: Cherry
State Gem: Topaz
State Grass: Indian Ricegrass
State Historic Vegetable: Sugar Beet
State Holiday: Pioneer Day
State Hymn: “Utah We Love Thee”
State Insect: Honeybee
State Mineral: Copper
State Motto: Industry
State Rock: Coal
State Star: Dubhe
State Star Cluster: Beehive Cluster
State Tree: Quaking Aspen
State Vegetable: Spanish Sweet Onion

The state of Nevada, the 36th to join the Union, has had several flags during its history. The first flag was created in 1905 by Governor John Sparks and Colonel Harry Day. On a blue background, this flag featured 36 stars with the words “Silver” and “Gold” at the top and bottom respectively and the state’s name in the center. This design, reflective of Nevada’s mineral resources, was changed in 1915 to feature the Nevada Coat of Arms instead of the silver and gold resources. The state name is at the top of the Coat of Arms and the words “All For Our Country” are beneath it. The gold and silver stars were resized and rearranged in an oval around the Coat of Arms. Since this flag was expensive to reproduce, a design contest was held in 1926 to come up with a flag that would be more economical to produce. Louis Schellbach, III won the contest with a design made up of a wreath of sagebrush (the state flower) cradling a silver star with “Nevada” circling its points. A ribbon at the top of the wreath contains the words “Battle Born” in recognition of the fact that Nevada became a state during the Civil War. The background was still blue, but gone was the Coat of Arms. In 1929, after some political disagreements over the placement of the state’s name were worked out, the bill adopting this design was signed into law—or so they thought! The bill, however, did not contain the legislative compromise regarding the name placement (in a semi circle beneath the star), and so the word “Nevada” continued to be placed around the star in error for more than 60 years. Finally, in 1991, the legislature corrected the error and further defined the background as cobalt blue.^[2]

State Animal: Desert Bighorn Sheep
State Artifact: Tule Duck Decoy
State Bird: Moutain Bluebird
State Colors: Silver & Blue
State Fish: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
State Flower: Sagebrush
State Fossil: Ichthyosaur
State Grass: Indian Ricegrass
State Insect: Vivid Dancer Damselfly
State Locomotive: Engine No. 40
State Metal: Silver
State Motto: All For Our Country
State Reptile: Desert Tortoise
State Rock: Sandstone
State Soil: Orovada Soil
State Tree: Bristlecone Pine Tree

Adopted in 1925, Oregon has the only state flag with a different design on each side. Both sides are navy with a design in gold, with the reverse side featuring a beaver (the state animal). The front of the flag displays the words “State of Oregon” and the date “1859” at the top and bottom with a heart-shaped shield surrounded by 33 stars. The stars and date denote Oregon as the 33rd state to join the Union in 1859. A sun, mountains, forests, and a covered wagon make up the scene on the shield, while a plow and a pickax are beneath a banner with the words “The Union.” The crest of the shield is an American eagle with two ships sailing on the Pacific Ocean below. The ships, a British ship departing and an American trade vessel arriving, symbolize commerce and the emergence of the United States as a new power.^[2]

State Animal: Beaver
State Beverage: Milk
State Bird: Western Meadowlark
State Colors: Navy Blue & Gold
State Crustacean: Dungeness Crab
State Dance: Square Dance
State Father: Dr. John McLoughlin
State Fish: Chinook Salmon
State Flower: Oregon Grape
State Fossil: Metasequoia
State Fruit: Pear
State Gemstone: Orange Sunstone
State Insect: OR Swallowtail Butterfly
State Microbe: Brewer’s Yeast
State Mother: Tabitha Moffatt Brown
State Nut: Hazelnut
State Rock: Thunderegg
State Shell: Oregon Triton
State Soil: Jory Soil
State Team: Portland Trail Blazers
State Tree: Douglas Fir Tree

Although Washington became the 42nd state to join the Union in 1889, it did not adopt an official state flag until more than 30 years later in 1923. This design includes the State Seal centered on a field of deep green. The State Seal is composed of a bust of George Washington, the first American president, on an oriental blue background. Designed in 1889 by Charles Talcott, the seal is encircled by the words “The Seal of the State of Washington” on a yellow background with “1889” at the bottom. Since the State Seal appears on both sides of the flag, it is one of the most expensive flags to produce. The Washington State Flag is also the only flag featuring a green field and a person, much less an American president.^[2]

State Amphibian: Pacific Chorus Frog
State Animal: Olympic Marmot
State Bird: Willow Goldfinch
State Dance: Square Dance
State Fish: Steelhead Trout
State Flower: Coast Rhododendron
State Fossil: Columbian Mammoth
State Fruit: Apple
State Gem: Petrified Wood
State Grass: Bluebunch Wheatgrass
State Insect: Green Darner Dragonfly
State Marine Mammal: Orca Whale
State Motto: Into the Future
State Oyster: Ostrea Lurida
State Ship: The Lady Washington
State Tree: Western Hemlock Tree
State Vegetable: Walla Walla Onion
State Waterfall: Palouse Falls