Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality . The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern of the ship while in port. The naval ensign , used on warships, may be different from the civil ensign or the yacht ensign . Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign differs from the jack , which is flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel. In its widest sense, an ensign is just a flag or other standard. The European military rank of ensign, once responsible for bearing a unit's standard, derives from it. In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign, liwa , derives from the command of a unit or units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a unit's ensign, and is a general officer . In Arab armies, "ensign" is a unit title equivalent to a Western brigade, and as a rank is equivalent to a divisional commander . Ensigns, such as the ancient Roman ensigns in the Arch of Constantine , are not always flags.National ensigns In nautical use, the ensign is flown on a ship or boat to indicate its appartenance. While this includes its nationality, it may well indicate more information rather than being the national flag itself. This is particularly common for European and Commonwealth countries . Ensigns are usually at the stern flagstaff when in port, and may be shifted to a gaff or mast amidships when the ship is under way , becoming known as a steaming ensign .Vexillologists distinguish three varieties of a national flag when used as an ensign:A civil ensign is worn by merchant and pleasure vessels . In some countries the yacht ensign, used on recreational boats or ships instead of merchant vessels, differs from the civil ensign. A state ensign or government ensign is worn by government vessels, such as coast guard ships. A naval ensign is used by a country's navy . Many countries do not distinguish among these uses, and employ only one national flag and ensign in all cases; in the United States, for example, all ships of the seagoing services of the United States Government with the exception of the United States Coast Guard fly the national flag as their ensign, although the ships of some agencies also fly an agency flag as a "distinguishing mark." Other countries use different ensigns. Such ensigns are strictly regulated and indicate if the vessel is a warship, a merchant ship , a ship under contract to carry mail , or a yacht, for example. Several Commonwealth countries' national flags had their origin in the ensigns of their original colonising power, the United Kingdom . Most notable of these national flags are those of Australia , New Zealand , and several smaller island nations . It is also very likely that the original design from which the flag of the United States developed was strongly influenced by the British Red Ensign or the flag of the East India Company .Air ensigns With the creation of independent air forces and the growth in civil aviation in the first half of the 20th century , a range of distinguishing flags and ensigns were adopted. These may be divided into air force ensigns and civil air ensigns .Heraldic ensigns In heraldry , an ensign is the ornament or sign, such as the crown , coronet, or mitre, borne above the charge or arms .Gallery Citations
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