CANADIAN PALE

In vexillology and heraldry, a 'Canadian pale' is a centre band of a vertical triband flag (or a charge in heraldry) that covers half the length of a flag (rather than a third in most triband designs). It takes its name from the Canadian flag, the most prominent exemplar, and should only be used in describing flags from Canada.
A number of sub-national and municipal flags from Canada make use of a Canadian pale. The cities of Edmonton, Alberta; Cornwall, Ontario and Burlington, Ontario and the Canadian Northwest Territories all feature a Canadian pale on their flags, for example.

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Looser description

See also

Looser description

Though technically incorrect, the term Canadian pale is also used for flags which do not originate in Canada. The flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the most widely known proposed flag of Taiwan are both often described as having a Canadian pale.
The term is sometimes used in an even looser sense to refer to any flag with a larger central panel, irrespective of whether or not it covers half the flag. By this looser description, the flag of Norfolk Island and the flag of Iowa are sometimes considered to have a Canadian pale.
By analogy, any flag which has a central ''horizontal'' stripe that is half the height of the flag is sometimes said to have a Spanish fess.

See also

★ Gallery of triband flags

★ Pale (heraldry)

★ Spanish fess