the Azores

The flag of the Azores was officially adopted on 10 April 1979 as the regional flag of the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. Its blue-and-white vertical bicolor recalls the colors used by Portugal during the constitutional monarchy and in 19th-century liberal flags. The nine gold stars represent the archipelago’s nine islands, while the golden goshawk symbolizes Azorean identity. The design was formalized after autonomy was granted in 1976 and retains the 2:3 proportions used by the Portuguese national flag.