List of Antarctic flags

This list includes flags that either have been in use or are currently used in Antarctica.

Antarctic flag proposals

Flag	Date	Name	Description
	1929	RRS Discovery crew	Plain white flag
	1978	Whitney Smith's proposal.	An orange field bearing an emblem consisting of a pair of hands holding a segment of a disk representing Earth with the letter "A" representing Antarctica.
	1995	Joanne Cooper and Stefan Tucker's proposal.	An orange field bearing an outline of Antarctica, a compass pointing south at the bottom left, and the outline of a penguin to the right.
	1996	Graham Bartram's proposal.	A white outline of Antarctica on a UN-blue background.
	1999	Dave Hamilton's proposal.	The pale blue strip represents pack ice, the dark blue stripe represents the night sky and the yellow stripe is a representation of the aurora australis. The famous stellar constellation the Southern Cross is shown in the dark blue stripe at the right.
	2007/2008	Olivier Leroi's proposal.	The flag is vertically divided in four stripes — black, off-white, orange, and gray — reproducing the proportions of the colors on the "livery" (feathers) of an emperor penguin, selected as Antarctica's emblematic animal.
	2018	Evan Townsend's proposal (True South flag)	According to the flag's promoters, it signifies: "Horizontal stripes of navy and white represent the long days and nights at Antarctica's extreme latitude. In the center, a lone white peak erupts from a field of snow and ice, echoing those of the bergs, mountains, and pressure ridges that define the Antarctic horizon. The long shadow it casts forms the unmistakable shape of a compass arrow pointed south, an homage to the continent's legacy of exploration. Together, the two center shapes create a diamond, symbolizing the hope that Antarctica will continue to be a center of peace, discovery, and cooperation for generations to come."

Flags of international Antarctic organizations

Flag	Date	Organization	Description
	Since 1961, formalized in 2002	Flag of the Antarctic Treaty System	Logo of the organization in 2:3 proportions. A white outline of Antarctica over a dark blue field with lines representing longitude and latitude counterchanged on top.
	2013	Flag of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research	Logo of the organization in 2:3 proportions. A white outline of Antarctica on a blue field defaced with the acronym of the organization, surrounded by the text "The International Council for Science" and "Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research" arranged in a circle within a white circular line.

Flags of Antarctic territorial claims

Flag	Date	Claim/Territory	Description
	Since 1999	Argentine Antarctica, in Tierra del Fuego Province.	The blue symbolizes the sky and sea surrounding the province, while the Southern Cross reflects the night sky and the albatross itself is a local bird that represents freedom through flight.
	Since 1963	British Antarctic Territory	A UK white ensign less the cross of St. George defaced with the Coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory.
			A UK blue ensign defaced with the Coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory.
	Since 1997	Chilean Antarctic Territory, in Magallanes Region.	The blue color represents the night sky, while the golden peaks symbolize the steppe region, white indicates the snow that often falls in winter, and the Southern Cross symbolizes the position of the area.
	Since 2007	Adélie Land, in French Southern and Antarctic Territories.	The flag consists of a blue field with the French flag with white fimbriation on the canton. The charge consists of 5 stars (for the five regions of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories) and the letters "TAAF" (from the French name of the territory, Terres australes et antarctiques françaises) forming a monogram in the shape of anchor.

Territorial flag proposals

Flag	Date	Claim/Territory	Description
	1995	Ross Dependency	The New Zealand flag is the basis for his design, though with an 'Ice Blue' background representing the Ross Sea, and the white horizontal bar at the bottom of the flag representing the Ross Ice Shelf.

Antarctic expedition flags

Flag	Date	Expedition	Description
	1902–1904	Scottish National Antarctic Expedition	Scottish saltire with the letters "S-N-A-E" as an acronym for "Scottish National Antarctic Expedition".
	1910–1912	Imperial Japanese Antarctic Expedition
	1933–1939	Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition
	1946–1948	Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition
	1947–present	French Antarctic Expedition, also used in the Arctic.
	1979–1982	"Transglobe" Expedition	UK flag defaced with a globe and an arrow circumnavigate it from North to South.

Sledge flags

To make it easier to recognize the participants of the expedition, flags were placed on the sleighs. British expeditions used distinctly complex, embroidered designs for this purpose.

Discovery Expedition

• 
  Robert F. Scott ("Ready Aye Ready")
• 
  Sir Ernest Shackleton
• 
  Hartley T. Ferrar ("Ferre Va Ferme")
• 
  Sir Reginald Skelton ("Esse Quam Videri")
• 
  Edward A. Wilson ("Res Non Verba")
• 
  William Colbeck

Nimrod Expedition

• 
  Sir Ernest Shackleton
• 
  Eric Marshall

Terra Nova Expedition

• 
  Robert F. Scott
  ("Ready Aye Ready")
• 
  Apsley Cherry-Garrard
  ("Cheris L'espoir.")
• 
  Tryggve Gran
  ("Norønafolket Det Vil Fare")
• 
  George Simpson
  ("Arduus Ad Solem")
• 
  Flag of Wales taken to Antarctica
• 
  Flag of New Zealand taken to Antarctica

Antarctic base flags

Flag	Base	Country	Description
	Amundsen–Scott South Pole	United States	White variant of the flag of the USAP: plain white field charged with the logo of the United States Antarctic Program.
	Palmer Station	United States	Blue variant of the flag of the USAP: plain blue field charged with the logo of the United States Antarctic Program.
	Captain Arturo Prat	Chile	Plain white field charged with the coat of arms of the base.
	Gabriel de Castilla	Spain	The flag of Spain with the emblem of the base in the center.

Other flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
Link to file	1949	Pennant of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
	1979	50th Anniversary Commemorative Flag of Byrd's historic flight over the South Pole.
	2000	Burgee of the Ross Island Yacht Club Antarctica (RIYCA)	White represents the ice and purity. Blue represents the sky and valor. The silhouette depicts Shakleton's efforts on the waters around Ross Island. The Antarctic Skua, inspires freedom found in the south and a free meal wherever it may be found. The bloodshot red bowsprit reflects the directional desires on earth and on the wheel of life.
	Since 2004	Antarctic Vexillological Association	Blue represents the 24-hour day of the summer season, black represents the 24-hour night of the winter season, and white represents the ice and snow of the Antarctic continent. The Diamond in the middle if divided across the equator represents the "A" of Antarctica and "V" of Vexillology. The Diamond also represents the 4 compass points representing the compass points leading away from the geographic South Pole.
	2020	200th Anniversary Commemorative Flag of Russia in Antarctica
		Antarctic flag used by Quark Expeditions