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West Herzegovina Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Zapadnohercegovacki Kanton, Canton 8

Last modified: 2006-06-09 by dov gutterman
Keywords: bosnia and herzegovina | federation of bosnia and herzegovina | west herzegovina | medjugorje |
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image by Željko Heimer, 27 September 2000



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Overview

According to the information provided by a visitor to my pages, Michael Eisenblaetter, the flag of the Western Herzegovina Canton (Zapadnohercegovac<ka z<upanija/Zapadnohercegovac<ki kanton) is adopted in its constitution and is equal to the flag adopted by the Canton 10 (Herzeg-Bosnia Canton ). That is, of course, the flag of the former Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia . The information is based on his research on some other topics while reading a book issued by the Federal (of B&H) Ministry of Justice named "Constitutions of B&H, the Federation of B&H, the Republic of Srpska and the cantons/counties" or something like that (in Bosnian). It is quite possible that the book is issued in English too. The flag of Herzeg-Bosnia is basically a variation of the Croatian flag. It differs only in the coat of arms, which is itself only a sligh variation of the Croatian coat of arms, differing in the shape of the shield, and having a golden tripple wattle ornament in chief.
I agree with Mr. Eisenblaetter's assumption that the contitutional court probably made similar decision about this flag as about the flag of the Canton 10, and that a new flag is to be designed
Željko Heimer, 24 May 2000

Jos Poels managed to accquire several of the B&H cantonal laws. The Canton of West Herzegovina (Canton 8) adopted its symbols presumably already in 1996, however due to the same problems as in regard to the Canton 10 symbols, the law on the symbols was lengthly delayed. Finally, in 2003 the law was passed, again adopting the 1996 flag, i.e. the 1992 flag of HRHB (Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia). This was anyyway used continually, apparently.
The law is: Zakon o grbu i zastavi Županije Zapadnohercegovacke, 9. travnja 2003., Narodne novine Županije Zapadnohercegovacke, br. 125, 5/2003, 14. travnja 2003 (Law on the coat of arms and the flag of the Western Herzegovina County, 9th April 2003 issued in the cantonal official gazette on 14th April 2003).
It strikes me as odd why this would be adopted only in 2003?
They surely used it continuously since 1996 (i.e. even before in HRHB). I wander what would be article 23 of the constitution they refer to? In comparison with canton 10, they had the text in the constitution already in 1996 (in articles 8 an 9), but the article 26 mentioned in the 2003 law may simply be article prescribing that the assembly is the one who is determining the symbols of the canton (among other things) and nothing more...
Željko Heimer, 18 March 2006


Coat of Arms


image by Željko Heimer, 27 September 2000


Medjugorje

A visitor of my FAME pages, Drago Martinovic, informed me that the coat of arms and the flag of Medugorje shall be adopted on 28 January 2002. I required more information, hopefully I'll get some.
Medjugorje is small place in Western Herzegovina Canton. It became world known as pilgrimage spot when (some 20 years ago, IIRC) some children there claimed to have been contacted by Virgin Mary. If I am not much mistaken, the official Roman Catholic Church have never made an official standpoint regarding the events, but anyway, the rivers of pilgrims never stopped going there, not even in the time of the hottest war in B&H.
Željko Heimer, 24 January 2002