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Bronx, New York (U.S.)

Bronx County

by Dave Martucci, 24 November 2002

Description of the flag

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Description of the flag

The flag of the Borough of Bronx is the Prinsenvlag (horizontal orange-white-blue) with in the centre the arms within a laurel wreath.
Mark Sensen, 3 June 1998

The Bronx borough flag was adopted in 1912. It is described as the Dutch colonial flag (the Prinsenvlag of orange, white, and blue horizontal stripes), with the addition of the Bronck family arms encircled by a laurel wreath denoting honor and fame. The shield shows the face of the sun with rays displayed rising from the sea, signifying peace, liberty, and commerce. The crest is an eagle with its wings "displayed" (actually expanded) on a hemisphere facing eastward, representing "the hope of the New World while not forgetting the Old." The motto is "Ne cede malis," meaning "Yield not to evil."
Joe McMillan, 5 June 2000

The Bronx (always "The Bronx", never just "Bronx") flies a flag of three horizontal orange-white-royal blue stripes with the Borough Seal on a white disc in the center, overlapping the upper and lower stripes. There are many variations in the seal design and colors and it appears there is no single official pattern. The design and colors I have used here is taken from the official Borough of the Bronx emblem, which has the seal with the orange, white and blue stripes BEHIND the center, within the wreath and the word "THE" arcing to the left of the globe in the crest and the word "BRONX" arcing to the right side of the globe. The known variations in design are:

The laurel leaves don't always touch at top, nor are they always depicted with fruit.
The sun sometimes has a face and sometimes doesn't; also it sometimes appears in a blue sky and other times in a white sky.
The waves below the sun may be white, gold, dark blue, or black.
The motto may be in red, orange, blue, or black.
The border around the shield may be red or orange.
The stripes may continue behind the seal.

Dave Martucci, 24 November 2002, Nathan Lamm, 10 August 2004

The Bronx is both a borough and a coterminous county. While the Borough is always "The Bronx", as a County it is usually referred to simply as Bronx County, although it is occasionally called County of the Bronx.
Ned Smith, 1 December 2002

From the on-line city administrative code City Flag:
§ 2-104 Official flag--borough of the Bronx.
a. The following design is hereby adopted as the design of the official flag of the borough of the Bronx.
1. The colors orange, white, and blue as appears on the official city flag, arranged in horizontal bars of equal dimension, the orange being above the white and the blue below, with the following design in the center, encircled within a laurel wreath greater in diameter than the width of the white stripe:
Crest: Upon a hemisphere, an American eagle with wings displayed.
Shield: The sun with shining rays, rising from the sea.
Legend: Upon a ribbon beneath the words "Ne Cede Malis".
Joe McMillan, 15 August 2003

I believe a specific reason is given as to why the eagle on the flag faces east- the New World paying respect to the Old or the like. An eagle on a hemisphere is also the crest of the New York State arms.
Nathan Lamm, 10 August 2004