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Mozambican local flags in c. 1576

Last modified: 2011-06-10 by bruce berry
Keywords: portulano | dourado (fernão vaz) |
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Introduction

I have a small reproduction of an old map made by Fernão Vaz Dourado in 1576. This map reproduces the southeastern coastal areas of Africa, from southern Namibia to the easternmost tip of Somalia. It contains 9 reproductions of flags over those “city drawings” so common in the maps of that time. These are:  Are these flags really the flags used by those places at the time? Or, rephrasing the question: are these maps reliable in what concerns flag-info (they are not in what concerns geo-info, that’s for sure!...)
Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 1999
 

Old flag on northern Mozambique

1576 North Mozambican flag image by Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 1999

Placed in northern Mozambique. The flag is square, with a yellow centre, bordered in red, with five blue bezants disposed in saltire in the yellow square. This is evidently a Portuguese flag, but one I never seen before.
Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 1999

Old flag on southern Mozambique

1576 Mozambican south flag image by Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 1999

Placed in southern Mozambique. Another square flag, with a yellow centre, bordered in blue, with a red templar cross in the yellow square. Another Portuguese flag unknown to me.
Jorge Candeias, 15 Aug 1999