Flag of Amsterdam

The flag of Amsterdam is the official flag for Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. The current design of the flag depicts three Saint Andrew's Crosses and is based on the escutcheon in the coat of arms of Amsterdam. The flag was adopted on February 5, 1975.[1] ==Meaning[ edit] == The colors of the flag are derived primarily from the coat of arms of the city of Amsterdam, or rather from the shield in it. The meaning of the colors is unclear. According to the city government, its origin could go back to the coat of arms of the Persijn family, which once owned a large tract of land in the capital. These colors as well as the crosses are to be seen in the flags of both Ouder-Amstel and Amstelveen.

In the coats of arms of two other Dutch cities, Dordrecht and Delft, the middle stripe symbolises water. In regards to Amsterdam, this black strip becomes the River Amstel. ==Uses[ edit] == AFC Ajax, an Amsterdam based football team who plays in the Dutch Eredivisie, uses the Amsterdam flag as their captain's armband.