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Independence of BAT (British Arctic Territory Flag Hoax)

All "British Arctic Territory" flags are hoaxes, developed by Clay Moss et al. on April Fools' Days

Initial Musings on Independence of BAT
- Vertical hanging
Independence, 1 May 2025
Independence Day flag

See also:

British Arctic Territory

Initial Musings on Independence of BAT

The biggest piece of news to pass along from the BAT, is one word. INDEPENDENCE.

I would have to go back and look, but I think I may have alluded to it during BAT Day 28. In our mock government class at school, we "pretend" like the BAT is a legitimate entity, as we practice running the territory's government. As an elective class, that's the serious, academic/learning side of the BAT that our kids take very seriously. What if we actually were a territory?

In the late winter/early spring last year, there was a compelling question raised by one of our young ladies. The question she asked...Was the BAT ever going to consider independence from the UK? It took us all by surprise, but as the discussion developed, it became apparent that it was an issue we needed to consider. After all, the United Kingdom as a nation, has changed drastically from where it was in 1995, when the BAT, via "the hoax", was made up. As the government of the BAT has been made of inordinately traditional, and conservative students, they have perceived the BAT as philosophically drifting apart from the UK.

So, the decision has been made to investigate the value of declaring independence from the UK, and from that point forward, considering the BAT to be a mock sovereign nation.

image by Clay Moss, 1 April 2024

Entirely student lead, there have already been three academic initiatives put into place, in order to study the options that the BAT might have. The BAT does not have a deadline regarding any of this decision-making, but did go ahead and make the decision to add another flag to our collection of territorial flags, and ensigns, reflecting that potential independence is "on the table" as it were.

At this juncture, all vexillological representations of the BAT that transpire away from the actual territory will be manifest through the current existing array of flags, and ensigns that represent the British Arctic Territory. However, within the territory itself, our new, attached independence flag will fly at the discretion of the citizenry. As you can see, the simple 1:2 horizontal tri-bar is composed of BAT's traditional colours, and thus adequately represents the British Arctic Territory. That's as much as there is to say about the flag at the moment.

Clay Moss 1 April 2024

Vertical hanging

Obverse and reverse:

images by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 1 April 2024

Independence, 1 May 2025

image by Clay Moss

After a year's worth of deliberation, the BAT has made the decision to step out into the world of independence. On May 1, of this year, we will officially become a mock independent nation. That means that the life of the territory, lasted 30 years, and 30 days. It was a fun ride!

Aesthetically, very little will change. Our nation will still be named the British Arctic Territory, as we saw no particular need to change our name, any more than Fiji, Jamaica, or Nigeria, saw it necessary to change their names.

How our nation will ultimately look, will be for the future to tell. Immediately, though, our government is very straightforward. As we are a very small nation, only a couple hundred plus in number, our government will consist of literally everyone 12 years of age, and older. Our governing body will be called the National Council, and will meet the first day of each an annual season. There will be no political parties.

So, after May 1 of this year, our National Council will convene on June 20. That will be the day when the BAT begins to hammer out what "government" will look like. The only public sentiment I've gathered to this point is, that government will be exceedingly small, with very few responsibilities. And it's top priority; stay out of people's business.

We will be an associate member of the Commonwealth Foundation, but no other international organization. Internationally, we will keep our cooperative relationships with our closest neighbors, particularly the United States. Then, of course, we will keep a very close relationship with our former territory, Australia.

Where our flags, vexillology, and heraldry is concerned, our full array of ensigns, flags, and emblems, having served the territory well, will continue to serve the nation. This is really no different, than the transitions, Australia, and New Zealand, for example, made with many of their traditional colonial flags.
As per last year's decision, the BAT White ensign will serve as the national flag. The sky blue, white, and dark blue, horizontal tri-bar attached, was given consideration as the new national flag. However, the citizenry made it clear that they wanted to stay with our old array of flags, and so the proposed tri-bar, will now become an alternate jack on BAT ocean going vessels. And, as our tradition has always allowed, you might see the tri-bar flying on private homes here, or there.

One good piece of news for a retired BAT flag.
Due to some ongoing venue dispute, The Italian Olympic Committee, has contacted the BAT Olympic Committee, and asked us to host the snowball fighting events here in Alert, during the 2026 Winter Olympics. So, our ALERT 2026 flag, is now active again. You can see that flag on FOTW.

We have always been advocates for sporting events that would be truly fitting of winter, and no event would serve that purpose better than snowball fighting. There will be two basic snowball fighting competitions. The first will be your standard "throw snowballs at each other" competition, while "Snowball" will be introduced in 2026. "Snowball" will be akin to Paintball, with the rules to be settled upon in the near future.

Both competitions will only last the first couple of days of the 2026 Winter Olympics, as many of the Alert participants will likely be serving their nation in other events. All Olympians participating in an Alert, will be flown back down to Italy.

Oh. And another unusual caveat. When the dates of the snowball competitions are finally hammered out, the BAT, having wanted to host the Olympics as a territory, will become, again, the British colonial BAT for those two days. That way, the UK can actually say that they hosted a winter Olympics.

Clay Moss, 1 April 2025

Independence Day flag

image by Miles Li, 1 May 2025

In a break with the tradition of posting about the British Arctic Territory on one day - namely 1 April - each year, I post again today on 1 May 2025 to mark the BAT Independence Day.

A souvenir flag has been adopted for this momentous occasion by the BAT Independence Day Committee. The 'official' explanation of the flag is that it is based on the BAT Banner-of-Arms, with the star in the canton representing independence, and the words BAT INDEPENDENCE leaving no doubt as to the meaning of the flag.

What is not publicized, however, is that this flag was designed by an anonymous artist based in Death Valley, California, USA, who modelled this flag after the State Flag of California.

Miles Li, 1 May 2025