CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Union Flag, or Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is so called because it combines the crosses of the three countries united under one Sovereign-the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom).

Detailed explanation-2: -A jack is a flag flown from a short jackstaff at the bow (front) of a vessel, while the ensign is flown on the stern (rear). Jacks on bowsprits or foremasts appeared in the 17th century.

Detailed explanation-3: -The most plausible one is that when a small flag was mounted on the front of a warship (and a selected number of other ships) it was called ‘the Jack’. Sometime around 1674 the British flag became formally known as the ‘Union Jack’ when mounted on a warship and the ship was not in harbour.

Detailed explanation-4: -Around the same time, the British flag was referred to as the ‘Union flag’ on land. So, the flag was called by two different names interchangeably depending on whether you were on land or in the water. By the early 19th century, the rule was to simply use the sailing term and call it the Union Jack.

Detailed explanation-5: -Four countries currently incorporate the Union Flag as part of their own national flags: Australia, New Zealand, Tuvalu, and Fiji (although Fiji is a republic, unlike Australia and New Zealand).