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Flagpole (Kuala Lumpur)

Malaysia / Kuala Lumpur / Kuala Lumpur
 flagpole, interesting place


www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zvTGGfRx-k

This was the place where on midnight of August 31, 1957, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time and Malayan flag (the country was called Malaya back then) was hoisted for the first time in the country's history upon gaining independence from the British rule. As a symbol of this historical event, a 100 metre high flagpole was erected at the very spot where the Malayan flag was first hoisted. This flagpole was once the tallest free standing flagpole in the world before being overtaken by North Korea in 1980. Currently (as of 2010), this is the world's 7th tallest flagpole.

The Malayan flag was designed by Mohamed Hamzah, who was chosen as a winner during the flag design competition held in 1947. The competition attracted 373 entries and voting was made by the general public via post. The Malayan flag borrows major design elements from the East India Company flag ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company ), notably the red and white stripes. The flag is also very similar to the flag of the United States, which has one less stripe and 50 stars in the Blue Canton. This is due to the great influence of the British East India Company in both countries.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   3°8'51"N   101°41'36"E

Comments

  • phonar
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagpole#Flagpoles not anymore since 2001
This article was last modified 10 years ago