Congratulations, Newfoundland. The island entity of Newfoundland joined Canada on this day, March 31, in 1949.
Newfoundland had effectively relinquished self-rule in 1934, the only British dominion ever to have gained and then to have relinquished its self-governing status, thereby becoming a dependency of the U.K. This ended 79 years of self-government, though de jure Newfoundland remained an independent dominion until it joined Canada. In fact, from the enactment of 1931’s Statute of Westminster until joining Canada, Newfoundland’s flag was no longer its own distinctive version of the Red Ensign but simply the Union Flag (Union Jack) of the United Kingdom.
On 6 December 2001, an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada to change the name of the province of Newfoundland to Newfoundland and Labrador, the flag of which in vexillological terms is not complicated per se but perhaps a bit...I don't know, to be honest. It's distinctive, anyway.
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