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Upper Peninsula "Yooper Flag", Michigan (U.S.)

Last modified: 2018-07-26 by rick wyatt

Keywords: upper peninsula | yooper | michigan |

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Green Flag



image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 30 April 2018

based on image located by Jaume Ollé, 3 March 2007

Source: www.dayoopers.com

A green flag, with a white rectangle inside the edge, green inside, bearing a map of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in white, and UPPER PENINSULA written above, and YOU BETCHA! written below.



The state of Michigan, US, is made of two peninsulas, often called the "Upper" (north) and "Lower" (south) Peninsulas. The Upper Peninsula is outlined on the flag, and it is often referred to as "The U.P." and people who live there are often called "Yoopers" created as a way to pronounce "U.P.er." As you probably suspect, the flag shown has no official standing anywhere.

Terence Martin, 3 March 2007

This is a 3:5 dark green flag with the U.P. map outline in white, itself bearing the word "Yooper" in dark green letters and a white orle all around the edges of the flag; in white letters, along the inside of this orle, the words "Upper Peninsula", at the top, and "You betcha!", at the bottom; all lettering in sans serif capitals, the upper inscription in wide type, the rest in condensed type.



This flag, unofficial as it may be, is in widespread use, in the cloth:

michiganfair.com, www.flickr.com, www.albionpleiad.com, www.albionpleiad.com, www.michiganstandard.com, www.michiganstandard.com, dayoopers.com, and dayoopers.com



António Martins-Tuválkin, 30 April 2018

American By Choice Flag

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 30 April 2018

The name "Upper Peninsula", shortened to "U.P.", gives rise to the demonym "Yooper". This seems to be better known / more accepted than other local names for the land and/or its people, namely "Superior", "Sylvania", "Ontonagon", or "North Michigan". See also en.wikipedia.org.



There seems to be two flags reflecting Yooper identity, local pride, etc. — not necessarily state-level separatism. Both show as their main design element the map of the Upper Peninsula (curiously lacking Isle Royale, while otherwise detailed), sharing also the features of having an orle and containing lettering. They are both presented here with no contrasting explanation or differential identification — they are both Yooper flags.



This one is a 3:5 white flag with the U.P. map outline edged in dark blue and filled with a partial pattern of the national flag: white stars, six rows partially visible, on dark blue east of ~87°ree;45'W and to the east red stripes on white, of which six are, partially, visible (the red stripes seem thicker than the white stripes/gaps); a red orle all around the edges of the flag; in blue letters, along the inside of this orle, the words "American by choice", at the top, and "Yooper by da Grace of God!", at the bottom; all lettering in sans serif italic capitals, the upper inscription in wide type, the lower in condensed type.



This flag seems to be lees known and less widely used than its green counterpart, and equally unofficial. Here’s some examples:

i.pinimg.com, www.flickr.com, i.pinimg.com, www.pasty.com, and www.pasty.com



António Martins-Tuválkin, 30 April 2018