Spanish fess

The flag of Spain, with a central stripe larger than the outer stripes

In vexillology, a Spanish fess is a term occasionally used to describe the central horizontal stripe of a tricolour or triband flag that is twice the width of the stripes on either side of it.

The name is based on the most well-known example of this style of flag, the flag of Spain, and in analogy to the equivalent term for vertically striped flags, the Canadian pale.

[edit] Looser definition

As with the Canadian pale, a looser definition of Spanish fess also exists, in which the central stripe is considerably larger than, but not necessarily twice the width of the two outer stripes.

Other flags featuring a Spanish fess include the national flags of Lebanon, Cambodia, and Laos, the restored flag of Libya, the flag of French Polynesia, and the proposed national flag of Cyprus.