Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina bottom), similar to that of former Yugoslavia. The first Westendorp alternative flag was a highly similar one to today's flag, a diagonally divided top-hoist to bottom-fly yellow over light blue flag with line of 9 white five-pointed stars in the light blue field along the diagonal. The only major difference was that the colour of the background was UN blue. The second Carlos Westendorp alternative flag is a light blue flag (United Nations flag colours) with 5 bars interchangeably coming out of hoist and not reaching the other end. The colours are interchangeably yellow and white. In the third alternative
Flag of convenience enforcement by countries when they visit ports in those countries, called port state control. International law requires that every merchant ship be registered in a country. The country in which a ship is registered is its flag state, and the flag state gives the ship the right to fly its civil ensign. A ship operates under the laws of its flag state, and these laws are used if the ship is involved in an admiralty case. A ship's flag state exercises regulatory control over the vessel and is required to inspect it regularly, certify the ship's equipment and crew, and