Wikipedia

List of national flags by design

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A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a country. Flags come in many shapes and designs, which often represent something about the country or people that the flag represents. Common design elements of flags include shapes such as stars, stripes, and crosses, layout elements such as including a canton (a rectangle with a distinct design, such as another national flag), and the overall shape of a flag, such as the aspect ratio of a rectangular flag (whether the flag is square or rectangle, and how wide it is) or the choice of a non-rectangular flag.

Many countries with shared history, culture, ethnicity, or religion have similarities in their flags that represent this connection. Sets of flags in this list within the same category may represent countries' shared connections, or the design similarity may be a coincidence.

Uncommon flag shapes

  •   Belgium: Aspect ratio of 13:15
  •   El Salvador: Aspect ratio of 189:335
  •   Monaco: Aspect ratio of 4:5
  •   Nepal: The only national flag that is not rectangular, being made with 5 sides.
  •   Niger: Aspect ratio of 6:7
  •   Ohio (US state): the only non-rectangular flag of a US state
  •   Qatar: The largest aspect ratio of any national flag, 11:28, making the flag's width 2.545 times larger than the height.
  •   Switzerland: Square-shaped
  •   Togo: Aspect ratio of 2:3.23607, the golden ratio which is roughly 1.618035
  •   Vatican City: Square-shaped

Star(s)*

Four-pointed

  •   Aruba (constituent country of the Netherlands)

Five-pointed

One pentagram in center

One five-pointed star in center

See also the list of flags featuring crescents, below, many of which include a five-pointed star in the crescent.

One five-pointed star on hoist

One five-pointed star on canton

Multiple five-pointed stars of equal size

Circle of five-pointed stars

Multiple five-pointed stars in different sizes

Six-pointed

 
National flag of Israel

Hexagram

Many-pointed

One many-pointed star

 
National seal of the Marshall Islands

Multiple many-pointed stars

 
National flag of Nepal
  •   Australia (one 5-pointed star, five 7-pointed)
  •   Chuvashia (republic in Russian Federation) (three 8-pointed stars)
  •   Nepal (moon and sun: one 16-pointed, one 12-pointed)

Southern Cross

Main article: Flags depicting the Southern Cross
 
National flag of New Zealand
 
The Southern Cross, also known as Crux

The Southern Cross or Crux, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere, is depicted on flags and coats of arms of various countries and sub-national entities. This star constellation is visible mostly in the southern hemisphere and it therefore symbolises the southern location of its users.

(The term Southern Cross can also refer to the blue saltire as used in various flags of the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War.)

Stars and stripes

 
National flag of the United States of America
 
National flag of Cape Verde
 
National flag of Gagauzia

Crescent

Facing up

 
National flag of Nepal

Facing fly

 
National flag of Turkey

Facing diagonally

 
National flag of Pakistan

Circle

One circle in center

 
National flag of India

One circle on hoist

 
National flag of Bangladesh

One broken or implied circle

 
National flag of Eritrea

One oval in center

  •   Kalmykia (republic in Russian Federation.It is the only flag that has an oval in the centre )

Triangle

Triangle(s) in centre

 
National flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Triangle(s) on hoist

 
National flag of the Czech Republic
See also: Chevron (insignia)

Triangle(s) on fly

Stripes

Horizontal

Two colors

Two equal horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of Indonesia
 
National flag of Poland
Two unequal horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of Belarus
Three equal horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of Argentina
 
National flag of Austria
Three unequal horizontal stripes in two colors
Further information: Spanish fess
 
Flag of Kazakhstan within the Soviet Union
Three thin-and-thick horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of Cambodia
Three fimbriated thin-and-thick horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of North Korea
See also: Fimbriation
Three thick-and-thin horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of Nauru
Three fimbriated thick-and-thin horizontal stripes in two colors
 
Flag of Uzbekistan within the Soviet Union
Many equal horizontal stripes in two colors
 
National flag of Greece
Many unequal horizontal stripes in two colors

Three colors

Three equal horizontal stripes in three colors
 
National flag of Kenya
Three unequal horizontal stripes in three colors
 
National flag of The Gambia
Four unequal horizontal stripes in three colors
 
Flag of Tajikistan within the Soviet Union
Five unequal horizontal stripes in three colors
 
National flag of Costa Rica
 
National flag of Cape Verde
Six equal horizontal stripes in three colors
Seven unequal horizontal stripes in three colors

Four colors

Four equal horizontal stripes in four colors
Four unequal horizontal stripes in four colors
Seven equal horizontal stripes in four colors

Five colors

Five equal horizontal stripes in five colors

Vertical

Two equal vertical stripes in two colors

 
National flag of Algeria

Two unequal vertical stripes in two colors

Two unequal serrated vertical stripes in two colors

 
National flag of Bahrain

Three equal vertical stripes in two colors

 
National flag of Guatemala

Three equal vertical stripes in three colors

Further information: Tricolour (flag)
 
National flag of France

Flags based on the French tricolor

  1.   Acadia (French colony, 1604-1713)
  2.   French Southern and Antarctic Lands (overseas territory of France)
  3.   Wallis and Futuna (overseas collectivity of France)

Three unequal vertical stripes

 
National flag of Canada
Further information: Canadian pale

Four unequal vertical stripes in four colors

Two crossing horizontal and vertical stripes

 
National flag of Switzerland
Nordic Cross flag
Saint George's Cross
In canton
Others

One vertical stripe in center

Diagonal

Two diagonal stripes

 
National flag of Papua New Guinea

Three diagonal stripes

Three fimbriated diagonal stripes

 
National flag of Tanzania

Many diagonal stripes

 
National flag of Brunei
Many radiating diagonal stripes
 
National flag of the Marshall Islands
Pall
 
National flag of South Africa

Two crossing diagonal stripes

See #Diagonal cross

Cross

Upright centred cross

 
National flag of the Dominican Republic

Saint George's Cross

 
National flag of England

Jerusalem cross

 
National flag of Georgia

Nordic Cross

Further information: Nordic Cross

Nordic Cross in two colours

 
National flag of Finland

Nordic Cross in three colours

 
National flag of Iceland

One cross in upper left corner

See also: Canton (flag)

One cross in emblem

 
National flag of Slovakia

Diagonal cross

Main article: Saltire
 
National flag of Jamaica

St. Andrew's Cross

Cross of Burgundy

Upright and diagonal centred crosses

 
National flag of the United Kingdom

Union Jack

See also: British ensign and Flags of the British Empire
 
National flag of Fiji
 
flag of Bermuda
 
flag of the United Kingdom
 
flag of South Africa (1928–1994
 
National flag of Canada 1957–1965

Additionally, the Union Jack features in many territorial and sub-national flags. These are often Red Ensigns (e.g.,   Bermuda) or Blue Ensigns (e.g.,   New South Wales and   Anguilla). A small number have backgrounds of other colours (e.g.   British Antarctic Territory and   Niue) or a unique pattern in the field (e.g.   British Indian Ocean Territory and   Hawaii). A small number put the Union Jack somewhere other than the canton (e.g.   British Columbia). Unofficial flags, such as   Ross Dependency also use it.

Divisions

Upper left divided from rest of flag

Main article: Canton (flag)
 
National flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

A canton in a flag is a rectangular area at the top hoist corner of a flag, occupying up to a quarter of the flag's area. The canton of a flag may be a flag in its own right. For instance, British ensigns have the Union Jack as their canton, as do their derivatives such as the national flags of Australia and New Zealand. Following the practice of British ensigns, a canton sometimes contains a symbol of national unity such as the blue field and white stars of the U.S. flag. In these cases, the canton may be called simply the union.

The U.S. flag's canton derives from the British use of the Union Jack in the canton of its possessions (including, historically, the early United States). Subsequently, many New World nations (and other later countries and regions, such as Liberia or Malaysia) that were inspired by the U.S. incorporated elements likewise inspired by the U.S. flag. As a result, many extant uses of a prominent canton derive either from British territorial history, or U.S. influence and inspiration.

One vertical stripe on hoist

 
National flag of Benin

Four equal rectangles meeting at center

See also #Cross section

 
National flag of the Dominican Republic

Four equal triangles meeting at center

 
National flag of Jamaica
St. Andrew's Cross
Cross of Burgundy

Other symbols and pictures

Sun

 
National flag of Uruguay

Moon

 
National flag of Bangladesh
See also #Crescent

Animal

 
National flag of Albania

Bird

Eagle

Livestock

Dragon

Lion

Human

Other animal

Coat of arms

 
Flag of Mexico

Headgear

Crown

Helmet

Phrygian cap

Other

Weaponry

 
National flag of Haiti

Ships

Musical instruments

Agricultural and industrial tools

 
National flag of the Soviet Union (1955-1991), bright red used in 1980.

Plants

 
National flag of Canada

Fleur-de-lis

Map

 
National flag of Cyprus

Hills and mountains

Shield

 
National flag of Kenya

Building

Key

 
National flag of Vatican City

Trapezium

 
National flag of Kuwait

Square

 
National flag of Switzerland

Other symbols

 
National flag of India

Text

Main article: List of inscribed flags

Country name

 
National flag of Paraguay

Country name and motto

 
National flag of the Dominican Republic
  •   Afghanistan – the lowest line of text reads Afghanistan in the Pashto alphabet, and the calligraphic text at the top is the Shahada with the Takbir written beneath it.
  •   Brunei – the line of text on the crescent reads "Always render service with God's guidance", while the lower line reads Brunei Darussalam, both in the Jawi script.
  •   El Salvador – the name of the country encircles the coat of arms, which features the motto "Dios, Unión, Libertad" (Spanish for "God, Unity, Freedom") inside.
  •   Dominican Republic – the motto "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (meaning "God, Homeland, Freedom" in Spanish) can be read above the coat of arms at the center, below is the name of the country.

Motto

 
National flag of Brazil

Other texts

 
National flag of Malta
  •   Dominican Republic - the Bible is opened to the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 32, which reads “Y la verdad los hará libres”, which translates to “And the truth shall set you free” from Spanish.
  •   Guatemala – "Libertad 15 de septiembre de 1821", a combination of the Spanish word for "Freedom" and the date of independence of the former Federal Republic of Central America from Spain.
  •   Haiti – "L'union fait la force" (meaning "Union makes strength" in French), which is different from the country's official motto "Liberté, égalité, fraternité".
  •   Malta – "For Gallantry" can be read at the George Cross carried in the canton.

Flags of another state

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