List of national flags by design
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. Sometimes these flags are used to represent languages.
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.
Circle
editOne circle in center
edit- Belize
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Ethiopia
- Grenada
- India
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- South Korea
- Laos
- Niger
- North Macedonia
- Paraguay
- Tunisia
- Uganda
One circle on hoist
edit- Bangladesh
- Greenland (autonomous territory of Denmark)
- North Korea
- Namibia
- New Caledonia (French overseas collectivity)
- Palau
- Portugal
- Rwanda
One broken or implied circle
edit- Afghanistan (2013–2021)
- Cabo Verde
- Cook Islands (associated state of New Zealand)
- Dominica
- Eritrea
- Europe (various organisations)
- French Polynesia (overseas territory of France)
- Northern Mariana Islands (unincorporated territory of US)
Coat of arms
edit- Afghanistan (2013–2021)
- Andorra
- Austria (civil flag is without the arms)
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia (civil flag is without the arms)
- Costa Rica (civil flag is without the arms)
- Croatia
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- El Salvador
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Germany (civil flag is without the arms)
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Jersey
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Nicaragua
- Paraguay
- Poland (civil flag is without the arms)
- Portugal
- Peru (civil flag is without the arms)
- San Marino (civil flag is without the arms)
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sint Maarten
- United States Virgin Islands
- Venezuela (civil flag is without the arms)
- Vatican City
Crescent
editFacing up
editFacing fly
edit- Algeria
- Azerbaijan
- Bangsamoro (autonomous region in the Philippines)
- Comoros
- Karakalpakstan (autonomous republic of Uzbekistan)
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey)
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (partially recognized)
- Singapore
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uzbekistan
Facing diagonally
editCross
editUpright centred cross
edit- Dominica — Gamma cross
- Dominican Republic — Greek cross
- Georgia — Jerusalem cross
- Switzerland — Greek cross
Saint George's Cross
edit- England (UK constituent country)
- Guernsey (UK crown dependency)
- Northern Ireland (UK constituent country)
- Malta
- Kingdom of Great Britain
- United Kingdom
Nordic Cross
editNordic Cross in two colors
edit- Denmark
- Finland
- Kalmar Union (1397–1523)
- Scania (province of Sweden)
- Sweden
Nordic Cross in three colors
edit- Åland (autonomous region of Finland)
- Faroe Islands (autonomous territory of Denmark)
- Iceland
- Norway
Diagonal cross
edit- Burundi
- Jamaica
- Seychelles (1976–1977)
St. Andrew's Cross
edit- Jersey (UK crown dependency)
- Scotland (UK constituent country)
- United Kingdom
- Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)
Upright and diagonal centred crosses
edit- Basque Country (autonomous community of Spain)
- North Macedonia
- United Kingdom
- Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)
One cross in emblem
edit- Fiji
- Greece
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Montserrat (UK overseas territory)
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Tonga
- Vatican City
Union Jack
editHistorically
edit- Canada (1868–1921)
- Canada (1921–1957)
- Canada (1957–1965)
- Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (19th century)
- South Africa (1928–1994)
- United States (1776–1777)
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 colors (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.
Living organism
editHuman and body parts
edit- Belize
- Malta
- Herm
- Argentina
- Ecuador
- Uruguay
- Brunei
- Abkhazia (partially recognized)
- Isle of Man (UK crown dependency)
Animal
editBird
edit- Ascension Island (UK overseas territory) — sea gulls and turtles
- Bolivia — condor and llama
- Christmas Island (external territory of Australia) — golden bosun
- Dominica — sisserou parrot
- Ecuador — condor
- Fiji — White pelican and yellow lion
- Guatemala — quetzal
- Kiribati — frigatebird
- Papua New Guinea — raggiana bird-of-paradise
- Saint Helena (UK overseas territory) — Saint Helena plover
- Sint Maarten (constituent country of the Netherlands) — pelican
- Uganda — grey crowned crane
- Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe Bird
Eagle
edit- Albania — double-headed eagle
- Austria (state version) — eagle
- Egypt — Eagle of Saladin
- Germany (state version) — eagle
- Kazakhstan — steppe eagle
- Mexico — eagle and snake
- Moldova — eagle and aurochs
- Montenegro — double-headed eagle and lion
- Poland (state version) — eagle
- Serbia — double-headed eagle
- United States Virgin Islands (US overseas territory) — eagle
- Zambia — African fish eagle
Livestock
edit- Andorra — two cows
- Bolivia — condor and llama
- Croatia — leopard, goat and marten
- Falkland Islands (UK overseas territory) — sheep
- Malta — St. George on a horse, fighting a dragon.
- Moldova — eagle and aurochs
- Venezuela — horse
Lion
edit- Fiji — pelican, yellow lion
- Jersey (self-governing dependency of the UK) — lion
- Montenegro — double-headed eagle, lion
- Spain — lion
- Sri Lanka — golden lion
- Tasmania (Australian state) — lion
Historically
Plants
edit- Bolivia — palm, laurel and olive branches
- Canada — maple leaf
- Cyprus — olive branches
- Grenada — clove of nutmeg
- Eritrea — olive branch
- Equatorial Guinea — silk-cotton tree
- Fiji — sugarcane, coconut palm, banana
- Haiti — royal palm tree
- Hong Kong (special administrative region in China) — Hong Kong orchid
- Lebanon — Lebanon cedar
- Macao (special administrative region in China) — lotus flower
- Mexico — cactus
- Sri Lanka — leaves of bodhi tree
- Vanuatu — leaves of namele tree
Historically
- Republic of the Congo — palm leaves
- Myanmar (1974–2010) — rice plant
- Guadeloupe (overseas department of France)
- Quebec (province of Canada)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1998)
- Saint-Barthélemy (overseas collectivity of France)
- Serbia
- Spain
Objects
editAstronomical
editSun
edit- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Ecuador
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Malawi
- Marshall Islands
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Niger
- Philippines
- Rwanda
- Uruguay
Moon
editWeaponry
edit- Angola — machete
- Barbados — (trident-head)
- Bangsamoro — kris (autonomous region of the Philippines)
- Bolivia — cannon, rifles and axe
- Eswatini — spears and shield
- Guatemala — rifles
- Haiti — cannon
- Kenya — spears and Maasai shield
- Mozambique — AK-47 with a bayonet and axe
- Oman — swords and Khanjar
- Saudi Arabia — sword
- Sri Lanka — sword
- Venezuela — sword, sabre and three lances
Ships
edit- Belize
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- Falkland Islands (UK overseas territory)
- French Polynesia (overseas collectivity of France)
Machine, tool, or instrument
edit- Angola — half-gear and machete
- Austria (state version) — broken chain, hammer and sickle (non-communist)
- Belize — axes, saw
- East Germany (1959–1990) – hammer, compass
- Gibraltar (UK overseas territory) — key
- India — Ashoka Chakra or wheel of Dharma
- Mozambique — hoe
- Myanmar (1974–2010) — gear
- Portugal — armillary sphere
- Soviet Union (1917–1991) — hammer and sickle
- Transnistria — hammer and sickle
Map
edit- Bangladesh (1971)
- Antarctica
- Christmas Island (external territory of Australia)
- Cyprus
- Kosovo (partly recognized)
Building
edit- Afghanistan (2013–2021) — mosque
- Bolivia — church (Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Cambodia — Angkor Wat
- Gibraltar (UK overseas territory) — castle
- Kyrgyzstan (sun with the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt)
- Portugal — seven castles
- San Marino — three castles
- Sint Maarten (constituent country of the Netherlands) — courthouse
- Spain — castle
Book
editHeadgear
edit- Free City of Danzig (1920–1939) — King's Crown
- Lesotho — Mokorotlo
- Liechtenstein — Crown
- Montenegro — Crown
- Seborga (unrecognized micronation) — Crown
- Serbia — Crown
- Spain — Crown
- Vatican City — Papal tiara
Other symbols
edit- Mongolia — Soyombo symbol
- Rwanda — Letter R, 1962–2001
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — Three diamonds in a V pattern
- South Korea — Taegeuk and four black trigrams
- Zaire — Hand holding Leading Torch, 1971–1997
Star
editFive-pointed star
editOne five-pointed star in center
edit- Algeria
- Angola
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Libya
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey)
- Pakistan
- Paraguay
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (partially recognized)
- Senegal
- Somalia
- Somaliland (unrecognized)
- Suriname
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Vietnam
- Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1946–1992)
One five-pointed star on hoist
edit- Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain)
- Central African Republic
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- East Timor
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mozambique
- North Korea
- Puerto Rico (unincorporated territory of US)
- South Sudan
- West Papua (partially recognized)
- Zimbabwe
One five-pointed star on canton
editMany equal five-pointed stars
edit- Abkhazia (partially recognized) (7)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (7 full stars and 2 half-stars)
- Comoros (4)
- Costa Rica (State Flag) (7)
- Federated States of Micronesia (4)
- Honduras (5)
- Hong Kong (5)
- Kosovo (partially recognized) (6)
- Panama (2)
- Philippines (3)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (2)
- São Tomé and Príncipe (2)
- Singapore (5)
- Solomon Islands (5)
- Syria (2)
- Tajikistan (7)
- Turkmenistan (5)
- Tuvalu (9)
- United States (50)
- Uzbekistan (12)
- Venezuela (8)
Many equal five-pointed stars in circle pattern
edit- Cape Verde (10)
- Cook Islands (associated state of New Zealand) (15)
- Dominica (10)
- European Union (international organisation) (12)
Many unequal five-pointed stars
edit- Brazil (27)
- Grenada (7)
- New Zealand (4)
- Niue (associated state of New Zealand) (5)
- Papua New Guinea (5)
- People's Republic of China (5)
- Samoa (5)
- Macau (special administrative region of China) (5)
Six-pointed star
editOne six-pointed star
editMany equal six-pointed stars
edit- Burundi (3)
- Equatorial Guinea (6)
- Slovenia (3)
Many-pointed star
editOne many-pointed star
edit- Jordan (7)
- Malaysia (14)
- Marshall Islands (24)
- Namibia (12)
- Nauru (12)
- Azerbaijan (8)
Many many-pointed stars
edit- Australia (one 5-pointed star, five 7-pointed stars)
Stars and stripes
editStars and alternating stripes
edit- Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain)
- Cuba
- Liberia
- Malaysia
- Puerto Rico (unincorporated territory of US)
- Togo
- United States
- West Papua (partially recognized)
Stars and varying stripes
edit- Aruba
- Azerbaijan
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Comoros
- Croatia
- Djibouti
- Gagauzia
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Honduras
- Jordan
- North Korea
- Libya
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Philippines
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (partially recognized)
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Singapore
- Slovenia
- Somaliland (unrecognized)
- South Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
Stars in southern cross pattern
edit- Australia
- Christmas Island (external territory of Australia)
- Brazil
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
Text
editCountry name
edit- Costa Rica (state flag)
- Egypt – the text reads "Jumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyyah" in Arabic meaning "Arab Republic of Egypt".
- Guam (unincorporated territory of US)
- Mayotte (overseas department of France)
- Nicaragua
- Paraguay
- Venezuela (state flag)
Motto
edit- Afghanistan (under an unrecognized government) – the Shahada (an Islamic creed meaning "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet") written in the Thuluth script.
- Andorra – "VIRTVS VNITA FORTIOR", Classical Latin for "United virtue is stronger".
- Belize – "Sub Umbra Floreo", meaning "Under the Shade I Flourish" in Latin.
- Brazil – "Ordem e Progresso", meaning "Order and Progress" in Portuguese.
- Equatorial Guinea – "Unidad, Paz, Justicia", meaning "Unity, Peace, Justice" in Spanish
- Iran – the Takbir ("Allahu akbar", which means "God is [the] greatest") written in the Kufic script 11 times.
- Iraq – the Takbir written in the Kufic script.
- San Marino – "LIBERTAS", Latin for "Freedom".
- Saudi Arabia – the Shahada (an Islamic creed meaning "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet") written in the Thuluth script.
- Somaliland – the Shahada
- Spain – "PLVS VLTRA", Latin for "Further beyond".
Country name and motto
edit- Afghanistan (2013–2021) – 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.
Other texts
edit- California – the name of the short lived and unrecognized state "California Republic", which preceded California's admission into the Union.
- 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.
Square and Rectangle
editBordering stripe
editUpper left quarter
editHistorically
edit- Georgia (1918–1921)
- Georgian SSR (1951–1990) (Constituent republic of the Soviet Union)
- Georgia (1990–2004)
- Myanmar (1974–2010)
Vertical stripe on hoist
edit- Belarus
- Benin
- Guinea-Bissau
- Madagascar
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia (1744–1818; 1822–1913, hoist at right)
- South African Republic (1852–1902)
- Republic of Texas (1839–1845)
- United Arab Emirates
- Valencia (autonomous community of Spain)
- West Papua (partially recognized)
Four parts
editTwo equal squares and two equal rectangles meeting on hoist
edit- Åland (autonomous region of Finland)
- Denmark
- Faroe Islands (autonomous territory of Denmark)
- Finland
- Iceland
- Kalmar Union (1397–1523)
- Norway
- Scania (province of Sweden)
- Sweden
Four equal rectangles meeting at center
edit- England (UK constituent country)
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Guernsey (UK crown dependency)
- Panama
Triangle
editTriangle(s) in center
edit- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Israel (6 making shape, 2 to draw it)
- Saint Lucia
Triangle(s) on hoist
edit- Bahamas
- Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain)
- Comoros
- Cuba
- Czech Republic
- Djibouti
- East Timor
- Eritrea
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Mozambique
- Martinique (overseas department of France)
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Puerto Rico (unincorporated territory of US)
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (partially recognized)
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Sint Maarten (constituent country of the Netherlands)
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tigray (national regional state of Ethiopia)
- Tuva (republic of Russia)
- Vanuatu
- Zimbabwe
Triangles meeting at center
edit- Basque Country (autonomous community of Spain)
- Burundi
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- Jersey (UK crown dependency)
- North Macedonia
- Scotland (UK constituent country)
- Seychelles (1976–1977)
- United Kingdom
Diagonal stripes
editTwo diagonal stripes
edit- Bhutan
- Christmas Island (external territory of Australia)
- Papua New Guinea
Three fimbriated diagonal stripes
editMany radiating diagonal stripes
edit- Guyana (6)
- Eritrea (3)
- Marshall Islands (4)
- Seychelles (5)
Pall
editHorizontal stripes in two colors
editTwo horizontal stripes
editEqual
edit- Angola
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Czech Republic
- Djibouti
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Indonesia
- Liechtenstein
- Madagascar
- Monaco
- Philippines
- Poland
- Singapore
- Sint Maarten
- San Marino
- Ukraine
- Wales (UK constituent country)
Unequal
edit- Belarus
- Byelorussia (1951–1991)
- Gibraltar (UK overseas territory)
- Ukraine (1950–1992)
Three horizontal stripes
editEqual
editThin-and-thick
edit- Belize
- Cambodia
- French Polynesia (overseas collectivity of France)
- Guam (unincorporated territory of US)
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Mauritania
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Spain
- Transnistria (unrecognized)
Fimbriated thin-and-thick
editMany horizontal stripes
editEqual
edit- Abkhazia (partially recognized) (7)
- Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain) (9)
- Cuba (5)
- Greece (9)
- Liberia (11)
- Malaysia (14)
- Puerto Rico (unincorporated territory of US) (5)
- Seborga (unrecognized micronation) (18)
- Togo (5)
- United States (13)
- Uruguay (9)
- West Papua (partially recognized) (13)
Unequal
edit- Aruba (5)
- South Vietnam (1949–1975) (7)
Horizontal stripes in three colors
editThree horizontal stripes
editEqual
edit- Armenia
- Republic of Artsakh (unrecognized, 1992–2023)
- Azerbaijan
- Bangsamoro (autonomous region in the Philippines)
- Bolivia
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Germany
- Ghana
- Equatorial Guinea
- Hungary
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Iraqi Kurdistan (autonomous region in Iraq)
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia (overseas collectivity of France)
- Niger
- Oman
- Palestine
- Paraguay
- Russian Federation
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (partially recognized)
- Sierra Leone
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Somaliland (unrecognized)
- South Ossetia (partially recognized)
- Sudan
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zanzibar (semi-autonomous region in Tanzania)
Fimbriated equal
editUnequal
edit- Afghanistan (1974–1978)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Colombia
- Crimea (disputed)
- Ecuador
- Gambia
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Rwanda
- Tajikistan
Five horizontal stripes
editUnequal
editHorizontal stripes in many colors
editFour equal horizontal stripes in four colors
editFive equal horizontal stripes in five colors
edit- Republic of China (1912–1928) (Taiwan)
Vertical stripes in two colors
editTwo equal vertical stripes
editTwo unequal vertical stripes
edit- Russian SFSR (Constituent republic of the Soviet Union)
- Pakistan
- Portugal
Two unequal serrated vertical stripes
editThree equal vertical stripes
editThree unequal vertical stripes
edit- Canada
- Norfolk Island (Australian external territory)
Vertical stripes in three colors
editThree equal vertical stripes
edit- Afghanistan (2013–2021)
- Belgium
- Cameroon
- Chad
- France
- Guinea
- Ireland
- Italy
- Ivory Coast
- Mali
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Romania
- Rwanda (1962–2001)
- Senegal
Three unequal vertical stripes
editUnique aspect ratio
editMost common aspect ratio is 2:3, followed by 1:2.
The following flags have a distinctive aspect ratio:
- 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, and the only one that is higher than wide. Bordering aspect ratio of ~ 6:5
- Niger: Aspect ratio of 6:7
- Qatar: The largest aspect ratio of any national flag, the flag's width 2.545 times as large as the height. Aspect ratio of 11:28
- Switzerland: (Square-shaped) Aspect ratio of 1:1
- Togo: The golden ratio which is roughly around 1.618035 ; Aspect ratio of 2:3.23607 or ~ 8:13
- Vatican City: Undefined. The aspect ratio is usually defined around 1:1. However, it is not exactly 1:1.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "letter to the German nunciature (2010-05-27)" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 2021-09-26.