Category: World Flag

Flag of Denmark

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The flag of Denmark was adopted in the fourteenth century and its origins trace back to 1219. Officially called the Dannebrog, this flag is the oldest state flag in the world that is still used by an independent nation.  The flag is a red rectangle with a white cross, with the vertical part of the cross close to the hoisting side of the flag.  Following Denmark’s adoption of the Dannebrog, other Nordic countries and regions, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland, and Orkney, adopted the Scandinavian cross design.

Besides being the oldest state flag in the world, Denmark’s flag has an exciting legend behind it.  The Danes were at Battle of Lyndanisse (also known as the Battle of Valdemar), in Estonia on June 15, 1219.  The Danes were losing the battle and about to surrender, when the Dannebrog allegedly fell from the heavens.  The king caught the flag before it could reach the ground, waved it before the troops, and led them to victory.  According to this legend, God gave the flag to the Danes, and the flag remains a sign of a strong and resilient Denmark.

Although there is no historical evidence to support this legend, several written sources from as early as the 16th century tell the tale, and it is widely accepted as the legend behind the Danish flag.

Despite the legend, the earliest literary records of the Dannebrog’s use date back to only to the late fourteenth century.  The Dutch armorial, the Wapenboek Gelre in Dutch, links the red flag with a white cross to a Danish King and includes a picture of a helmet, the Dutch coat of arms, and the Danish flag.  A near-identical image has also been found in a 15th-century coat of arms book to further support the Dutch flag’s origins.

Flag of Nepal

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The Nepal flag became official on December 16, 1962. The flag is an odd shape: it’s the only national flag in the world that is not a square or rectangle.  The left side of the flag is straight and there are two points on the right side, almost like two right triangles on top of one another.

The flag’s blue border stands for peace.  The red background of the flag is the same color as Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron.

There are two white pictures inside the Nepal flag: one a crescent moon, representing the royal house, and the other a sun, members of the Rana family who served as prime ministers of Nepal until 1961.  Today, however, the sun and the moon are also said to symbolize the hope that Nepal will last as long as these two aspects of nature.

In the Hindu religion, however, the Nepalese flag has much deeper meaning.  Both the sun and the moon and the red and the blue colors on the flag create a balance.  The sun, a symbol of fire, provides heat necessary for life, creating nourishment for all living beings.  The sun is linked to ancient Vedic rituals, the twelve months, and the twelve zodiac signs. The moon, in turn, is the symbol of Elixir, which is believed to give eternal life.

In many religions, including Hinduism, rituals are performed with lunar cycles.  Many Hindus see the sun as the center of the planets in our solar system and the moon as the center of the asteroids; similarly, they view the sun as a symbol of the soul and the moon as a symbol of the heart.

The colors in the flag also create a balance.  The red symbolizes closeness and heat, while the blue symbolizes distance and coolness.  Red signifies fire and blood, and the blue creates balance by signifying the sky and sea.  Many Hindus think of red as a color of bravery, love, energy, and good luck, and they think of blue as a color of wisdom, peace, and calmness.

Flag of Pakistan

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The flag of Pakistan was adopted on August 14, 1947, the same day that Pakistan declared its independence. It is a rectangular shape divided into two sections: one smaller vertical white section and a larger green section with a white crescent moon and star. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah designed the flag.

The green area of the flag represents the Muslim majority and the smaller white section represents other religious minorities residing in Pakistan.  The green and white color combination also symbolizes peace and affluence.  The crescent moon signifies progress while the five-pointed star represents light and wisdom.  The flag represents Pakistan’s dedication to the Islamic faith but also the rights of religious minorities.

The flag of Pakistan is flown on five specific days throughout the year as well as on any other government order.  The flag is flown at full mast on Pakistan Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the Lahore Resolution in 1940 and the declaration of the Islamic Republic in 1956.

On April 21, the flag is flown at half-mast, marking the anniversary of the death of Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan’s national poet, in 1938.  The flag flies at full-mast on Pakistan’s Independence Day, August 14.  On September 11, the flag is flown at half-mast, marking the anniversary of the death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and the flag’s designer.  Also commemorating Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the flag is flown at full-mast on December 25, marking the founder’s birthday.

Pakistan holds the world record for producing the largest flag.  At the Pakistan National Stadium in Karachi in August 2004, Pakistanis unveiled a 173,400 square foot national flag.

Flag of Peru

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The flag of Peru was officially adopted on February 25, 1825. The flag is divided into three vertical sections: two red sections on the left and right sides and a white center section with the coat of arms in the center.  The colors of the flag were chosen by Jose de San Martin, “The Liberator,” and also symbolize the Incas and their influence on Peru’s culture.

This flag is the state flag or national ensign, and is only used by state institutions during ceremonies.  Peruvian citizens may use the national flag of Peru or civil flag, which contains only the red and white vertical stripes and does not feature the coat of arms.

The coat of arms is divided into thirds and contains pictures of a llama, a cinchona tree, and a cornucopia.  The llama is a common pack animal in Peru with deep cultural significance.  Before Incans resided in Peru, the Moche people would often offer llamas and llama body parts as offerings for the afterlife in burials of important people.  During the Incan empire, llamas served as both pack and herding animals, and they continued to be buried with the dead.  The Incan god Urcuchillay was also depicted as a multicolored llama.

The cinchona tree is native to Peru and is used for many medical remedies including treating malaria, killing parasites, relieving pain and fever, regulating heartbeat, and killing bacteria and fungi.  The cornucopia universally symbolizes abundance.

During the flag raising, Peruvians sing the Marcha de Banderas, or March of Flags, written in 1897 by Jose Salas Libornio.  The lyrics are as follows:

Long live, long live, long live Peru
and to its glorious immortal ensign
always carried aloft
the national flag.

They carry it with glory and honor,
Peruvian heroes with invincible ardor.
Up, up whenever the national flag.

This is the flag of Peru,
of white and red,
as a flame of love,
in Ayacucho and Junín
it dawned victorious with the
sun of Liberty.

Flag Patches – From America to Armenia

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If for some reason you’re unable to fly a flag, flag patches are another great way of throwing your support behind a country. The U.S. Flag Store sells more flag patches than anyone else in the world today. We offer over 70 flag patches from such countries as Bolivia, Vietnam, India, Ireland and, of course, the good old United States of America, so no matter where you’re from, we’ve got the flag patch you’re looking for.

Putting one of our embroidered flag patches on your backpack, computer bag or coat is a great way of letting everyone know where your allegiance lies. And the flag patch doesn’t necessarily have to be from the United States. Did your family come here from the old country years ago? Why not show everyone that you embrace your European roots by using an Italian or Irish flag patch? Maybe it was Germany that your folks came from, or perhaps Poland? Wherever they came from, you’ll find any and all the flag patches you could ever need at the U.S. Flag Store.

As we all know, many of the people living in the U.S. these days are of Mexican decent. Mexico is truly one of the greatest countries on the face of the earth. Its people are kind, generous, and welcoming. Anyone that is lucky enough to say they’re Mexican should do themselves a favor and get a Mexican flag patch. Many people also come from other great places in Latin America such as El Salvador and Honduras. The U.S. Flag also has great flag patches from those countries.

The FIFA World Cup is also just around the corner. Support your team by picking up a few flag patches from the U.S. Flag Store. Flag patches are the perfect way to support your team throughout the entire tournament. I already have a patch on my coat, which is my way of the supporting the U.S. team. You should do the same. Don’t miss out!

Flag of Spain

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The flag of Spain was officially accepted as part of the Spanish Constitution in 1978, however its origins date back to the Spanish naval flag of 1783. The flag consists of three horizontal stripes: two thin red stripes on the top and bottom of the flag, and one thick yellow stripe that is twice the width of the red stripes.  Slightly to the left on in the yellow stripe is Spain’s coat of arms.

Unlike flags of many other countries, Spain’s flag has remained largely the same since its first uses in the late 18th century.  The one exception to this is during the Second Republic of Spain (1931-1939), when an indigo stripe, symbolizing a new non-monarchic Republic and also the Castile kingdom, stood in place of the bottom red stripe.

The Spanish coat of arms is complex and actually comprised of six other coats of arms.  The top left section of the shield, a gold castle in a red background, symbolizes the kingdom of Castile.  In the 9th through 12 centuries, Castile was an autonomous medieval kingdom.  It unified in 1230 with León.

The red lion in the upper right corner symbolizes León.  León was founded by the Romans in the first century BC and was a military camp in the early first century.  Although the city struggled with Muslim invaders, it remained a Catholic city and officially became a Kingdom in 910.

The red and yellow stripes in the lower left corner symbolize the kingdom of Aragon, a medieval kingdom in the northeast region of Spain, near the French border.

The gold chains in the lower right corner symbolize the kingdom of Navarre, also in the northern region of Spain.  During the Roman Empire, the Vascones occupied this region, maintaining their language and traditions despite the Roman rule.  In 1513, Castile conquered the southern part of Navarre.  Although the northern part of the kingdom remained independent for several decades, it voluntarily joined with France in 1589 and actually became part of the French Kingdom in 1620.

The pomegranate flower comes from the kingdom of Granada.  Granada lies at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains and at the merging point of the Beiro, Darro, and Genil Rivers.  Due to its strategic location, Granada is the oldest of the cities represented on the Spanish flag, and was part of the ancient Ibeo-Celtic, Phoenician, and Carthagenian settlements, and later part of the Greek and Roman empires.

Finally, the fleur-de-lis, in the center of the shield, represents the House of Bourbon.  Bourbon rulers controlled Navarre beginning in 1555.  The House of Bourbon, however, dates back to the early 13th century and Bourbon kings, including Henry IV, Louis XIII-XVIII, and Charles X ruled France and Navarre until the French Revolution in 1792.

The Pillars of Hercules are on either side of the coat of arms and the phrase “plus ultra,” meaning “further beyond,” appears on a banner wrapping around the pillars.  “Further beyond” refers to exploring the Americas and former Spanish territories.  The coat of arms also includes the Imperial Crown, used by King Charles I of Spain, and the Royal Crown on the right.

Flag of Iceland

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The first Icelandic flag has its roots in the mid-14th century when Iceland’s coat of arms included a silver stockfish with a gold crown. Iceland had no real need for a flag until 1809, when a British sea captain from Denmark, Jörgen Jörgensen usurped Iceland and declared himself king.  In doing this, he announced Iceland’s first flag, a blue banner with three stockfish in the upper left corner.  Jörgensen was arrested shortly after doing this, but it wasn’t until 1870 that an Icelandic artist, Sigurdur Gudmundsson, created a new flag with still the same blue background, but this time with a silver falcon in the center.

The earliest version of the Icelandic flag as we know it today was created by Icelandic poet Einar Benediktsson in 1897.  In a newspaper article, he claimed that the falcon flag needed to be replaced because it didn’t follow international traditions.  His version of the flag featured a darker blue background with a large white cross. The King of Iceland at the time didn’t approve of this flag, however, claiming it was too similar to the Greek flag. The blue and white flag continued to be used unofficially until June 12, 1913, when Einar  Petursson was arrested after rowing a boat and flying a small blue and white Icelandic flag around the Reykjavik harbor. Icelanders were outraged by the incident and began flying the blue and white flags everwhere.

This incident prompted a meeting to create an Icelandic flag that would be officially adopted.  Although the parliament wanted the blue flag with the white cross, Danish authorities that were ruling Iceland at the time, would not allow this due to its similarities to the Green flag.  The committee decided on an official flag containing a blue background with a red cross bordered in white on June 19, 1915.  The King of Iceland officially accepted the flag on November 30, 1918, just one day before Iceland became a separate kingdom from Denmark.

The flag of Iceland as we know it today was adopted on June 17, 1944 when Iceland became a republic.  It is the same as the early 20th-century flag, only the shade of blue is slightly darker.  Iceland has strict rules about when and how its flag can be flown, including that the flag is not to be flown before 7:00AM and should be flown until after sunset but not beyond midnight. The flag is always fully drawn on the President of Iceland’s birthday, New Year’s Day, Easter, the first day of Summer, May 1, Pentecost, Sailor’s Day, June 17, December 1, and Christmas.

Flag of Mexico

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Unlike many other flags around the world, Mexico’s national flag is one that has not changed significantly since its first version in 1821. The design of the first Mexican flag was greatly influenced by the flags Mexicans were using during the War of Independence from Spain.  Many of these rebel flags included the eagle on a cactus and the official flag colors: green, white, and red.

Agustín de Iturbide officially decreed Mexico’s first national flag in November 1821, following Mexico’s independence from Spain, although the the flag was not officially used until July 1822.  The flag included the vertical tricolor of green, white, and red, and the national coat of arms, the crowned eagle, in the center.

When Mexico became a federal republic in 1823, the government altered the flag slightly.  Instead of a crowned eagle, the eagle was depicted with a serpent in its right talon.  The flag also included the oak and laurel branches that are still included in the Mexican flag today.

The Federal Republic of Mexico gave way in 1865 to the Second Mexican Empire, and once again, the flag changed.  Still keeping the vertical green, white, and red tricolor pattern, the Emperor Maximilian ordered the ratio of the flag to be changed and for the flag to include four crowned eagles, one in each corner of the flag.  Each eagle stands on a cactus, which is on a rock in a lake, holding a snake in its mouth.

Mexico’s current national flag was approved by President Venustiano Carranza’s decree in 1916, officially adopted on September 16, 1968, and confirmed by law on February 24, 1984.  The current flag still includes the tricolor green, white, and red, but the eagle is no facing to the side instead of to the front.

The Mexican flag is rich in symbolism and history.  The green strip symbolizes the Independnce Movement of the early 19th century.  The white symbolizes the purity of the Catholic religion.  The red symbolizes both the blood of Mexico’s national heroes and recognizes the Spaniards that joined the Mexicans in the fight for independence.  The shield in the center of the white stripe includes an eagle eating a snake, standing on a prickly pear cactus that is on a rock in the middle of a lake.  This coat of arms has its roots in an Aztec legend: the Aztec gods told them to build their city where they found this exact scene.  The Aztecs followed this command and built their first city where Mexico City is today.

The Flag of Greece

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The origins of the Greek flag that we know today can be traced back to the Hellenic Revolution in 1821 during which the Greeks declared their independence from the Ottoman Empire. The First National Assembly at Epidaurus adopted the current design, the “sea” flag, differing from the land flag (a white cross on a blue backdrop) and the merchant marine flag (a blue cross on a white background).

The origins of the Greek flag’s two components, a cross and stripes, are difficult to trace.  Both elements have ancient historical connotations, but there are no records from the National Assembly at Epidaurus explaining the exact reasons for the flag’s key features.

There have been dozens of versions of the Greek flag since the early 19th century, but the cross has always been a central feature.  Many versions of the Greek flag feature only a cross (no stripes), sometimes with a coat of arms or crown at the center of the cross displaying allegiance to a particular leader.  The cross on today’s Greek flag occupies the region in the top left corner, and is a white cross with a blue background, much like a mini-version of the old Greek land flag.  The cross, although Greece is now a democracy, demonstrates the Greek people’s devotion to and respect for the Greek Orthodox Church.  During the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped the Greeks to retain their language, religion, and ethnic identity and Christianity is still the predominant religion among Greeks.

The Greek flag has nine blue and white stripes and there are two popular beliefs regarding the number nine.  There are nine letters in the Greek word for freedom, eleytheria.  There are also nine syllables in the phrase, “Eleftheria i Thanatos,” which translates as “Liberty or Death,” and was the motto during the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.   And despite popular beliefs, some simply believe that the design of the Greek emulates other prominent flags, such as the British East India Company’s 17th-century flag or the U.S. flag.

The blue and white colors of the flag symbolize the blue water and white-capped waves of the sea that surround the Greek peninsula.  According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, emerged from the waves of the Aegean sea.

Kyrgyzstan Flag

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In light of the recent uprising in Kyrgyzstan, we’ve decided to supply you the public with a bit of information concerning the nation’s flag. Truth be told, the Kyrgyzstan flag is rather attractive, featuring of a glorious red field upon which is placed a brilliant yellow sun with forty uniformly spaced golden rays emanating from it.

The red background of the Kyrgyzstan flag is meant to represent bravery and valor, while the flag’s sun represents peace and wealth. The tunduk, which can be seen at the flag’s center, is a symbol replicated in much of the architecture of Kyrgyzstan and is based on the “crown” of traditional Kyrgyz yurts, or houses. On the Kyrgyzstan flag it’s meant to represent the family home or, by extension, the universe.

As for the forty uniformly spaced golden rays emanating from the brilliant sun, word has it that they represent the forty Kyrgyz tribes that were united against the Mongols by Manas, the epic hero of Kyrgyzstan.

The flag was adopted on March 3, 1992 by the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan, after the nation had become the very last Soviet republic to secede. Today Kyrgyzstan is home to an American military base which is key to our efforts in Afghanistan. The recent uprising in Kyrgyzstan has therefore come as some cause for concern, but we’re sure everything will work out just fine in the end.