Below is an exquisite collection of world flags. From Bahrain to Burundi, we examine some of the finest flags that planet Earth has to offer.
What’s your favourite flag of all time? If you’re anything like me, you’ll find that a very tricky question to answer. There are simply too many fine looking flags out there to choose from.
But over the last few years, I’ve put together a few online collections that showcase the wonderful drama of flags.
There is something magical in the simplicity of a flag.
Whether you like flags or not, sit back, relax, and enjoy the onslaught of some of the best regional and country flags known to man:
If you’d like to know a bit more about the flag of American Samoa here’s an article.
The coat of arms in the centre shows an Urgell, Foix, Bearn, and Catalonia; the motto reads VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR (Strength united is stronger).
The flag combines the blue and red of the French flag with the red and yellow of Spain to show Franco-Spanish protection. Although, if I’m being honest, it looks like purple and pink to me.
If you want to know a couple more facts, here’s a short article about Andorra and its flag.
The flag of Bahrain was updated in 2002, they reduced the number of red points from eight to five because the flag of Qatar is pretty much identical but a bit more burgundy. The points now represent the pillars of Islam, I don’t know what they represented before.
If you want more information on the flag of Bahrain and some photos click here.
Burundi’s flag, adopted in 1967, includes green, symbolising hope and optimism, white to show purity and peace, and red for the blood shed in the struggle for independence.
The three stars in the disc represent the three major ethnic groups: Hutu, Twa, and Tutsi, as well as the three elements in the national motto: unity, work, and progress.
If you want to read more about Burundi,click here.
Burundi have changed their flag a few times. They used this beauty from 1966 to 1967:
If you want to read more about the Central African Republic click here: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – ANOTHER TROUBLED NATION
The CAR’s flag above was adopted in 1958. It was designed by Barthélemy Boganda, the first president of the autonomous territory of Oubangui-Chari who believed that “France and Africa must march together.”
So, he combined the blue, white, and red of the French tricolour and the Pan-African colors red, green, and yellow.
CAR used this wonderful design from 1976-79:
Gibraltar is famous for its rock, not its flag, which is unfair.
The castle represents Gibraltar as a fortress, while the key is a symbol of their strategic position as the key to the Mediterranean.
Description:
“An escutcheon on which the upper two thirds shall be a white field and on the said field set a red castle, and below the said castle, on the other third of the escutcheon, which must be a red field in which there must be a white line between the castle and the said red field, there shall be a golden key which hangs by a chain from the said castle, as are here figured.”
Got that?
The weird thing in the middle of this flag is a Polynesian canoe. It has a crew of five doing star jumps to symbolise the five island groups.
Click on this link for more info about French Polynesia and the French’s devastating nuclear testing there.
Some of the archipelagos that make up French Polynesia have their own flags, some of which are great:
The coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal, which is their national bird (click for more on the impressive bird-life of Guatemala).
The scroll bears the inscription “LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821” — the original date of independence from Spain — superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles signifying Guatemala’s willingness to defend itself. And the pair of crossed swords represent honour.
The laurel wreath symbolises victory, the blue bands stand for the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the sea, and the sky. The white band denotes peace and purity. Quite a lot of symbolism.
The indigenous people of Guatemala have their own flag called Bandera de los Pueblos:
CLICK HERE FOR BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN REGIONAL FLAGS
CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE OF MY FAVOURITE FLAGS
CLICK HERE FOR MY FAVOURITE JAPANESE FLAGS
The eagle has been the symbol of Kazakh tribesman for centuries, and the sun’s rays are shaped like seeds.
Photo collection of Kazakhstan from the air.
As with many countries, the Kazakh flag has changed through the years. For a few decades, the Soviet hammer and sickle were the prominent symbols. They also have a Kazakh Khanate flag, which is worthy of mention:
Kiribati is a chain of islands in the mid Pacific, straddling the equator, forming part of Gilberts islands.
The featured bird is a frigate bird. These impressive sea-faring flappers are so large and unusual that they’ve been mistaken for extant pterodactyls in Papa New Guinea.
Sadly, Kiribati is a doomed haven, slowly sinking into the sea. She will soon be gone. The flag will live on, though.
The cross in the middle of this flag represents the top of a traditional Kyrgyzstan yurt. The 40 fingers poking from the sun represent the 40 Kyrgys tribes that combined their power to fight off the Mongols and form a nation.
It’s a beautiful, sparse, and wild country by all accounts: KYRGYZSTAN IN PICTURES
Macau is part of China in the same way that Hong Kong is. It’s less than 12 square miles in area and has the densest population on earth at more than 48,000 humans per square mile.
It also has the 4th highest GDP per capita thanks to legal gambling. In fact, the gaming, tourism, and hospitality industry account for about half of its GDP.
Here’s the Macau coat of arms used from 1935-1999:
Here’s a video of some of the weirdest flags about…
The current Marshall Islands flag was adopted in 1979. The diagonal line represents the equator.
Guns and hoes. The AK-47 symbolises defence and vigilance, the hoe refers to the country’s agriculture, and the open book stresses the importance of education. The star represents Marxism and internationalism.
Here is a version of the flag they used from 1975-1983:
…and this is the Presidential Standard:
Visit here for some lovely details about the BIRD LIFE OF MOZAMBIQUE.
Norfolk Island is situated between Australia and New Zealand. Who doesn’t like trees?
The North Mariana Islands are situated between Hawaii and the Philippines.
The symbol behind the white star is a latte stone (a kind of pillar), used in the island’s traditional Chamorro house foundations. The latte stones look like this in real life:
This is the North Mariana Islands’ flag, officially used between 1976 and 1981:
Saint Pierre and Miqueloon is an island off the eastern coast of Canada. This flag has been officially in use since 1794, which helps explain the retro mood.
Love it.
The only flag with a bit of carpet on it, as far as I am aware. The Turkmenistan flag design department are a talented bunch, the Presidential Standard is also wonderful:
And this is the flag of the Turkmenistan Air Force:
Here’s a couple of links to stuff about Turkmenistan:
TURKMENISTAN’S MOST MENTAL PRESIDENT
J LO SERENDAES TURKMENISTAN’S DICTATOR
The Turks and Caicos Islands are in the Bahamas chain, and their flag showcases some of the island’s common critters: a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and a Turks head cactus.
Here’s Turks and Caicos Islands’ coat of arms in more detail:
No, it’s not a chicken, it’s a grey crowned crane, a bird famed for its gentle nature. The bird was also the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under UK rule.
The raised foot symbolises Uganda’s march forwards as an independent country.
Here’s an earlier version from 1962:
We’ve covered a lot of global flags today, so here are some flags from UK counties:
The Isle of Portland is a 6 kilometres (4 mile) long by 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mile) wide speck of limestone off the Dorset coast.
Westmorland was absorbed into Cumbria in the 90’s but let us never forget their flag.
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