World Flags and Their Symbolism

It is always fascinating to study world flags and their symbolism.  There are thousands of flags across the world, and each one has its own history and unique symbolism and meaning.  Below you'll find the meaning behind a few of the world flags for some of the world's largest countries.

Examples of World Flags and Their Symbolism

Afghanistan :  This flag is a unique design featuring a background of three colors - black, red, and green.  The national emblem, in the center of the flag, is Mehrab and Pulpit in white, with a flag on each side of it.  The top of the insignia reads "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet, and Allah is Great."  The three colors represent various stages of the history of Afghanistan.  Black represents the 19th century, red identifies its fight for independence, and green identifies the country's hard-won independence.

England : The flag of England features a red cross over a white background.  It is also known as the "St. George."  The flag has its origins in the crusades, and most historians believe that the flag was flown in England just before the second crusade.  England was not actually a nation until 1272 under King Edward I, and its earliest reference was in the Welsh War of 1277.  The United Kingdom flag, of course, is the Union Jack, adopted on January 1, 1801.

Finland : The flag of Finland is the "Scandinavian cross".  It is a blue cross against a white background.  The meaning of this flag is interesting; the blue represents the lakes, and the white represents the snow of the great country of Finland.

France : The French flag was adopted in 1794 and it features three vertical colors - blue, white and red.  The history of this flag comes from the colors used during the storming of the Bastille, and the Royal white.  The current flag is the original flag in use during the rule of Napoleon I.

Germany : The origins of the flag of Germany comes after WWII in the late 1940s.  The new government adopted the black-red-gold from the Weimar Republic on May 9, 1949.  The black-red-gold colors originates from 1870 when the German Empire wanted to incorporate the black and white of Prussia with the white and red of the Hanseatic League.  Therefore the post WWII colors actually represent the history of Germany quite well.

China : The Chinese flag consists of a large yellow star in the corner and four stars off to the right side all on a red background.  The red traditionally represents revolution.  The large gold star stands for the Communist Party, and the small gold stars are the four united classes - workers, peasants, rich, and the capitalists.

Japan : The Japanese flag is the well-known red circle, representing the sun, in the center of a white background.  The history of this flag dates back to the early 1600s when the Tokugawa shogunate adopted the flag on its ships.  By the 19th century, all Japanese vessels bore the flag of the rising sun.

Understanding World Flags and their Symbolism

An excellent resource for more information about world flags, and the symbolic meaning of the colors and images on those flags, are the various country guides that you can find at any library or bookstore.  Of course, if you are traveling in any foreign country, many times locals can offer you a much better insight into the history and local legends surrounding the national flag.  Always show respect and reverence to the flag of any foreign country you are visiting.

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