CONTENTS What are flags for? .............................................. 4 NORTH AND EUROPE Speaking in flag ..................................................... 6 CENTRAL AMERICA PAGES 84-125 PAGES 12-35 Flag designs ............................................................. 8 Coats of arms ....................................................... 10 NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA .......... 12 Pirate flags ............................................................. 28 SOUTH AMERICA .............................................. 36 AFRICA .................................................................... 46 Ships and aeroplanes .................................... 54 International flag signals ............................. 70 EUROPE .................................................................... 84 The world’s oldest flags ................................. 94 ASIA PAGES 126-161 Semaphore flags ............................................... 114 ASIA .......................................................................... 126 Flag record breakers ..................................... 136 Flag tales ............................................................... 154 AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA .............. 162 Sports flags .......................................................... 170 SOUTH AMERICA International flags .......................................... 176 PAGES 36-45 AFRICA PAGES 46-83 Glossary .................................................................. 178 Index ............................................................................182 AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA PAGES 162-175 FLAG DESIGNS LOOK OUT FOR… There are all kinds of interesting images on STARS sometimes represent regions of a country. flags. They can reflect something special about The stars on the US There are many different reasons for a flag’s design. a country, including objects of cultural interest, plants and animals found there, or represent its flag (see page 16) Its colours and shapes may represent the history, symbolise all the history or values in a symbolic way. political ideas, landscape and people of its country. states in the country. MYTHICAL CREATURES such as a dragon. These come from old coats of arms or ancient myths. Among others, see Micronesia (page 167), Cabo Verde (page 77) and Australia (page 164). HISTORY OF FLAGS FLAG MANNERS Druk the Thunder RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS based on religions practised Dragon appears on Some flag designs, particularly European ones, come Countries have rules of etiquette (manners) for in a country are sometimes used. using flags. It’s possible to offend people by breaking the national flag of from centuries ago. They sometimes feature the coats Bhutan (see page 144). of arms of aristocrats who once ruled. the rules, so you should never hang a flag upside down or treat it with disrespect. The flag of Mauritania In the last 200 years, many countries have become (see page 78) is marked Also see two-headed eagles on the flags for Albania with the crescent and independent from European colonial rule, and so have Sometimes a flag is flown at half-mast – halfway down (page 97), Montenegro (page 98) and Serbia (page 99). star of Islam. needed a new flag design. Some countries, especially a pole – as a mark of mourning if something bad has in the Caribbean, ran flag design competitions for their happened or an important person has died. residents to enter. Pictures of LANDSCAPES that represent a country. As a matter of etiquette, no national flag is flown See other examples, such as Christianity for Tonga below any other at the UN. Flags may alter because of politics. New leaders (page 169), Judaism for Israel (page 129), Hinduism for sometimes change national flags when they come The United Kingdom’s national flag, known as the Union Nepal (page 143) and Buddhism for Sri Lanka (page 142). to power. Jack, is one of the hardest to hang properly and is often hung upside down by mistake. The wide diagonal stripes HISTORICAL OBJECTS from a country. When the Bahamas are the key to getting it the right way up. gained independence in 1973, they changed The flag of Lesotho their flag from The flag of Ecuador (see page 40) (see page 49) has a one that included If the red diagonal features a mountain and a river. picture of a traditional the British flag and stripe hits the top of straw hat called a the islands’ emblem. the flag on the opposite Also see overseas territories such as mokorotlo. side to the flag pole, Guam (page 17) and St Helena (page 109). all is OK. Also see Kenya (page 58) and Kyrgyzstan (page 138). ANIMALS of a country. PLANTS of a country. The flag of Canada (see page 14) has The flag of Dominica (see page 32) a maple leaf icon. has the rare Sisserou Parrot on it. Also see Uganda (page 59) and Also see Cyprus (page 125) and Equatorial Guinea Papua New Guinea (page 166). (page 63). 8 9 CENTRALNORTH AMERICA AND NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA USA CANADA BAHAMAS PAGE 14 PAGE 27 USA HAITI PAGE 16 PAGE 30 MEXICO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PAGE 22 PAGE 30 CANADA BELIZE ST KITTS AND NEVIS PAGE 22 PAGE 31 GUATEMALA ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA PAGE 23 PAGE 31 EL SALVADOR DOMINICA PAGE 23 PAGE 32 USA HONDURAS ST LUCIA PAGE 24 PAGE 32 NICARAGUA ST VINCENT PAGE 24 AND THE GRENADINES PAGE 33 MEXICO BAHAMAS COSTA RICA CUBA PAGE 25 BARBADOS BELIZE HAITI DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PAGE 34 JAMAICA PANAMA ST KITTS AND NEVIS GUATEMALA PAGE 25 GRENADA HONDURAS ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA PAGE 34 EL SALVADOR ST LUCIA DOMINICA JAMAICA NICARAGUA ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES BARBADOS PAGE 26 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO COSTA RICA GRENADA PAGE 35 PANAMA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CUBA PAGE 27 12 13 CENTRALNORTH AMERICA AND AND NORTH CENTRAL AMERICA MEXICO BELIZE GUATEMALA EL SALVADOR ADOPTED: 1821 ADOPTED: 1981 ADOPTED: 1871 ADOPTED: 1912 RATIO: 4:7 RATIO: 2:3 RATIO: 5:8 RATIO: 3:5 USAGE: National and civil USAGE: National and state USAGE: National and state USAGE: National and state DESIGN: Green, white and red DESIGN: A large horizontal blue DESIGN: Blue and white vertical DESIGN: Two horizontal blue stripes vertical stripes, with Mexico City’s stripe bounded by two red borders. stripes with Guatemala’s coat of with a white stripe in the middle. coat of arms in the centre, showing The coat of arms of Belize in the arms in the centre, featuring a bird The coat of arms of El Salvador in an eagle on a cactus, eating a snake. middle, showing two woodsmen called the resplendent quetzal. the centre, with the country’s motto and a mahogany tree. and title written around The picture in the centre Aztec mythology says the emblem. was used in Aztec times Tenochtitlán was founded A mahogany tree stands behind a Inside the triangle there are five to represent the city of where an eagle was spotted shield showing woodcutting tools The resplendent quetzal is a symbol volcanoes, representing five areas Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City. on a cactus, eating a snake. One of the woodsmen carries an axe, and a ship. Shipbuilding using of freedom. It stands on a scroll A laurel wreath The triangle on the emblem of Central America that were the other an oar. They represent mahogany was once the main marked with the date of Guatemala’s represents victory. represents equality. once politically joined. woodcutting and shipbuilding. industry of Belize. independence from Spain. The lake and island represent The ribbon at the bottom There are five flags hanging The motto – Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital ties an oak and a laurel branch, on wooden warrior spears of Dios, unión, libertad – built on an island in the symbolising strength and victory. Rifles represent Guatemala’s the indigenous people. means ‘God, union, liberty’. centre of Lake Texcoco. historical fight for independence, The motto – Sub umbra floreo The blue and red represent and swords represent honour. The flag of El Salvador is laden with meaning. In Aztec legend, the god Huitzilopochtil sent a sign – – means ‘I flourish in the shade’. It political parties in Belize. It celebrates a time when it was part of the United in the form of an eagle eating a snake on a cactus – refers to the lush rainforest of Belize. Provinces of Central America, which later split to mark the spot where his people should build a city. Guatemala had a history into five different countries (see page 24). Inside The city was the capital of the Aztecs, who ruled from Belize was once called of rule by the Spanish, the emblem there is a red cap on a staff. It’s a 1300 to 1521, when Mexico was British Honduras and followed by civil war. Its cap of liberty, also called a Phrygian cap, a soft conquered by the Spanish. was governed by the coat of arms represents its triangular hat that came to symbolise republican Mexico became independent UK. The circle of 50 willingness to defend itself independence in Europe. It’s based on the soft in 1822, and then adopted leaves on the flag from attack in the future and caps once worn by freed slaves in Ancient Rome, the national colours of represents the year pride in its past fight for and it’s usually red. green, red and white. 1950, when the People’s freedom. The blue stripes were United Party (PUP) was originally based on the flag of founded. The group Argentina, but also represent the Huitzilopochtli, sought independence Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean the legendary Aztec and eventually came to Sea on either side of sun and war god, was power in the country. the country. often depicted as an Phrygian caps have been worn eagle holding as snake. since ancient times. Red ones, like this, were worn during The mahogany tree is Belize’s The beautiful resplendent quetzal the French Revolution in national tree. It can grow over the 1700s. In Central America 30.5m (100 ft) tall, towering with its long tail feathers appears on Guatemala’s coins as well as its flag. they became a symbol of above the other trees around it. independence from Spain. 22 23 PIRATE FLAGS CHINESE PIRATE FLAGS Chinese pirates prowled the South China seas from the 1600s to the 1800s. They sailed in large Pirate flags are amongst the most famous in history and are a great fleets under a commander, and they were very well example of the way a flag can be used to send a powerful message.