ImportMaster: robot: Import missing articles

2022-07-22T11:38:35Z

robot: Import missing articles

New page

{{short description|Flag of a country or nation}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=December 2018}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2018}}[[File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - Johnson's new chart of national emblems, 1868.jpg|thumb|400px|''Johnson's new chart of national emblems'', published c. 1868. The large flags shown in the corners are the [[Flag of the United States#Historical progression of designs|37-star flag of the United States]] (flown 1867–1890), the [[Royal Standard of the United Kingdom]], the [[Russian Imperial Standard]], and the [[Flag of France|French tricolore]] with inset [[French Imperial Eagle|Imperial Eagle]]. Various other flags flown by ships are shown. The [[Flag of Cuba]] is labelled "Cuban [[Ten Years' War|(so called)]]". The [[Chinese dragon]] on the [[Flag of the Qing Dynasty|Flag of China]] was drawn mistakenly as a western [[dragon]].]]
{{Nationalism sidebar|Development}}{{politics}}
A '''national flag''' is a [[flag]] that represents and symbolizes a given [[nation]]. It is [[Fly (flag)|flown]] by the [[government]] of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its [[citizen]]s. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours and symbols, which may also be used separately from the flag as a symbol of the nation. The design of a national flag is sometimes altered after the occurrence of important historical events. The [[Flag desecration|burning or destruction of a national flag]] is a greatly symbolic act.

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of national flags|History of flags}}

Historically, flags originated as [[military standard]]s, used as [[field sign]]s. Throughout history, various examples of such proto-flags exist: the white cloth banners of the [[Zhou dynasty]]'s armies in the 11th century BC, the ''[[vexillum]]'' standards flown by the armies of the [[Roman Empire]], the [[Black Standard]] famously carried by [[Muhammad]] which later became the flag of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], and the various "[[Raven banner]]s" flown by [[Viking]] chieftains. [[Angelino Dulcert]] published a series of comprehensive [[Portolan chart]]s in the 14th century AD, which famously showcased the flags of several polities depicted – although these are not uniformly "national flags", as some were likely the personal standards of the respective nation's rulers.

The practice of flying flags indicating the country of origin ''outside'' of the context of warfare became common with the [[maritime flag]]. The current design of the [[flag of the Netherlands]] originates as a variant of the late 16th century orange-white-blue ''[[Prinsenvlag]]'' ("Prince's Flag"), that was used in the [[Dutch War of Independence]] (1568–1648), evolving in the early 17th century as the red-white-blue ''[[Statenvlag]]'' ("States Flag"), the naval flag of the [[States General of the Netherlands#Dutch Republic|States-General]] of the [[Dutch Republic]], making the Dutch flag perhaps the oldest [[Tricolour (flag)|tricolour flag]] in continuous use, although standardisation of the exact colours is of a much later date.<ref>{{cite web |title=Europe: Netherlands — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/netherlands/ |website=www.cia.gov |publisher=CIA |access-date=28 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Worthington |first1=Daryl |title=Why Are So Many Flags Red, White and Blue? |url=https://www.newhistorian.com/many-flags-red-white-blue-part-one/7406/ |website=New Historian |access-date=28 January 2019 |date=17 October 2016}}</ref>

During the [[age of sail]] in the early 17th century, the [[Union Jack]] finds its origins, when [[James VI of Scotland]] inherited the English and Irish thrones (as James I). On 12 April 1606, the new flag representing this regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the [[flag of England]] (a red cross on a white background, known as [[St George's Cross]]), and the [[flag of Scotland]] (a white [[saltire]] on a blue background, known as the Saltire or St Andrew's Cross), would be joined, forming the flag of Great Britain and first Union Flag<ref>{{Cite web|title=flag of the United Kingdom|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-the-United-Kingdom|access-date=2021-11-08|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> - but then without the red [[Cross of St. Patrick]]. It continued in use until January 1, 1801, the effective date of the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland, when the Cross of St. Patrick (a red diagonal cross on white) was incorporated into the flag,<ref>{{cite web |title=flag of the United Kingdom {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-the-United-Kingdom |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> giving the Union Jack its current design.

With the emergence of [[nationalism|nationalist]] sentiment from the late 18th century national flags began to be displayed in civilian contexts as well.<ref>{{HLS|12810|"Flags"}}</ref> Notable early examples include the [[US flag]], which was first adopted as a naval ensign in 1777 but began to be displayed as a generic symbol of the [[United States]] after the [[American Revolution]], and the [[French Tricolore|French Tricolor]], which became a symbol of the [[First French Republic|Republic]] in the 1790s.<ref>http://users.skynet.be/lotus/flag/fra0-en.htm {{Bare URL inline|date=March 2022}}</ref>

Most [[countries of Europe]] standardised and codified the designs of their maritime flags as national flags, in the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The specifications of the [[flag of Denmark]], based on a flag that was in continuous use since the 14th-century, were codified in 1748, as a rectangular flag with certain proportions, replacing the variant with a split.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dannebrog|url=http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Samfund,_jura_og_politik/Flag,_emblemer_og_heraldik/Flag_i_verden/Danmark_(Nationalflag)|access-date=2014-06-13|year=2014|publisher=Den Store Danske|language=da|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714171641/http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Samfund,_jura_og_politik/Flag,_emblemer_og_heraldik/Flag_i_verden/Danmark_(Nationalflag)|archive-date=2014-07-14}}</ref> The [[flag of Switzerland]] was introduced in 1889, also based on medieval war flags.

In Europe, the red-white-blue tricolour design of the [[flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands]] became popular, since it was associated with a republican form of government through that country's long war of independence against the [[Spanish Crown]]. That association was greatly reinforced after the [[French Revolution]] (1789), when France used the same colours, but with vertical instead of horizontal stripes. Other countries in Europe (like [[Flag of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Flag of Romania|Romania]] and [[Flag of Estonia|Estonia]]) and in South and Central America selected tricolours of their own to express their adherence to the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity as embodied in the French flag.<ref>{{cite web |title=flag - National flags {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-heraldry/National-flags |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Flags of the Ottoman Empire|Ottoman flag]] (now the [[flag of Turkey]]) was adopted in 1844. Other non-European powers followed the trend in the late 19th century, the [[flag of Japan]] being introduced in 1870, that of [[Qing China]] in 1890.
Also in the 19th century, most [[countries of South America]] introduced a flag as they became independent ([[Flag of Peru|Peru]] in 1820, [[Flag of Bolivia|Bolivia]] in 1851, [[Flag of Colombia|Colombia]] in 1860, [[Flag of Brazil|Brazil]] in 1822, etc.)

Currently, there are 193 national flags in the world, of which are flown by [[sovereign states]], within [[Member states of the United Nations|members of the United Nations]].

==Process of adoption==

The national flag is often mentioned or described in a country's [[constitution]], but its detailed description may be delegated to a flag law passed by the legislature, or even [[Delegated legislation|secondary legislation]] or in monarchies a [[Order in Council|decree]].

Thus, the national flag is mentioned briefly in the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]] of 1949 "the federal flag is black-red-gold" (art. 22.2 ''Die Bundesflagge ist schwarz-rot-gold''), but its proportions were regulated in a document passed by the government in the following year. The [[Flag of the United States]] is not defined in the constitution but rather in a separate Flag Resolution passed in 1777.

Minor design changes of national flags are often passed on a legislative or executive level, while substantial changes have constitutional character. The design of the [[flag of Serbia]] omitting the communist star of the [[flag of Yugoslavia]] was a decision made in the [[Serbian constitutional referendum, 1992|1992 Serbian constitutional referendum]], but the adoption of a coat of arms within the flag was based on a government "recommendation" in 2003, adopted legislatively in 2009 and again subject to a minor design change in 2010. The Flag of the United States underwent numerous changes because the number of stars represents the number of states, proactively defined in a [[Flag Acts (United States)|Flag Act]] of 1818 to the effect that "on the admission of every new state into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag"; it was changed for the last time in 1960 with the accession of [[Hawaii]].

A change in national flag is often due to a change of regime, especially following a [[civil war]] or [[revolution]]. In such cases, the military origins of the national flag and its connection to political ideology ([[form of government]], monarchy vs. republic vs. theocracy, etc.) remains visible. In such cases national flags acquire the status of a [[political symbolism|political symbol]].

The [[flag of Germany]], for instance, was a tricolour of black-white-red under the [[German Empire]], inherited from the [[North German Confederation]] (1866). The [[Weimar Republic]] that followed adopted a black-red-gold tricolour. [[Nazi Germany]] went back to black-white-red in 1933, and black-red-gold was reinstituted by the two successor states, [[West Germany]] and [[East Germany]], with East Germany's flag being [[defacement (flag)|defaced]] with Communist symbols, following [[World War II]]. Similarly the [[flag of Libya]] introduced with the creation of the [[Kingdom of Libya]] in 1951 was abandoned in 1969 with the [[coup d'état]] led by [[Muammar Gaddafi]]. It was used again by [[National Transitional Council]] and by [[anti-Gaddafi forces]] during the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]] in 2011 and officially adopted by the [[Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration]].

==Usage==
There are three distinct types of national flag for use on land, and three for use at sea, though many countries use identical designs for several (and sometimes all) of these types of flag.

===On land===
On land, there is a distinction between [[civil flag]]s ([[International Federation of Vexillological Associations|FIAV]] symbol [[File:FIAV 100000.svg|23px]]), [[state flag]]s ([[File:FIAV 010000.svg|23px]]), and [[war flag|war or military flags]] ([[File:FIAV 001000.svg|23px]]). '''Civil flags''' may be flown by anyone regardless of whether they are linked to government, whereas '''state flags''' are those used officially by government agencies. '''War flags''' (also called '''military flags''') are used by military organizations such as Armies, Marine Corps, or Air Forces.

In practice, many countries (such as the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]]) have identical flags for these three purposes; '''national flag''' is sometimes used as a vexillological term to refer to such a three-purpose flag ([[File:FIAV 111000.svg|23px]]). In a number of countries, however, and notably those in [[Latin America]], there is a distinct difference between civil and state flags. In most cases, the civil flag is a simplified version of the state flag, with the difference often being the presence of a coat of arms on the state flag that is absent from the civil flag.

Very few countries use a war flag that differs from the state flag. The [[Flag of the People's Republic of China|People's Republic of China]], the [[Flag of the Republic of China|Republic of China (Taiwan)]], and [[Flag of Japan|Japan]] are notable examples of this. [[Swallowtail (flag)|Swallow-tailed flags]] are used as war flags and naval ensigns in [[Nordic countries]] and charged versions as presidential or royal standards. The [[Philippines]] does not have a distinctive war flag in this usual sense, but the [[flag of the Philippines]] is legally unique in that it is flown with the red stripe on top when the country is in a state of war, rather than the conventional blue.
<gallery class="center">
Flag of Austria.svg|[[Civil flag]] of [[Austria]]
Flag of Austria (state).svg|[[State flag]] of [[Austria]]
People's Liberation Army Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg|[[List of Chinese flags#Military flags|Flag of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China]]
</gallery>

===At sea===
{{flag image|Image = Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|Caption = The [[White Ensign|naval ensign of the United Kingdom]].}}
The flag that indicates nationality on a ship is called an [[ensign]]. As with the national flags, there are three varieties: the '''[[civil ensign]]''' ([[File:FIAV 000100.svg|23px]]), flown by private vessels; '''state ensigns''' (also called '''government ensigns'''; [[File:FIAV 000010.svg|23px]]), flown by government ships; and '''[[war ensign]]s''' (also called '''naval ensigns'''; [[File:FIAV 000001.svg|23px]]), flown by naval vessels. The ensign is flown from an [[ensign]]-staff at the [[stern]] of the ship, or from a gaff when underway. Both these positions are superior to any other on the ship, even though the [[Mast (sailing)|masthead]] is higher. In the absence of a gaff the ensign may be flown from the [[yardarm]]. (See [[Maritime flags]].) National flags may also be flown by aircraft and the land vehicles of important officials. In the case of aircraft, those flags are usually painted on, and those are usually to be painted on in the position as if they were blowing in the wind.

In some countries, such as the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] (except for the [[Canadian Naval Ensign|Royal Canadian Navy's Ensign]]), the national ensign is identical to the national flag, while in others, such as the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Japan]], there are specific ensigns for maritime use. Most countries do not have a separate state ensign, although the United Kingdom is a rare exception, in having a [[red ensign]] for civil use, a [[white ensign]] as its naval ensign, and a [[blue ensign]] for government non-military vessels.
{{clear}}

===Protocol===
{{main|Flag protocol}}
[[File:Gijeong-ri Flag.jpg|thumb|The world's fourth tallest [[flagpole]] flying a {{Convert|270|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} [[Flag of North Korea]]. It is {{Convert|160|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in height, over [[Kijŏng-dong]] ("Peace village") near [[Panmunjom]], the border of [[North Korea]] and [[South Korea]].]]
There is a great deal of protocol involved in the proper display of national flags. A general rule is that the national flag should be flown in the position of honour, and not in an inferior position to any other flag (although some countries make an exception for royal standards). The following rules are typical of the conventions when flags are flown on land:
*When a national flag is displayed together with any other flags, it must be hoisted first and lowered last.
*When a national flag is displayed together with the national flags of other countries, all the flags should be of approximately equal size and must be flown at an equal height, although the national flag of the host country should be flown in the position of honour (in the centre of an odd number of flagpoles or at the far right — left from an observer's point of view — of an even number of flagpoles).
*The flags of [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]] and [[Lebanon]] are wrapped (from left to right - from right to left from the side an observer's point of view), as some of these flags carry [[Arabic]] texts.
*When a national flag is displayed together with flags other than national flags, it should be flown on a separate flagpole, either higher or in the position of honour.
*When a national flag is displayed together with any other flags on the same flagpole, it must be at the top, though separate flagpoles are preferable.
*When a national flag is displayed together with any other flag on crossed flagpoles, the national flag must be on the observer's left and its flagpole must be in front of the flagpole of the other flag.
*When a national flag is displayed together with another flag or flags in procession, the national flag must be on the marching right. If there is a row of flags, it should be in the position of honour.
*When a national flag, with some exceptions, is flown upside down it indicates distress. This however is merely tradition. It is not a recognised distress signal according to the [[International regulations for preventing collisions at sea]]. Further, a nation's flag is commonly flown inverted as a sign of protest or contempt against the country concerned. As of now, only the [[flag of the Philippines]] recognises the distress symbolism of the reverse flag.

===Hanging a flag vertically===
Most flags are hung vertically by rotating the flag pole. However, some countries have specific protocols for this purpose or even have special flags for vertical hanging; usually rotating some elements of the flag — such as the coat of arms — so that they are seen in an upright position.<ref>{{citation | title = Hanging Flags Vertically | date = 2005-12-31 | first = Phil | last = Nelson | url = https://www.fotw.info/flags/xf-vert.html | publisher = Flags of the World | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101217224828/https://www.fotw.info/flags/xf-vert.html | archive-date = 2010-12-17 | access-date = 2011-02-20 }}.</ref>

Examples of countries that have special protocol for vertical hanging are: [[Flag of Canada|Canada]], [[Flag of Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Flag of Greece|Greece]], [[Flag of Israel|Israel]], the [[Flag of the Philippines|Philippines]], [[Flag of South Africa|South Africa]], and the [[Flag of the United States|United States]] (reverse always showing); and the [[Flag of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]] (obverse always showing).

Examples of countries that have special designs for vertical hanging are: [[Flag of Austria|Austria]], [[Flag of Germany|Germany]], [[Flag of Hungary|Hungary]], [[Flag of Mexico|Mexico]], [[Flag of Montenegro|Montenegro]], [[Flag of Poland|Poland]], and [[Flag of Slovakia|Slovakia]] (coat of arms must be rotated to normal position); [[Flag of Cambodia|Cambodia]] (coat of arms must be rotated and blue strips are narrowed); [[Flag of Dominica|Dominica]] (coat of arms must be rotated and reverse always showing); [[Flag of Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]] (crown must be rotated); [[Flag of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]] ([[shahada]] must be rotated).
<gallery class="center">
File:Flag of Slovakia vertical.svg|Vertical variation of the [[flag of Slovakia]].
File:Flag of Cambodia vertical.svg|Vertical variation of the [[flag of Cambodia]].
File:Vertical Flag of Dominica.svg|Vertical variation of the [[flag of Dominica]].
File:Flag of Liechtenstein vertical.svg|Vertical variation of the [[flag of Liechtenstein]].
File:Vertical flag of Nepal.svg|Vertical variation of the [[flag of Nepal]].
File:Flag of Saudi Arabia (Hanging).svg|Vertical variation of the [[Flag of Saudi Arabia]].
</gallery>
{{clear}}

==Design==
{{flag image|NoBorder = true|Image = Flag of Nepal.svg|Caption = The [[flag of Nepal]] is one of the only national flags which is not a quadrilateral.}}
The art and practice of designing flags is known as [[vexillography]]. The design of national flags has seen a number of customs become apparent.

Most national flags are rectangular, or have a rectangular common variant, with the most notable exception being the [[flag of Nepal]]. The [[List of countries by proportions of national flags|ratios of height to width]] vary among national flags, but none is taller than it is wide, again except for the flag of Nepal. The flags of [[flag of Switzerland|Switzerland]] and the [[flag of the Vatican City|Vatican City]] are the only national flags which are exact squares.

The obverse and reverse of all national flags are either identical or mirrored, except for the [[flag of Paraguay]] and the partially recognized [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]]. See [[Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse]] for a list of exceptions including non-national flags.

As of 2011 all national flags consist of at least two different colours. In many cases, the different colours are presented in either horizontal or vertical bands. It is particularly common for colours to be presented in [[Triband (flag)|bands of three]].

It is common for many flags to feature national symbols, such as [[Coat of arms|coats of arms]]. National patterns are present in some flags. Variations in design within a national flag can be common in the flag's upper left quarter, or canton.

===Colours===
{{Main list|List of flags by color|List of flags by color combination}}

[[File:Distribution colours in national flags.jpg|thumb|Distribution of colours in national flags]]

The most popular colours in national flags are red, white, green, dark blue, yellow, light blue, and black.<ref name=bartneckClark2014>{{cite journal|last=Bartneck|first=Christoph|author2=Adrian Clark|title=Semi-Automatic Color Analysis For Brand Logos|journal=Color Research and Application|volume=40|pages=72–84|date=2014|doi=10.1002/col.21853 }}</ref> The only national flag not to include the colors red, white, or blue is [[Flag of Jamaica|Jamaica]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What Do the Colors and Symbols of the Flag of Jamaica Mean? |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-do-the-colors-and-symbols-of-the-flag-of-jamaica-mean.html |website=World Atlas |access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref> The occurrence of each colour in all the flags is listed in detail in the table below.<ref name=bartneckClark2014 /> The table shows that the colours light brown, dark brown and grey only occur in very small quantities. In fact, they only occur in the symbols on flags, such as in the [[Flag of Spain|Spanish flag]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Colour !! Area (%) !! Count of flags
|-
| red || 30.32 || 155
|-
| white || 18.26 || 144
|-
| green || 14.94 || 97
|-
| dark blue || 11.01 || 68
|-
| yellow || 9.56 || 102
|-
| light blue || 9.20 || 44
|-
| black || 5.12 || 69
|-
| orange || 0.92 || 12
|-
| purple || 0.53 || 6
|-
| light brown || 0.07 || 12
|-
| dark brown || 0.04 || 10
|-
| grey || 0.03 || 7
|}

===Similarities===
{{multiple images
|perrow=2
|total_width=300px
|header=Blue, yellow and red striped flags
|image1 = Flag of Chad.svg
|image2 = Flag of Romania.svg
|image3 = Flag of Andorra.svg
|image4 = Flag of Moldova.svg
|footer=Flags from top left to bottom right:<br />[[flag of Chad|Chad]], [[flag of Romania|Romania]], [[flag of Andorra|Andorra]] and [[flag of Moldova|Moldova]]
}}
Although the national flag is meant to be a unique symbol for a country, many pairs of countries have highly similar flags. Examples include the flags of [[Flag of Monaco|Monaco]] and [[Flag of Indonesia|Indonesia]], which differ only slightly in proportion and the tint of red; the flags of the [[Flag of the Netherlands|Netherlands]] and [[Flag of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], which differ in proportion as well as in the tint of blue used; and the flags of [[Flag of Romania|Romania]] and [[Flag of Chad|Chad]], which differ only in the tint of blue.

The flags of [[Flag of Ireland|Ireland]] and [[Flag of Ivory Coast|Ivory Coast]] and the flags of [[Flag of Mali|Mali]] and [[Flag of Guinea|Guinea]] are (aside from shade or ratio differences) vertically mirrored versions from each other. This means that the reverse of one flag matches the obverse of the other. Unlike horizontally mirrored flags (like [[Flag of Poland|Poland]] and [[Flag of Indonesia|Indonesia]]) the direction in which these flags fly is crucial to identify them.
[[File:Similar Flags.jpg|thumb|Image showing many similar flags]]
There are three colour combinations that are used on several flags in certain regions. Blue, white, and red is a [[Pan-Slavic colours|common combination]] in [[Slavic Europe|Slavic countries]] such as the [[Flag of the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Flag of Slovakia|Slovakia]], [[Flag of Russia|Russia]], [[Flag of Serbia|Serbia]], [[Flag of Slovenia|Slovenia]], and [[Flag of Croatia|Croatia]] as well as among Western nations including [[Flag of Australia|Australia]], [[Flag of France|France]], [[Flag of Iceland|Iceland]], the [[Flag of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], [[Flag of New Zealand|New Zealand]], [[Flag of Norway|Norway]], the [[Flag of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], and the [[Flag of the United States|United States]]. Many African nations use the [[Pan-African colours]] of red, yellow, and green, including [[Flag of Cameroon|Cameroon]], [[Flag of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]], [[Flag of Ghana|Ghana]], [[Flag of Guinea|Guinea]], [[Flag of Mali|Mali]] and [[Flag of Senegal|Senegal]]. Flags containing red, white, and black (a subset of the [[Pan-Arab colours]]) can be found particularly among the Arab nations such as [[Flag of Egypt|Egypt]], [[Flag of Iraq|Iraq]], [[Flag of Syria|Syria]] and [[Flag of Yemen|Yemen]].

Many other similarities may be found among current national flags, particularly if inversions of colour schemes are considered, e.g., compare the [[flag of Senegal]] to that of [[Flag of Cameroon|Cameroon]] and [[Flag of Indonesia|Indonesia]] to [[Flag of Poland|Poland]] and [[Flag of Monaco|Monaco]]. Also the [[flag of Italy]] and the [[flag of Hungary]] use the same colours, although the order and direction differ (the Italian flag is vertical green-white-red and the Hungarian flag is horizontal red-white-green).

==== Flag families ====
While some similarities are coincidental, others are rooted in shared histories, known as a flag family. For example, the flags of [[Flag of Colombia|Colombia]], of [[Flag of Ecuador|Ecuador]], and of [[Flag of Venezuela|Venezuela]] all use variants of the [[flag of Gran Colombia]], the country they composed upon their independence from [[Spain]], created by the Venezuelan independence hero [[Francisco de Miranda]]; and the flags of [[Flag of Kuwait|Kuwait]], of [[Flag of Jordan|Jordan]], and of [[Flag of Palestine|Palestine]] are all highly similar variants of the [[Pan-Arab colors|flag of the Arab revolt]] of 1916–1918. The flags of [[Flag of Romania|Romania]] and [[Flag of Moldova|Moldova]] are virtually the same, because of the common history and heritage. Moldova adopted the Romanian flag during the declaration of independence from the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] in 1991 (and was used in various demonstrations and revolts by the population) and later the [[Moldovan coat of arms]] (which is part of the [[Coat of arms of Romania|Romanian coat of arms]]) was placed in the centre of the flag. All [[Nordic countries]], with the exception of [[Flag of Greenland|Greenland]], use the [[Nordic Cross flag|Nordic Cross design]] ([[Flag of Iceland|Iceland]], [[Flag of Denmark|Denmark]], [[Flag of Norway|Norway]], [[Flag of Sweden|Sweden]], [[Flag of Finland|Finland]], in addition to the autonomous regions of the [[Flag of Faroe Islands|Faroe Islands]] and [[Flag of Åland|Åland]]), a horizontal cross shifted to the left on a single-coloured background. The [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]] both have red, white, and blue. This similarity is due to the fact that the first 13 states of the U.S. were formerly colonies of the United Kingdom. Also, [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] have very similar flags, which stems from their joint British heritage. Both of these flags feature the [[Union Jack]] in one corner, both have royal blue background, and both have the [[Southern Cross]] as a prominent feature. The only differences between these flags is that the [[Australian flag]] has the [[Commonwealth Star]] below the canton, and that on the New Zealand flag, just four stars in the Southern Cross are presented, and they are five-pointed red stars with white borders. On the other hand, all five stars of the Southern Cross are presented on the Australian flag, and they are white with seven points, except for the additional smaller fifth star in the Southern Cross which has only five points on this flag. Some similarities to the [[United States]] flag with the red and white stripes are noted as well such as the [[flag of Malaysia]] and the [[flag of Liberia]], the latter of which was an American resettlement colony.
<gallery class="center">
Similar Slavic Flags.png|[[Slavs|Slavic]] countries flag family.
Former Federal Republic of Central America flags family.png|Former [[Federal Republic of Central America]] countries flags family.
</gallery>

== See also ==
; Lists of flags
*[[Lists of flags]]
*[[Gallery of sovereign state flags]]
*[[Gallery of flags of dependent territories]]
*[[Timeline of national flags]]
*[[List of flags by colour combination]]

; Other
*[[Flag Day]]
*[[Flag desecration]]
*[[Flags of the World (website)|Flags of the World]]
*[[Flag protocol]]
*[[Glossary of vexillology]]
*[[National coat of arms]]
*[[National emblem]]
*[[State flag]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|National flags of countries}}
*[http://flagspot.net/flags/ Flags of the World], a massive online [[vexillology|vexillological]] database on national and many other kinds of flags
*[http://www.national-symbol.com The World All Countries Flags], a website about national symbols
*[http://www.flags.net/ World Flag Database] reverse search for ID by colour and layout
*[http://www.vexilla-mundi.com] for flag construction diagrams, flags of subnational entities, historical flags and country subdivisions
*[https://russelljohn.net/journal/2019/05/extensive-list-of-similar-flags-from-around-the-world/ Extensive list of similar flags from around the world]

{{-}}
{{National flags}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Flag}}
[[Category:National flags| ]]
[[Category:Types of flags]]

National flag - Revision history

ImportMaster: robot: Import missing articles