Art, obsession, and identity
<p>Whether it was online, during a televised sporting event, or out in the real world, you've probably seen at least a couple of flags throughout your life. Indeed, it's easy to look at a flag and appreciate its colors, shapes, and patterns. But have you ever wondered why they look the way they do?</p><p>From the <a href="https://www.starsinsider.com/lifestyle/487912/why-is-the-union-flag-called-jack" target="_blank">Union Jack</a> to the Olympic flag, check out this gallery for some fascinating facts about flags.</p>
Vexillology is the scientific study of flags and related emblems. It entails the research of the flag's creation, design, usage, history, and development.
During truce talks between North and South Korea, both parties would try to bring a bigger national flag. This ended with a special meeting that addressed the size of the flags, as they couldn't fit in the room.
The arrangement of the stars on the Brazilian flag correspond to nine constellations seen above Rio de Janeiro. Each of the 27 stars symbolizes a Brazilian state.
The most consistently used country flag in the world is the Danish flag. Known as the Dannebrog, which translates to "Danish cloth," it was adopted in 1219.
Instead of four sides, it looks like two triangles have been stacked right on top of each other. It became the official flag of Nepal in 1962.
The first ever Olympic flag went missing for 77 years after the 1920 games in Antwerp, Belgium. Fast-forward to 1997, when Olympian Hal Haig Prieste revealed he taken the flag as a dare! At the age of 103, he returned it to the IOC in 2000.
Many of the symbols used on flags are universal, for instance the Sun, Moon, stars, the cross, triangles, and/or squares. For example, Japan, known as the Land of the Rising Sun, has a circle in the middle of their flag, representing the Sun.
Switzerland and the Vatican City have the only two squared flags in the world. They may have four sides, but they're all equal in length.
During the Bourbon Restoration, the white flag replaced the tricolor flag from 1815 to 1830. The definitive use of the blue, white, and red returned after that.
Belonging to the Marshall Islands, Bikini Atoll has a flag with a strong similarity to the American one. But its version includes black stars representing the islands destroyed by American nuclear testing. Indeed, from 1946 to 1958 the US used the site for nuclear testing, which forced residents to evacuate and poisoned the region with radiation.
According to Danish law, burning the flag of a foreign nation is illegal, as it's seen as a provocation that can hurt Denmark's relationship with other countries. However, when it comes to the Danish flag, you can fire it up!
The Filipino flag is flown with the red stripe up in times of war, or the blue stripe up in times of peace. Luckily, we mostly see the blue stripe up!
The largest star of the Chinese flag represents the Communist Party of China. The four that surround it symbolize the four social classes mentioned by Mao Zedong. These are the working class, the peasantry, the urban petite bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie.
Lichtenstein and Haiti developed identical national flags independently of each other. They only realized this when the two countries competed against each other in the 1936 Summer Olympics. After the event, Haiti added a coat of arms and Lichtenstein a crown to distinguish the flags.
Most of the flags of the world use similar colors, those often being the primary colors red, blue, and yellow. For example, red can be associated with blood lost in battle or signify bravery. And blue often symbolizes peace and freedom.
Adopted in 1983, the rifle stands for the country’s defense and vigilance. Guatemala, Haiti, and Bolivia also have firearms on their flags.
Hawaii is the only American state in an archipelago, and the only one in the tropics. It's also the only state with a flag that features the Union Jack.
A chevron is a triangle entering from the left of a flag. It's featured on the flags of the Czech Republic (pictured) and the Philippines.
Purple has been used to represent royalty and wealth. It has also historically been expensive and difficult to get a hold of, which is why it's uncommon. The only two countries that use the color are Nicaragua and Dominica (pictured).
The main body of a flag is called the field, it has one color. But then there are some flags that don't have a field color at all. They might be divided into horizontal or vertical stripes. If they're horizontal, like the German flag (pictured), then they're called fesses. If vertical, like the Italian flag, then they're known as pales.
In 1906 at the Olympic Games in Athens, Irish silver medalist Peter O'Connor climbed a 20-foot (6-m) flag pole and waved the Irish flag in protest for having been listed as a Great Britain team member due to a ruling.
The US Pledge of Allegiance started as a marketing campaign by a magazine to sell American flags to public schools in 1892. The idea was to "Americanize" the new wave of immigrants through patriotic programs. By 1942, Congress officially adopted the Pledge of Allegiance as part of the Federal Flag Code.
Adopted on July 29, 1980 after the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the tricolor flag has Allahu Akbar ("God is Great") repeated on it 22 times.
In 2013, a Romanian village claimed a Guinness World Record for creating the largest flag ever. The Romanian national flag measured 1,145 x 744.5 feet (349 x 227 m). Basically about three times the size of a football field!
The American flag planted on the Moon during Apollo 11 mission cost US$5.50. It was knocked over by exhaust from the Lunar Module’s ascent, and is likely to have disintegrated by heat, UV rays, and radiation.
The flag of Belize has 12 colors in total, making it the flag with the most colors in the world. It was adopted in 1981.
The flags of Australia and New Zealand are so similar that the Prime Minister of Australia was greeted with the flag of New Zealand on a state visit to Canada in 1984.
Adopted in 1801, the Union Jack, or the Union Flag, originates from the union of the crowns, not the union of the countries.
Flag designs can be divided in different ways. Diagonal divisions are known as bends, for example in the flags of Trinidad and Tobago or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (pictured).
Sources: (Flagmakers) (Kiwi)
Fascinating facts about flags
Explore the diverse and symbolic world of flags
LIFESTYLE Curiosities
Whether it was online, during a televised sporting event, or out in the real world, you've probably seen at least a couple of flags throughout your life. Indeed, it's easy to look at a flag and appreciate its colors, shapes, and patterns. But have you ever wondered why they look the way they do?
From the Union Jack to the Olympic flag, check out this gallery for some fascinating facts about flags.