1. United Kingdom – The Union Jack
The UK flags around the world consist of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), the Cross of St. Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), and the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland). Wales, while part of the UK, is not represented in the Union Jack, as at the time the flag was designed in Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.
2. The USA – The Stars and Stripes
There have been 28 incarnations of the famous ‘stars and stripes’ since 1775, each with a different number of stars and stripes. Today’s version has been in use since Independence Day 1960 and consists of 13 horizontal stripes representing the thirteen colonies that declared independence to become the first states of the Union, and 50 stars representing the 50 current states of the USA.
3. France – Tricolour
The white of the French flags around the world represents the King and is also the traditional color of the House of Bourbon who rules France until the French Revolution. The red and blue represents the city of Paris; these were the colors of the revolutionaries who stormed the Bastille in 1789.
4. Canada – The Maple Leaf
The famous Maple Leaf flag has only been among Canada’s official flags all around the world since 1965, following serious national debate Sparked by then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. The iconic 11 point maple leaf flag is so synonymous with Canada that it has its own ‘National Flag of Canada Day’ every February.
5. Germany – Federal
The German association with the colors black, red and yellow dates back as far as 1840, when the Frankfurt Parliament black- red and gold as the official colors of Germany. The colors are said to represent democracy and the current form is introduced following Germany’s reunification in 1990.
6. China- Five Star Red
The red represents the communist revolution in China, while the five stars and their relationship represent the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of Communists Party of China (CPC). The orientation of the stars represents unity around a greater good.
7. Greece- The Blue and White
The meaning behind the nine stripes is supposed to represent the nine syllables of the phrase “Freedom or Death”, while the white cross in the top left corner symbolizes Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the established religion of Greece.
Read Also – Copy or Coincidence: The Countries with Strikingly Similar Flags
