List of national flags by design

A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a country. Flags come in many shapes and designs, which often represent something about the country or people that the flag represents. Common design elements of flags include shapes such as stars, stripes, and crosses, layout elements such as including a canton (a rectangle with a distinct design, such as another national flag), and the overall shape of a flag, such as the aspect ratio of a rectangular flag (whether the flag is square or rectangle, and how wide it is) or the choice of a non-rectangular flag.

Many countries with shared history, culture, ethnicity, or religion have similarities in their flags that represent this connection. Sets of flags in this list within the same category may represent countries' shared connections, or the design similarity may be a coincidence.

Uncommon flag shapes
  •  Belgium: Aspect ratio of 13:15
  •  El Salvador: Aspect ratio of 189:335
  •  Monaco: Aspect ratio of 4:5
  •  Nepal: The only national flag that is not rectangular, being made with 5 sides.
  •  Niger: Aspect ratio of 6:7
  •  Qatar: The largest aspect ratio of any national flag, 11:28, making the flag's width 2.545 times larger than the height.
  •  Switzerland: 1:1 (Square-shaped)
  •  Togo: Aspect ratio of 2:3.23607, the golden ratio which is roughly 1.618035
  •  Vatican City: 1:1 (Square-shaped)

Star(s)*

One five-pointed star in center

See also the list of flags featuring crescents, below, many of which include a five-pointed star in the crescent.

One five-pointed star on hoist

One five-pointed star on canton

Multiple five-pointed stars of equal size

Circle of five-pointed stars

Multiple five-pointed stars in different sizes

Six-pointed
National flag of Israel

One many-pointed star
National seal of the Marshall Islands

Multiple many-pointed stars
National flag of Nepal
  •  Australia (one 5-pointed star, five 7-pointed)
  •  Nepal (moon and sun: one 16-pointed, one 12-pointed)

Southern Cross
Main article: Flags depicting the Southern Cross
National flag of New Zealand
The Southern Cross, also known as Crux

The Southern Cross or Crux, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere, is depicted on flags and coats of arms of various countries and sub-national entities. This star constellation is visible mostly in the southern hemisphere and it therefore symbolises the southern location of its users.

(The term Southern Cross can also refer to the blue saltire as used in various flags of the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War.)

Stars and stripes
National flag of the United States of America
National flag of Cape Verde

Crescent

Facing up
National flag of Nepal

Facing fly
National flag of Turkey

Facing diagonally
National flag of Pakistan

Circle

One circle in center
National flag of India

One circle on hoist
National flag of Bangladesh

One broken or implied circle
National flag of Eritrea

Triangle

Triangle(s) in centre
National flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Triangle(s) on hoist
National flag of the Czech Republic
See also: Chevron (insignia)

Stripes

Two equal horizontal stripes in two colors
National flag of Indonesia
National flag of Poland

Three equal horizontal stripes in two colors
National flag of Argentina
National flag of Austria

Three thin-and-thick horizontal stripes in two colors
National flag of Cambodia

Three fimbriated thin-and-thick horizontal stripes in two colors
National flag of North Korea
See also: Fimbriation

Many equal horizontal stripes in two colors
National flag of Greece

Three colors

Three equal horizontal stripes in three colors
National flag of Kenya

Three unequal horizontal stripes in three colors
National flag of The Gambia

Five unequal horizontal stripes in three colors
National flag of Costa Rica
National flag of Cape Verde

Four colors

Four equal horizontal stripes in four colors

Two equal vertical stripes in two colors
National flag of Algeria

Two unequal vertical stripes in two colors

Two unequal serrated vertical stripes in two colors
National flag of Bahrain

Three equal vertical stripes in two colors
National flag of Guatemala

Three equal vertical stripes in three colors
Further information: Tricolour (flag)
National flag of France

Three unequal vertical stripes
National flag of Canada
Further information: Canadian pale
Nordic Cross flag
Saint George's Cross
Others

Two diagonal stripes
National flag of Papua New Guinea

Three fimbriated diagonal stripes
National flag of Tanzania
Many radiating diagonal stripes
National flag of the Marshall Islands
Pall
National flag of South Africa

Cross

Upright centred cross
National flag of the Dominican Republic

Saint George's Cross
National flag of England

Nordic Cross
Further information: Nordic Cross

Nordic Cross in two colours
National flag of Finland

Nordic Cross in three colours
National flag of Iceland

One cross in emblem
National flag of Slovakia

Diagonal cross
Main article: Saltire
National flag of Jamaica

St. Andrew's Cross

Upright and diagonal centred crosses
National flag of the United Kingdom

Union Jack
See also: British ensign and Flags of the British Empire
National flag of Fiji
flag of Bermuda
flag of the United Kingdom
flag of South Africa (1928–1994
National flag of Canada 1957–1965

Additionally, the Union Jack features in many territorial and sub-national flags. These are often Red Ensigns (e.g.,  Bermuda) or Blue Ensigns (e.g.,  New South Wales and  Anguilla). A small number have backgrounds of other colours (e.g.  British Antarctic Territory and  Niue) or a unique pattern in the field (e.g.  British Indian Ocean Territory and  Hawaii). A small number put the Union Jack somewhere other than the canton (e.g.  British Columbia). Unofficial flags, such as  Ross Dependency also use it.

Divisions

Upper left divided from rest of flag
Main article: Canton (flag)
National flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

A canton in a flag is a rectangular area at the top hoist corner of a flag, occupying up to a quarter of the flag's area. The canton of a flag may be a flag in its own right. For instance, British ensigns have the Union Jack as their canton, as do their derivatives such as the national flags of Australia and New Zealand. Following the practice of British ensigns, a canton sometimes contains a symbol of national unity such as the blue field and white stars of the U.S. flag. In these cases, the canton may be called simply the union.

The U.S. flag's canton derives from the British use of the Union Jack in the canton of its possessions (including, historically, the early United States). Subsequently, many New World nations (and other later countries and regions, such as Liberia or Malaysia) that were inspired by the U.S. incorporated elements likewise inspired by the U.S. flag. As a result, many extant uses of a prominent canton derive either from British territorial history, or U.S. influence and inspiration.

One vertical stripe on hoist
National flag of Benin

Four equal rectangles meeting at center

See also #Cross section

National flag of the Dominican Republic

Four equal triangles meeting at center
National flag of Jamaica
St. Andrew's Cross
Cross of Burgundy

Other symbols and pictures

Sun
National flag of Uruguay

Moon
National flag of Bangladesh
See also #Crescent

Animal
National flag of Albania

Bird
Eagle

Livestock

Lion

Coat of arms
Flag of Mexico

Crown

Phrygian cap

Weaponry
National flag of Haiti

Ships

Agricultural and industrial tools
National flag of the Soviet Union (1955-1991), bright red used in 1980.

Plants
National flag of Canada

Fleur-de-lis

Map
National flag of Cyprus

Hills and mountains

Building

Square
National flag of Switzerland

Other symbols
National flag of India

Text
Main article: List of inscribed flags

Country name
National flag of Paraguay

Country name and motto
National flag of the Dominican Republic
  •  Afghanistan – the lowest line of text reads Afghanistan in the Pashto alphabet, and the calligraphic text at the top is the Shahada with the Takbir written beneath it.
  •  Brunei – the line of text on the crescent reads "Always render service with God's guidance", while the lower line reads Brunei Darussalam, both in the Jawi script.
  •  El Salvador – the name of the country encircles the coat of arms, which features the motto "Dios, Unión, Libertad" (Spanish for "God, Unity, Freedom") inside.
  •  Dominican Republic – the motto "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (meaning "God, Homeland, Freedom" in Spanish) can be read above the coat of arms at the center, below is the name of the country.

Motto
National flag of Brazil
  •  Andorra – "VIRTVS VNITA FORTIOR", Classical Latin for "United virtue is stronger".
  •  Belize – "Sub Umbra Floreo", meaning "Under the Shade I Flourish" in Latin.
  •  Brazil – "Ordem e Progresso", meaning "Order and Progress" in Portuguese.
  •  Equatorial Guinea – "Unidad, Paz, Justicia", meaning "Unity, Peace, Justice" in Spanish
  •  Iran – the Takbir ("Allahu akbar", which means "God is [the] greatest") written in the Kufic script 11 times.
  •  Iraq – the Takbir written in the Kufic script.
  •  San Marino – "LIBERTAS", Latin for "Freedom".
  •  Saudi Arabia – the Shahada (an Islamic creed meaning "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet") written in the Thuluth script.
  •  Somaliland – the Shahada
  •  Spain – "PLVS VLTRA", Latin for "Further beyond".

Other texts
National flag of Malta
  •  California - the name of the short lived and unrecognized state "California Republic", which preceded California's admission into the Union.
  •  Dominican Republic - the Bible is opened to the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 32, which reads “Y la verdad los hará libres”, which translates to “And the truth shall set you free” from Spanish.
  •  Guatemala – "Libertad 15 de septiembre de 1821", a combination of the Spanish word for "Freedom" and the date of independence of the former Federal Republic of Central America from Spain.
  •  Haiti – "L'union fait la force" (meaning "Union makes strength" in French), which is different from the country's official motto "Liberté, égalité, fraternité".
  •  Malta – "For Gallantry" can be read at the George Cross carried in the canton.

Flags of another state

Similarities in flags
Gallery of sovereign state flags
Vexillology

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