The national flag is a symbol of the country. There are currently nearly 190 countries in the world. These countries have their own national flags. Each national flag has a different meaning to the country. The patterns and colors used are of deep reason. Generally speaking, it can be divided into the following categories:
Category 1: Religious elements, representing the countries Saudi Arabia, Israel, Denmark
Saudi is the birthplace of Islam, so the elements of Islam on the Saudi national flag are most obvious. Green symbolizes peace in Islam, so the Saudi flag is set against the whole green as the background. In fact, the national flags of most Islamic countries also have green elements in it ( Libya , Iraq, Iran, Kuwait , etc.). The above text of the Saudi flag is a famous saying in Islam: "All things are not Lord, but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah", and there is a treasure knife painted below.
Saudi flag
Israel is a Jewish country, and the center of the Israeli flag is the symbol of the Jewish people "Da Satellite". This is the symbol of the Kingdom of Israel King David on its shield, representing Judaism and Israeli traditional culture. The blue and white are the colors of the Judaism monk shawl (Talit), blue represents the sky of Israel, and white represents the heart of cleanliness.
Israel flag
Denmark flag is the oldest national flag in the world, and is called the group of national flags. According to legend, in 1219, the Danish army was at a disadvantage in fighting against the pagan army. A white cross flag on red background fell from the sky. The Danish army was greatly encouraged and believed in God's blessing. In the end, the defeat turned into victory. This flag naturally became the national flag of Denmark. Medieval Denmark had a great influence in the Nordic region and once dominated Norway, Iceland , Sweden and other places. The Danish flag had a profound impact on the design of the Nordic Christian countries' flags, so the national flags of these countries were basically designed based on the Danish flag.
National flag influenced by the Danish flag
Category 2: Reflecting the national value concept, representing the country France and China
18th century Enlightenment , which gradually emerged in the French Revolution , which began in 1789, was pushed to a climax. The French flag , which was born in the French Revolution, is a direct reflection of the Enlightenment thought. The French flag is composed of red, white and blue, representing freedom, equality and fraternity respectively. With the huge influence of the Enlightenment in Europe, this national flag design concept that uses striped color combinations to represent values has also been accepted by many European countries. This is also the main reason why the national flags of European countries have such spaced stripes. For example, the green, white and red of Italy represent hope, belief, and kindness;
French flag
Chinese flag is also a typical representative of value concepts. Red represents the indomitable revolutionary spirit of the Chinese people, and the five Venus stars represent the people of all ethnic groups uniting around the Communist Party of China and working together to build a new China.
National Flag of the People's Republic of China
Category 3: Historical Changes, Representative Country United States, Britain, Australia
1775 Before the outbreak of the American War of Independence, 13 colonies in North America did not have their own flags, and the British flag was generally used. After the outbreak of the American War of Independence, the 13 North American states had their own common banner - the "Great Union Flag". The bottom of the flag is 13 horizontal strips with red and white lines, and the upper left corner of the flag is 13 five-pointed stars, all representing 13 colonial states. Later, the United States added a state to the United States, and a five-pointed star was added to the upper left corner. By 1959, Alaska and Hawaii, which were far away from the United States, joined the United States, and the American flag was determined to be what it is now. So there were only 48 stars on the American flag during World War II.
American flag evolution
United Kingdom, also known as the United Kingdom, is composed of four regions, namely England, Scotland , Wales and North Ireland ; these four regions have their own national flags before forming the United Kingdom.In 1606, England and Scotland joined forces, and in 1801 Ireland became part of the United Kingdom. On the final United Kingdom flag, the red 10 flag of England, the white cross cross flag of Scotland, and the red cross cross flag of Ireland overlapped together on the final United Kingdom flag. Since Wales had been incorporated into England before 1606, there was no trace of the Welsh flag on the national flag.
British flag evolution
The United Kingdom in the 19th century was known as the "Empire of the Sun" and had vast colonies around the world. By the 20th century, as the British Empire gradually declined, various colonies were independent, but many regions still retained British elements on the national flag after independence. For example, the national flags of Australia and New Zealand and all have elements of the British flag, and they are added with their own unique elements to form their own national flag.
The fourth category: reflects the national historical tradition, representing the country Germany, Portugal, and South Korea
On German flag , black and gold are the representative colors of the Holy Roman emperor, and red and white are often used as symbols of the imperial army. Therefore, since the early 19th century, the three-color flags of black, red and yellow have become the common flags of the German region, which is also the style of today's German flag. The Nazi flag during World War II used red, white and black colors, which was also to reflect the German militarist tradition.
German flag evolution
Portugal was a pioneer of the Age of Discovery, so the national flag of Portugal also reflects the imprint of the Age of Discovery. The armillary sphere on the Portuguese flag was a very important instrument in astronomy and navigation at that time, and Portuguese crew often used it to explore unknown seas. The Portuguese shield on the armillary sphere has been used on every Portuguese flag in history since the 11th century and is the most important and oldest symbol in Portugal. The green and red of the Portuguese flag represent hope and revolution respectively.
Portugal flag
The Tai Chi on the Korean flag originated from traditional Chinese Taoism, and South Korea's history is also deeply influenced by Chinese culture. The meaning of the Korean national flag comes from the Chinese "Book of Changes" thought. The Tai Chi in the central government symbolizes the universe. The combination of yin and yang produces all things, representing the pioneering spirit of the Korean nation. The hexagrams in the four corners are Qian at the upper left, Kun at the lower right, Kan at the upper right, and Li at the lower left, representing the sky, earth, water and fire respectively. The background color of the national flag is white, symbolizing the purity of the Korean people and their love for peace.
Korean flag
Japanese flag is also a product of history. The Japanese nation worships the sun god. "Japan" means the place of sunrise. Therefore, since the early years of the Tang Dynasty, the name of Japan has been officially used. The Japanese Emperor began to use red circles as patterns and continued.
Category 5: Designed in combination with the natural environment, representing the country Brazil , Canada
Brazil's flag is mainly green and yellow, and there is also a blue sky globe; green represents Brazil's vast forest (Brazil is the country with the largest rainforest area in the world), and yellow represents rich natural resources; the celestial globe's different white pentagrams represent Brazil's 26 states and a federal district.
Brazilian flag
The white in the middle of the Canadian flag represents Canada's vast territory (a large amount of Canada's territory is covered with glaciers and permafrost for a long time), and the red on both sides represents the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the east and west coasts. In the middle are the leaves of Canada's national tree maple trees. There are many maple trees in Canada. Every autumn, the maple leaves all over the mountains are like burning bonfires, so maple leaves symbolize the people who work hard and hard on Canada's rich land.
Canadian Flag
National Flag is a reflection of a country's values and a nation's spiritual sustenance. Understanding the connotation of the national flag can help us further understand the history and culture of a country and nation.
