Flags pass as the most befitting representation of a country – a symbol that speaks more about a people than its leader, geographic location, or culture. Culture may be shared by more than one political state.
Given this remarkable exemplification, the choice of a flag is defining, an act which, in most cases, is woven into the very fabric of these nations’ respective historical stories.
Dannebrog, the oldest national flag globally, has a simple design of a Scandinavian cross featuring red and white colours. The narrative behind the Danish standard is that it stands for Christianity, leaving no doubt in neighbours’ minds where Denmark stood at a time when religion was a litmus test for making allies and starting wars.
The meanings behind these preferences have not always been straightforward, and neither have they been themselves glittering. As a result, they have raised more questions than provided answers.
In this piece, we look at some of these exciting and frankly strange flags peoples have adopted to fly at full mast, a billowing national pride.
FLAG OF NEPAL
As if administratively overseeing Mount Everest is not enough, Nepal has one of the weirdest national flags in the world. A non-rectangular flag, the only of its kind in the comity of nations, it looks like what appears to be two merged triangles. The flag has blue-bordered lines incorporating modeled symbols of the sun and moon on a crimson background. Nepal was never formally colonized, thus, carrying its rich traditional symbols for centuries.
FLAG OF BHUTAN
You do not often see a dragon on a modern flag as the creature’s concept is pure fiction. Nonetheless, the Bhutanese have a full-grown one emblazoned on its national cloth. The white dragon in the yellow and orange backdrop represents the purity and sanctity of the thoughts and actions of humankind. The ‘Thunder Dragon,’ as it is known, has arts of jewelry on all four hands representing the riches and security of the country. There is very little more inspiring than a dragon flag billowing atop a government building.
FLAG OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The imposing black harboring five stars at one part of the flag is not precisely symbolic. A brainchild of Susan Huhume, a fifteen-year-old at the time, the flag was adopted after the government held a public competition to design a national flag. The other half of the piece is red upon which a dark yellow bird is projected. The bird is also a mainstay in the Oceanic country’s coat of arms. In addition, the country is home to some of the rare species of animals on earth.
FLAG OF MOZAMBIQUE
Even the artistically endowed would agree that an AK-47 and a hoe on a modern flag is quite perspective. The two weapons rest upon a book in a yellow starry background enveloped within a triangular red. There are three more colours on the right stretch of the flag which are green, white, black, and yellow. In many sub-Saharan African countries, Green symbolizes the rich agricultural wealth of the country. Red stands for the toil of the country’s forbearers for independence, Yellow represents the Southern African nation’s mineral resources, and White speaks to the country’s peace has always aspired for since independence.
FLAG OF GRENADA
Officially adopted in 1974, the eccentric flag boasts three colors: red, yellow, and green. The six stars above and below the craft represent the Caribbean country’s six churches. The yellow star in the middle is Carriacou and Petite Martinique, a dependent island under Grenadian rule. In the green background, to the left, nutmeg is one of the country’s best-selling agricultural products. Red in the star-studded flag represents the courage and vitality of the English-speaking state.
FLAG OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The landlocked African country has a blend of its French, and African heritage on the national icon emblazoned. Formally approved in 1958, the blue and white colours are a tribute to the French who once ruled the country, while Red, Yellow, and Green epitomize the country’s African culture and the shared history of the continent. There’s a yellow star in the blue background atop the flag symbolizes CAR as a sovereign state. The nine rectangle-laden art is quite a view.
FLAG OF ALBANIA
Whoever designed this flag knew precisely what they were doing! Otherwise, why would you design sketch a black double-headed eagle in the center of an absolute red backdrop. The flag has gone through several changes over the decades. The one currently in use was standardized by law in 2002.
FLAG OF KYRGYZSTAN
This is as strange as they come. First, one must carefully examine the comet-like drawing at the heart of the cloth. The figure is a sun that epitomizes peace and prosperity. The red on the former Soviet state’s flag is inspired by the pennant lifted by Manas, a national hero.
FLAG OF THE VATICAN CITY
The smallest independent state in the world has a flag worth the telling. It constitutes yellow and white colours and an emblem which looks like two keys. The colours symbolize the pope’s authority over all spiritual matters in the world. The keys have a papal crown upon them, representing the Vatican City as a sovereign state. It was adopted in 1929 when Pope Pius signed the Lateran Treaty, which looked to settle the long-standing overlaps between the Kingdom of Italy and the Papacy.
FLAG OF SWAZILAND
King Sobhuza II gave the Swazi Pioneer Corps a military inspiration to remind the nation of its military heritage. ‘The country in a country’ adopted the arrow-boosted flag in 1968. If interpretations were open to all, this banner would be one worth a thousand descriptions.
GCBM Contributor: Mitchell Amoamah
Email: asaremitchie@gmail.com
