Middle East and Africa
Turkey
Tunis
Egypt
Jebel Shammar
Nejd
Tripoli 11 The most commonly reported flag from the period. Flags with green, white and red stripes also seem to have been used. Probably flown exclusively on ships. The Turkish flag was the official national flag.
Morocco 22 Flown over the palace in Rabat and on ships. Military flags on land were often dectorated with a yellow or green octagram.
Zanzibar · Bahrain 33 Arab monarchies, especially those in and around the Gulf, flew plain red flags from their ships. These weren't quite "national flags" in the modern sense, but European powers tended to view them that way.
Ras al-Khaimah · Sharjah 44 Officially all of the Trucial States were supposed to fly a square red flag with a thick white border. In practice this flag became exclusively associated with the Al Qasimi dynasty. The other states mostly flew plain red flags.
Madagascar
Muscat and Oman
Persia
Mount Lebanon
Futa Jallon
Sokoto Caliphate
green flag of Islam 55 Flown by exclusively by the sultan as a symbol of religious authority. Not really a "national flag" as we'd understand it in modern terms. The sultan also gave white flags to his vassal emirs within the Caliphate.
Orange Free State
South African Republic (Transvaal)
Liberia
Western Europe
France
Italy
national flag 66 Flown by private citizens and merchant ships. The "Italian Social Republic", the Nazi puppet regime in the north, flew the plain tricolour as a national flag and had a war flag with an eagle gripping a fasces. The anti-fascist Italian partisans flew either plain tricolours or tricolours with a white or red star on the middle stripe.
Italy
state flag 77 Flown by the government and navy.
Belgium
Austria
Imperial colours 88 The dynastic colours of the Hapsburg monarchy, often used as a flag on land.
Austria
naval flag 99 Flown by merchant and navy ships. Direct predecessor of the modern Austrian flag.
Netherlands
Luxembourg
North German Confederation
Spain
Andorra
Switzerland
army flag 1010 Flag of the federal army, treated as an unofficial national flag.
Denmark
national flag 1111 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Denmark
sovereign flag 1212 Flown by the royal house, the government, and the armed forces. Also granted to a select list of private institutions and companies.
Norway
merchant flag 1313 Allowed to be flown by anyone. The union mark in the top-left corner of the flag was flown on its own as a joint diplomatic flag for Sweden and Norway.
Norway
state flag 1414 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships.
Sweden
merchant flag 1515 Allowed to be flown by anyone. The union mark in the top-left corner of the flag was flown on its own as a joint diplomatic flag for Sweden and Norway.
Sweden
war flag 1616 Flown on government buildings and by the military.
Greece
land flag 1717 Flown on land within Greece. The military flag had a crown in the centre of the cross.
Greece
sea flag 1818 Flown at sea and abroad. The naval ensign had a crown in the centre of the cross.
Samos
United Kingdom
England
Scotland
Jersey
San Marino
Bavaria
state colours 1919 The heraldic colours of Bavaria, often used as a flag. There are many reported unofficial flags from the period, some with more stripes, others with the diamond pattern from the Bavarian arms.
Württemberg
Liechtenstein
princely flag 2020 Flown by the prince, and unofficially as a national flag.
Baden 2121 Designed to be used as a diplomatic flag. Within the grand duchy, flags were made various configurations of red and yellow stripes.
Papal States
Portugal
Malta
traditional flag 2222 Flown unofficially, mostly by civilian ships.
Hesse
Monaco
Catalonia
Cornwall
Corsica
Wales
Ireland
Flanders
Heligoland
Eastern Europe
Russia
Imperial standard 2323 The flag of the Emperor, often regarded as the Russian national flag during the period.
Russia
armorial flag 2424 Flown on government buildings, especially military buildings, and as patriotic decoration.
Russia
trade flag 2525 Flown by merchant ships.
Carniola
national colours 2626 Designated as the official colours of the Austrian crown land of Carniola. Regarded as the unofficial national flag of Slovenia.
Slovakia 2727 Flown by advocates of Slovakian independence. The "Upper Hungary" region did not have an official flag.
Croatia and Slavonia
Serbia
national flag 2828 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Serbia
state flag 2929 Flown the government and armed forces.
Hungary
Romania
Ukraine 3030 Flown by Ukrainian nationalists. The order of colours wasn't fixed.
Bohemia
state colours 3131 Designated as the official colours of the Austrian crown land of Bohemia. Not an official flag, but informally regarded as a Czech national symbol. A white flag with the Bohemian coat of arms was also sometimes used.
Montenegro
batallion flag 3232 Flown by the prince and the military.
Poland
banner 3333 The former royal banner of Poland, no longer official but still used as an informal national symbol.
Bulgaria 3434 A typical flag flown by Bulgarian nationalists and revolutionaries in the pre-independence period. The flag would sometimes have different inscriptions or colours, but a golden lion on green was a common element. The slogan here reads "Freedom or Death!"
South Asia and the Indian Ocean
Hyderabad
Jammu and Kashmir 3535 The maharaja's flag had yellow stripes at the top and bottom.
Nepal
Jhabua 3636 The raja's flag was rectangular
Dewas
Kota
princely flag 3737 Flown by the Maharao and also used as a state flag. The flag was sometimes much longer.
Maldive Islands
Kishangarh
Sailana
Ajaigarh 3838 The reverse side of the flag showed a moon and a flower.
Mewar 3939 Mewar had a number of reported princely banners which were also sometimes used as state flags. The most common one had a large yellow sun and a blue katar dagger.
Porbandar
Kolhapur 4040 Kolhapur flew the Maratha saffron banner as a state flag. The maharaja had a diagonally-divided red and orange flag.
Dhar
Jaora
Jaipur
Alwar
Idar
Sirohi
Jodhpur
Gwalior
princely flag 4141 Flag of the maharaja, also used as a state flag. Plain saffron flags were also sometimes flown.
Jaisalmer
Bikaner
Banswara
Dholpur
Rajpipla
princely flag 4242 Flown by the maharaja and often used as a state flag.
Rajpipla
national flag 4343 Allowed to be flown by civilians.
Indore 4444 Inland river boats flew a triangular pennant in the same colours.
Kalat
Travancore
Manipur
Rajgarh
Sitamau 4545 The Raja's flag had a red sun
Bundi
Alirajpur
Khairpur
East, Central and Southeast Asia
Japan
China 4646 Flown by naval ships.
Cambodia
Siam
Luang Prabang
Champassak
Burma
Kelantan · Perak · Terengganu 4747 Malay monarchs often flew plain white flags. These standards eventually evolved into individual state flags as more colours and symbols were added.
Jambi
sultan's flag 4848 Flown by the sultan and by naval ships.
Jambi
nobles' flag 4949 Flown by nobles at sea.
Jambi
merchant flag 5050 Flown by commoner merchants at sea.
Johor
Pahang
sultan's flag 5151 Flown by the sultan.
Brunei
sultan's flag 5252 Flown by the sultan and also used as an unofficial state flag.
Sarawak
Selangor
Kedah
Kashgaria
Aceh
national flag 5353 Flown by the government, particularly at sea, as a way of nominally invoking the protection of the Ottoman Empire.
Aceh
sultan's flag 5454 Flown by the sultan and by warships. There are many other reported flags from the era, and it's not clear exactly how they were all used. Merchant ships often flew a plain red flag.
Sulu 5555 Reported flag from this era. It's exact use isn't known.
Oceania
Samoa
Tonga
ʻUvea
Rimatara
Tahiti
Rarotonga
Mangareva
Rurutu
Huahine
Raʻiatea
Bora Bora
Tahuata
Bau
Hawaiʻi
Australia
New Zealand 5656 The former flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, which remained in use as an unofficial symbol of the country.
North America
Latin America
Brazil
Mexico
Peru
national ensign 5959 Flown by the government, the navy, the national police, and national sports teams. Raised at major ceremonies. The army uses a similar flag with a different coat of arms.
Peru
national flag 6060 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Argentina
Honduras
Nicaragua
Paraguay
front side
Paraguay
back side
Guatemala
Costa Rica
national flag 6161 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too.
Costa Rica
national ensign 6262 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens.
Cuba 6363 Flown by Cuban nationalists and revolutionaries who sought independence from Spain.
Salvador
Uruguay
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico 6464 Flown by Puerto Rican nationalists and revolutionaries who sought independence from Spain.
Chile
Bolivia
state flag 6565 Flown by the government and armed forces.
Bolivia
national flag 6666 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Venezuela
national ensign 6767 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens.
Venezuela
national flag 6868 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Colombia
Ecuador
Other International and Cultural Flags
Red Cross
Events of 1868
CANADA • The fledgling Dominion of Canada was granted a coat of arms on May 26. Almost immediately, flag makers starting sewing the arms onto British red ensigns, creating an unofficial national flag. The Canadian Red Ensign wasn't officially authorized until 1892 but by that point it was already basically the national flag.
CUBA • On October 10, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes declared independence from Spain. Instead of using the modern Cuban flag, he raised his own design.
MUSCAT • Azzan bin Qais, the Imam of Oman, deposed the Sultan of Muscat on October 11. The plain white flag of the Imamate was raised in place of the traditional red flag of the Sultanate.
PUERTO RICO • A revolt broke out in the town of Lares on 23 September. Their flag would be used by Puerto Rican nationalists in exile until the current flag was designed in 1895.
Notes
1 The most commonly reported flag from the period. Flags with green, white and red stripes also seem to have been used. Probably flown exclusively on ships. The Turkish flag was the official national flag. ↩
2 Flown over the palace in Rabat and on ships. Military flags on land were often dectorated with a yellow or green octagram. ↩
3 Arab monarchies, especially those in and around the Gulf, flew plain red flags from their ships. These weren't quite "national flags" in the modern sense, but European powers tended to view them that way. ↩
4 Officially all of the Trucial States were supposed to fly a square red flag with a thick white border. In practice this flag became exclusively associated with the Al Qasimi dynasty. The other states mostly flew plain red flags. ↩
5 Flown by exclusively by the sultan as a symbol of religious authority. Not really a "national flag" as we'd understand it in modern terms. The sultan also gave white flags to his vassal emirs within the Caliphate. ↩
6 Flown by private citizens and merchant ships. The "Italian Social Republic", the Nazi puppet regime in the north, flew the plain tricolour as a national flag and had a war flag with an eagle gripping a fasces. The anti-fascist Italian partisans flew either plain tricolours or tricolours with a white or red star on the middle stripe. ↩
7 Flown by the government and navy. ↩
8 The dynastic colours of the Hapsburg monarchy, often used as a flag on land. ↩
9 Flown by merchant and navy ships. Direct predecessor of the modern Austrian flag. ↩
10 Flag of the federal army, treated as an unofficial national flag. ↩
11 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
12 Flown by the royal house, the government, and the armed forces. Also granted to a select list of private institutions and companies. ↩
13 Allowed to be flown by anyone. The union mark in the top-left corner of the flag was flown on its own as a joint diplomatic flag for Sweden and Norway. ↩
14 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships. ↩
15 Allowed to be flown by anyone. The union mark in the top-left corner of the flag was flown on its own as a joint diplomatic flag for Sweden and Norway. ↩
16 Flown on government buildings and by the military. ↩
17 Flown on land within Greece. The military flag had a crown in the centre of the cross. ↩
18 Flown at sea and abroad. The naval ensign had a crown in the centre of the cross. ↩
19 The heraldic colours of Bavaria, often used as a flag. There are many reported unofficial flags from the period, some with more stripes, others with the diamond pattern from the Bavarian arms. ↩
20 Flown by the prince, and unofficially as a national flag. ↩
21 Designed to be used as a diplomatic flag. Within the grand duchy, flags were made various configurations of red and yellow stripes. ↩
22 Flown unofficially, mostly by civilian ships. ↩
23 The flag of the Emperor, often regarded as the Russian national flag during the period. ↩
24 Flown on government buildings, especially military buildings, and as patriotic decoration. ↩
25 Flown by merchant ships. ↩
26 Designated as the official colours of the Austrian crown land of Carniola. Regarded as the unofficial national flag of Slovenia. ↩
27 Flown by advocates of Slovakian independence. The "Upper Hungary" region did not have an official flag. ↩
28 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
29 Flown the government and armed forces. ↩
30 Flown by Ukrainian nationalists. The order of colours wasn't fixed. ↩
31 Designated as the official colours of the Austrian crown land of Bohemia. Not an official flag, but informally regarded as a Czech national symbol. A white flag with the Bohemian coat of arms was also sometimes used. ↩
32 Flown by the prince and the military. ↩
33 The former royal banner of Poland, no longer official but still used as an informal national symbol. ↩
34 A typical flag flown by Bulgarian nationalists and revolutionaries in the pre-independence period. The flag would sometimes have different inscriptions or colours, but a golden lion on green was a common element. The slogan here reads "Freedom or Death!" ↩
35 The maharaja's flag had yellow stripes at the top and bottom. ↩
36 The raja's flag was rectangular ↩
37 Flown by the Maharao and also used as a state flag. The flag was sometimes much longer. ↩
38 The reverse side of the flag showed a moon and a flower. ↩
39 Mewar had a number of reported princely banners which were also sometimes used as state flags. The most common one had a large yellow sun and a blue katar dagger. ↩
40 Kolhapur flew the Maratha saffron banner as a state flag. The maharaja had a diagonally-divided red and orange flag. ↩
41 Flag of the maharaja, also used as a state flag. Plain saffron flags were also sometimes flown. ↩
42 Flown by the maharaja and often used as a state flag. ↩
43 Allowed to be flown by civilians. ↩
44 Inland river boats flew a triangular pennant in the same colours. ↩
45 The Raja's flag had a red sun ↩
46 Flown by naval ships. ↩
47 Malay monarchs often flew plain white flags. These standards eventually evolved into individual state flags as more colours and symbols were added. ↩
48 Flown by the sultan and by naval ships. ↩
49 Flown by nobles at sea. ↩
50 Flown by commoner merchants at sea. ↩
51 Flown by the sultan. ↩
52 Flown by the sultan and also used as an unofficial state flag. ↩
53 Flown by the government, particularly at sea, as a way of nominally invoking the protection of the Ottoman Empire. ↩
54 Flown by the sultan and by warships. There are many other reported flags from the era, and it's not clear exactly how they were all used. Merchant ships often flew a plain red flag. ↩
55 Reported flag from this era. It's exact use isn't known. ↩
56 The former flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, which remained in use as an unofficial symbol of the country. ↩
57 An unofficial but widespread national flag. ↩
58 An unofficial local flag. The British colony of Newfoundland had no distinctive local symbols. ↩
59 Flown by the government, the navy, the national police, and national sports teams. Raised at major ceremonies. The army uses a similar flag with a different coat of arms. ↩
60 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
61 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too. ↩
62 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens. ↩
63 Flown by Cuban nationalists and revolutionaries who sought independence from Spain. ↩
64 Flown by Puerto Rican nationalists and revolutionaries who sought independence from Spain. ↩
65 Flown by the government and armed forces. ↩
66 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
67 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens. ↩
68 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩