Sub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia
royal flag 11 Often (but not always) flown by the royal house and the government.
Ethiopia
national flag 22 Flown by anyone.
Ghana
Rwanda
Guinea
Mali
Senegal
Cameroon
Chad
Nigeria
Ivory Coast
Niger
Upper Volta
Sierra Leone
Gabon
Dahomey
Guinea and Cape Verde
PAIGC flag 33 Flag of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, which aimed for separation from Portugal. Eventually became the flag of Guinea-Bissau. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags.
Malagasy Republic
Congo
Malawi
Kenya
African National Congress
Mozambique
FRELIMO flag 44 Flag of the Liberation Front of Mozambique, which aimed for independence from Portugal. Direct predecessor of the modern flag of Mozambique. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags.
Tanzania
Angola
FNLA flag 55 Flag of the National Liberation Front of Angola, which aimed for independence from Portugal, and its government-in-exile in Kinshasa. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags.
Angola
MPLA flag 66 Flag of People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, a competing independence movement. Direct predecessor of the modern Angolan flag.
Angola
UNITA flag 77 Flag of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, yet another independence movement.
Zambia
Zaire
São Tomé and Príncipe
MLSTP flag 88 Flag of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe, which aimed for independence from Portugal. Direct predecessor of the modern flag. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags.
Zimbabwe
ZANU flag 99 Flag of the Zimbabwe African National Union, which sought majority rule in the breakaway British colony of Rhodesia. The territory's illegal white supremacist government flew a green and white flag with the Rhodesian coat of arms.
Zimbabwe
ZAPU flag 1010 Flag of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, a competing liberation movement.
Uganda
Togo
Liberia
Burundi
Equatorial Guinea
The Gambia
Botswana
Swaziland
Namibia
SWAPO flag 1111 Flag of the South West Africa People's Organisation, which sought independence from South Africa. Direct predecessor of the flag of Namibia. The territorial government did not have an official flag.
Lesotho
Central African Republic
South Africa
Somalia
Eritrea
ELF flag 1212 Flag of the Eritrean Liberation Front, which sought independence from Ethiopia. Derived from the previous national flag. The provincial government did not have an official flag.
Somali Coast
FLCS flag 1313 Flag of the Front for the Liberation of the Somali Coast, which sought indepdence from France. Eventually became the flag of Djibouti. The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas did not have an official flag.
Middle East and North Africa
Turkey
Tunisia
Morocco
Algeria
Mauritania
Palestine
Jordan
United Arab Emirates
Kuwait
Sudan
Egypt · Libya · Syria 1414 Flown by the Federation of Arab Republics. Its member states sometimes distinguished their flags by adding their country's name in small gold writing below the emblem.
Iraq
North Yemen
South Yemen
Israel
Cyprus
Lebanon
Iran
state flag 1515 Flown by the government, and often by private citizens. In certain ceremonial settings, the ratio was 1:3.
Iran
national flag 1616 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Oman
Bahrain
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Kurdistan
Druze
Assyrians
Western Europe
France
Italy
Ireland
Andorra
Belgium
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Austria
national flag 1717 Flown by private citizens and municipalities.
Austria
federal service flag 1818 Flown by the federal government and the armed forces.
Spain
West Germany
East Germany
Switzerland
Denmark
national flag 1919 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Denmark
sovereign flag 2020 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 2121 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Norway
state flag 2222 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships.
Faroe Islands
Iceland
national flag 2323 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Iceland
state flag 2424 Flown on government buildings and coast guard ships.
Åland
Sweden 2525 Flown for all purposes. A three-tailed version of the national flag is flown by the military.
Finland
national flag 2626 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Finland
state flag 2727 Flown by the government, border guard, and public universities. The armed forces fly a version with a swallowtail cut.
Greece 2828 During the rule of the junta, the shade of blue on the national flag was described as notably darker.
United Kingdom
England · Guernsey
Northern Ireland 2929 Flown by the government, sporting teams and by some private citizens. More or less exclusively a unionist symbol.
Scotland
Jersey
Wales
San Marino
Liechtenstein
Monaco
national flag 3030 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Monaco
princely flag 3131 Flown over the Prince's Palace and government buildings.
Gibraltar
Vatican City
Malta
Portugal
Canary Islands
Galicia
Catalonia
senyera 3232 The traditional Catalan flag.
Catalonia
estelada 3333 The flag preferred by supporters of Catalan independence.
Brittany
Cornwall
Corsica
Flanders
Wallonia
Isle of Man
Basque Country
Eastern Europe
Soviet Union
Albania
Czechoslovakia
Poland
state flag 3434 Flown over the Presidential Palace, parliament, provincial legislatures, and other government buildings. Private use highly restricted.
Poland
coat of arms flag 3535 Flown by embassies, airports, and merchant ships. Private use strictly banned.
Yugoslavia
Hungary
Bulgaria
Estonia 3636 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Estonian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
Lithuania 3737 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Lithuanian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
Latvia 3838 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Latvian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
Romania
South Asia and the Indian Ocean
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
Nepal
Bhutan
Sikkim
Sri Lanka
Maldives
Comoros
Mauritius
Jammu and Kashmir 4040 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
Azad Kashmir 4141 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
Nagaland 4242 Flown by nationalists and separatists. The Indian state of Nagaland does not have an official flag.
Kannada 4343 The popular but unofficial flag of the Kannada people. The Indian state of Karnataka does not have an official flag.
East, Central and Southeast Asia
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
China
North Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam
PRG flag 4444 Flag of the Viet Cong. Flown by the communist Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, which claimed to be the legitimate government of South Vietnam and was recognized by most Eastern Bloc states.
Tibet
Mongolia
Taiwan 4545 The flag of the Republic of China, the government of Taiwan. Banned on the mainland, as the People's Republic of China claimed sovereignty over the island.
Burma
Khmer Republic
Cambodia
GRUNK flag 4646 Flown by the Royal Government of the National Union of Kampuchea, a government-in-exile based in Beijing and Hong Kong.
Laos
Laos
Pathet Lao flag 4747 Flown by the communist Pathet Lao government-in-exile in Hanoi.
Thailand
Philippines
Malaysia
Indonesia
Singapore
Brunei
Sarawak
Shan
Sabah
Karen 4848 Flown by Karen nationalists seeking independence and separation from Burma.
East Turkestan 4949 The national flag of the Uyghur people, banned within the People's Republic of China. Xinjiang Region does not have an official flag.
Oceania
Papua New Guinea
Aboriginal Australians
Australia
New Zealand
Hawaiʻi
Fiji
Nauru
Micronesia
Western Samoa
Tonga
Wallis and Futuna
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
American Samoa
North America
Canada
United States
Bermuda
Québec
Alaska
Texas
Acadia
California
Cherokee
Mi’kmaq
Métis
Northern Cheyenne
Oglala Lakota
Arapaho
Seminole
Navajo
Papago
The Caribbean
Jamaica
Trinidad and Tobago
Antigua
Guyana
Guyane
Martinique 5050 An unofficial flag flown by Martinican nationalists and occasionally by local municipalities.
Saint Lucia
Barbados
Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
Grenada
Suriname
Netherlands Antilles
Anguilla 5151 The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island.
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Belize
Dominica
Saint Vincent
Garifuna
Latin America
Brazil
Mexico
Peru
national ensign 5252 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 5353 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Guatemala
Argentina
Honduras
Nicaragua
El Salvador
national flag 5454 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens.
El Salvador
inscribed flag 5555 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices.
El Salvador
plain flag 5656 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens.
Paraguay
front side
Paraguay
back side
Costa Rica
national flag 5757 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 5858 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens.
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Uruguay
national flag 5959 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Uruguay
flag of Artigas 6060 A traditional military emblem, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings.
Uruguay
flag of the Treinta y Tres 6161 A historic flag, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings.
Dominican Republic
Chile
Panama
Haiti
Venezuela
national ensign 6262 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens.
Venezuela
national flag 6363 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Colombia
Ecuador
Bolivia
state flag 6464 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces flew a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms.
Bolivia
national flag 6565 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Aymara
Quechua
Other International and Cultural Flags
United Nations
Europe
Organization of African Unity
Buddhist Flag
Romani
Pan-African Flag
Esperanto
Red Cross
Red Crescent
Red Lion and Sun
Olympic Games
Events of 1972
BANGLADESH • On January 17, the map was removed from the flag to make it easier to manufacture.
FEDERATION OF ARAB REPUBLICS • Egypt, Libya and Syria officially established the Federation of Arab Republics and adopted identical national flags on January 1.
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS • The Northern Mariana Islands adopted a flag depicting a Chamorro stone pillar.
SOMALI COAST • The Somali Coast Liberation Front adopted the flag that would eventually become the national flag of Djibouti.
SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE • The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe adopted a flag on July 12.
SRI LANKA • Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka on May 22 and adopted a slightly different flag.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES • Ras al-Khaimah joined the UAE on February 11.
Notes
1 Often (but not always) flown by the royal house and the government. ↩
2 Flown by anyone. ↩
3 Flag of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, which aimed for separation from Portugal. Eventually became the flag of Guinea-Bissau. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags. ↩
4 Flag of the Liberation Front of Mozambique, which aimed for independence from Portugal. Direct predecessor of the modern flag of Mozambique. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags. ↩
5 Flag of the National Liberation Front of Angola, which aimed for independence from Portugal, and its government-in-exile in Kinshasa. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags. ↩
6 Flag of People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, a competing independence movement. Direct predecessor of the modern Angolan flag. ↩
7 Flag of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, yet another independence movement. ↩
8 Flag of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe, which aimed for independence from Portugal. Direct predecessor of the modern flag. Portuguese colonies did not have official flags. ↩
9 Flag of the Zimbabwe African National Union, which sought majority rule in the breakaway British colony of Rhodesia. The territory's illegal white supremacist government flew a green and white flag with the Rhodesian coat of arms. ↩
10 Flag of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, a competing liberation movement. ↩
11 Flag of the South West Africa People's Organisation, which sought independence from South Africa. Direct predecessor of the flag of Namibia. The territorial government did not have an official flag. ↩
12 Flag of the Eritrean Liberation Front, which sought independence from Ethiopia. Derived from the previous national flag. The provincial government did not have an official flag. ↩
13 Flag of the Front for the Liberation of the Somali Coast, which sought indepdence from France. Eventually became the flag of Djibouti. The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas did not have an official flag. ↩
14 Flown by the Federation of Arab Republics. Its member states sometimes distinguished their flags by adding their country's name in small gold writing below the emblem. ↩
15 Flown by the government, and often by private citizens. In certain ceremonial settings, the ratio was 1:3. ↩
16 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
17 Flown by private citizens and municipalities. ↩
18 Flown by the federal government and the armed forces. ↩
19 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
20 Flown by the royal house, the government, and the armed forces. Also granted to a select list of private institutions and companies. ↩
21 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
22 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships. ↩
23 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
24 Flown on government buildings and coast guard ships. ↩
25 Flown for all purposes. A three-tailed version of the national flag is flown by the military. ↩
26 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
27 Flown by the government, border guard, and public universities. The armed forces fly a version with a swallowtail cut. ↩
28 During the rule of the junta, the shade of blue on the national flag was described as notably darker. ↩
29 Flown by the government, sporting teams and by some private citizens. More or less exclusively a unionist symbol. ↩
30 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
31 Flown over the Prince's Palace and government buildings. ↩
32 The traditional Catalan flag. ↩
33 The flag preferred by supporters of Catalan independence. ↩
34 Flown over the Presidential Palace, parliament, provincial legislatures, and other government buildings. Private use highly restricted. ↩
35 Flown by embassies, airports, and merchant ships. Private use strictly banned. ↩
36 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Estonian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation. ↩
37 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Lithuanian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation. ↩
38 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Latvian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation. ↩
39 Banned within the People's Republic of China. The Tibet Autonomous Region does not have an official flag. ↩
40 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir. ↩
41 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir. ↩
42 Flown by nationalists and separatists. The Indian state of Nagaland does not have an official flag. ↩
43 The popular but unofficial flag of the Kannada people. The Indian state of Karnataka does not have an official flag. ↩
44 Flag of the Viet Cong. Flown by the communist Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, which claimed to be the legitimate government of South Vietnam and was recognized by most Eastern Bloc states. ↩
45 The flag of the Republic of China, the government of Taiwan. Banned on the mainland, as the People's Republic of China claimed sovereignty over the island. ↩
46 Flown by the Royal Government of the National Union of Kampuchea, a government-in-exile based in Beijing and Hong Kong. ↩
47 Flown by the communist Pathet Lao government-in-exile in Hanoi. ↩
48 Flown by Karen nationalists seeking independence and separation from Burma. ↩
49 The national flag of the Uyghur people, banned within the People's Republic of China. Xinjiang Region does not have an official flag. ↩
50 An unofficial flag flown by Martinican nationalists and occasionally by local municipalities. ↩
51 The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island. ↩
52 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. ↩
53 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
54 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens. ↩
55 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices. ↩
56 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens. ↩
57 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too. ↩
58 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens. ↩
59 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
60 A traditional military emblem, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings. ↩
61 A historic flag, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings. ↩
62 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens. ↩
63 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
64 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces flew a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms. ↩
65 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩