The World Flag Chart

ABKHAZIA • Abkhazia declared its unrecognized independence from Georgia on July 23.

AFGHANISTAN • In January, Russia withdrew the last of its aid to the Najibullah regime, and the government quickly fell to the mujahideen. Kabul was taken on April 27, and the new Islamic State of Afghanistan was proclaimed the next day. The new government flew a provisional flag with Islamic inscriptions until December 6, when the country's traditional mosque emblem was restored to the flag.

Meanwhile in the north, the warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum established an autonomous proto-state based in Mazar-i-Sharif. He based his flag on the one which had been flown by the Republic of Afghanistan from 1974-1978.

ALBANIA • The socialist star was removed from the national flag on April 7.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA • On March 3, following an independence referendum that was boycotted by the country's Serbian community, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia. It provisionally adopted a flag with the coat of arms of the medieval Kingdom of Bosnia on March 27. The flag was never accepted by the country's Serbian community and would eventually be changed after the signing of the Dayton accords.

BRAZIL • On May 11, four more stars (representing Amapá, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins) were added to the national flag.

CAMBODIA • A United Nations transitional authority was established on March 15 under a temporary neutral flag. Unofficially, the old red blue and gold flag of the State of Cambodia continued to be flown within the country during the transition.

CAPE VERDE • On September 22, Cape Verde adopted a completely new flag to symbolize a break with its former socialist policies and a closer connection with the west. The ten golden stars represented the ten main islands of the nation.

CENTRAL ASIA • Four former Soviet republics in Central Asia adopted their first post-independence flags. Turkmenistan was the first on February 19. The red stripe on the left side of the flag was emblazoned with five carpet patterns, one from each of the major Turkmen tribes.

Kyrgyzstan adopted a flag depicting the sky as viewed through the roof of a yurt on March 3.

Kazakhstan adopted a flag with a golden-eagle in flight on top of a sky blue background on on June 4.

Tajikistan became the last former Soviet state to adopt a unique national flag on November 24. It closely resembled the flags of Iran and Kurdistan but also evoked the colour scheme of the Tajik SSR. The broad white stripe represented cotton — the country's main agricultural export.

COMOROS • Comoros adopted a new flag with the crescent and stars pointing upwards on June 7.

HO-CHUNK • The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin adopted a tribal flag sometime this year.

KARAKALPAKSTAN • Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan, adopted a flag which closely resembled the Uzbek national flag on February 14.

MACEDONIA • The former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia adopted its first post-independence flag on August 11, depicting the Vergina Sun, a decorative motif in ancient Greek art which had been found some fifteen years earlier on the purported coffin of King Philip of Macedon. The adoption of the flag was immediately controversial in neighbouring Greece, and Macedonia was forced to abandon the symbol under diplomatic pressure only three years later. Despite its short official lifespan, the flag remained popular with Macedonian nationalists and continues to be flown to this day.

MAPUCHE • The Council of All Lands selected a flag for the Mapuche Nation on October 5. The central emblem was a cultrun drum with symbols depicting the sun, the moon, the stars, and the four cardinal directions.

MONGOLIA • The socialist star was removed from the flag when a new constitution came into effect on February 12.

MUSLIM MINDANAO • The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which had been established within the Philippines three years earlier, adopted a regional flag.

PARAGUAY • On August 25, the flag ratio was shortened from 37:20 to 5:3 and the design of the national seal was modified.

RUSSIA • A number of autonomous republics adopted flags: Bashkortostan (based on the 1918 flag of Bashkiria) on February 25, Adygea (based on the old national flag of Circassia) on March 24, Chuvashia (showing a tree of life) on April 29, Altai on May 3, Mari El (showing an ancient solar symbol) on September 3, Tuva (representing the course of the Yensei River) on September 18, Sakha (depicting the sun over the taiga) on October 14, Kalmykia (showing a fire symbol) on October 30, and Buryatia (showing a Mongol symbol) on November 29.

TORRES STRAIT ISLANDS • The Torres Strait Islanders, an indigenous group of Australia, adopted a flag on May 29. The central emblem was a dhari headdress. It would soon become an official flag of Australia, alongside the Aboriginal flag.

YUGOSLAVIA • The socialist star was removed from the national flag on April 27.