Sub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia 11 The plain tricolour is still flown unofficially.
Ghana
Rwanda
Guinea
Mali
Senegal
Cameroon
Chad
Nigeria
Côte d'Ivoire
Niger
Sierra Leone
Gabon
Republic of the Congo
Benin
Guinea-Bissau
Madagascar
Burkina Faso
Angola
Malawi
Kenya
Mozambique
Tanzania
Namibia
South Africa
The Gambia
Botswana
Zambia
São Tomé and Príncipe
Zimbabwe
Uganda
Togo
Liberia
Burundi
Equatorial Guinea
Somaliland
Lesotho
Central African Republic
Swaziland
Cape Verde
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Somalia
Djibouti
Eritrea
Southern Sudan
SPLM flag 22 Flag of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, which sought independence for the southern part of Sudan. Direct predecessor of the modern flag. The region did not have an official flag within Sudan.
Ogoni 33 Some versions of the flag have the ring of stars extending over all three stripes.
Oromia
OLF flag 44 Flag of the Oromo Liberation Front, a nationalist liberation movement within Ethiopia. The regional government flies a red, white and black flag with a tree in the middle.
Tigray
Middle East and North Africa
Turkey
Tunisia
Morocco
Algeria
Mauritania
Libya
Palestine
Jordan
Western Sahara
Polisario flag 55 Flown by the Polisario Front and the unrecognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which claims to be the rightful government of the disputed Western Sahara. Most of the territory is occupied by Morocco.
United Arab Emirates
Kuwait
Egypt
Yemen
Sudan
Iraq
Syria
Israel
Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
Lebanon
Iran
Oman
Bahrain
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Kurdistan
Amazigh
Druze
Assyrians
Western Europe
France
Italy
Ireland
Andorra
Belgium
Germany
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Austria
national flag 66 Flown by private citizens and municipalities.
Austria
federal service flag 77 Flown by the federal government and the armed forces.
Spain
Switzerland
Denmark
national flag 88 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Denmark
sovereign flag 99 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 1010 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Norway
state flag 1111 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships.
Iceland
national flag 1212 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Iceland
state flag 1313 Flown on government buildings and coast guard ships.
Åland
Sweden 1414 Flown for all purposes. A three-tailed version of the national flag is flown by the military.
Finland
national flag 1515 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Finland
state flag 1616 Flown by the government, border guard, and public universities. The armed forces fly a version with a swallowtail cut.
Faroe Islands
Greece
United Kingdom
England
Guernsey
Northern Ireland
Ulster banner 1717 Northen Ireland has not had an official flag since 1973, but the Ulster Banner is still flown by some sporting teams and private citizens. More or less exclusively a unionist symbol. Nationalists tend to fly the Irish tricolour instead.
Scotland
Wales
San Marino
Liechtenstein
Monaco
national flag 1818 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Monaco
princely flag 1919 Flown over the Prince's Palace and government buildings.
Gibraltar
Vatican City
Malta
Portugal
Azores
Madeira
Canary Islands
Galicia
Jersey
Catalonia
senyera 2020 The traditional Catalan flag, and the official flag of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
Catalonia
estelada 2121 The flag preferred by supporters of Catalan independence.
Brittany
Cornwall
Corsica
Flanders
Wallonia
Isle of Man
Basque Country
Sápmi
Eastern Europe
Russia
Slovenia
Slovakia
Croatia
Yugoslavia
Czech Republic
Poland
state flag 2222 Flown over the Presidential Palace, parliament, provincial legislatures, and other government buildings. Technically only allowed for private use on national holidays, but in practice flown throughout the year by anyone.
Poland
coat of arms flag 2323 Only supposed to be flown by embassies, airports, and merchant ships. In practice, flown by private citizens as well.
Hungary
Bulgaria
Estonia
Armenia
Lithuania
Azerbaijan
Latvia
Georgia
Albania
Macedonia
Belarus
Romania
Moldova 2424 The back side of the flag was just a plain tricolour.
Ukraine
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Adygea
Abkhazia
Chechnya
Tatarstan
Ossetia 2525 Flown by the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia and the Russian republic of North Ossetia.
Chuvashia
Udmurtia
Mari El
Gagauzia
Bashkortostan
Komi
Karelia
Crimean Tatar
Kalmykia
Central Asia and Siberia
Afghanistan
Northern Alliance flag 2626 The internationally-recognized flag of Afghanistan, flown in territories under Northern Alliance control.
Afghanistan
Taliban flag 2727 Flag of the unrecognized Taliban regime in control of Kabul.
Afghanistan
Mazar‑i‑Sharif 2828 Flown by Abdul Rashid Dostum's proto-state in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Karakalpakstan
East Turkestan 2929 The national flag of the Uyghur people, banned within the People's Republic of China. Xinjiang Province does not have an official flag.
Tibet 3030 Banned within the People's Republic of China. The Tibet Autonomous Region does not have a flag.
Mongolia
Buryatia
Tuva
Sakha
Altai
Jewish Autonomous Region
South Asia and the Indian Ocean
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Nepal
Bhutan
Sri Lanka
Maldives
Comoros
Mauritius
Seychelles
Réunion 3131 An unofficial local flag.
Mayotte 3232 Flown by the departmental council and used as a local flag.
Chagos Islands 3333 Flown by the Chagossians, who were forcibly removed from the islands by the British to make way for a military base. The islands are officially administered as the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has a colonial ensign with a wavy white and blue stripes and a palm tree badge.
Jammu and Kashmir 3434 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
Azad Kashmir 3535 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
Balochistan 3636 Flown by Baloch nationalists seeking independence from Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. The star is sometimes flipped upside down or replaced by a white sun. The provincial government of Balochistan in Pakistan flies a green flag with a white camel emblem.
Nagaland 3737 Flown by nationalists and separatists. The Indian state of Nagaland does not have an official flag.
Kannada 3838 The popular but unofficial flag of the Kannada people. The Indian state of Karnataka does not have an official flag.
East and Southeast Asia
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
Vietnam
China
Hong Kong
Taiwan 3939 The flag of the Republic of China, which is the government of Taiwan. Banned on the mainland, as the People's Republic of China claims sovereignty over the island. At major international sporting events like the Olympics, Taiwan competes under the name "Chinese Taipei" and flies a neutral flag.
Myanmar
Thailand
Laos
Cambodia
Philippines
Malaysia
Indonesia
Singapore
Brunei
Sarawak
East Timor 4040 Flown by nationalists seeking the indpenedence of Timor-Leste. Under Indonesian occupation, flying the flag was illegal. The rarely-used official flag of "Timor Timur" was orange with the provincial seal in the middle.
Shan
Rohingya
Muslim Mindanao
Karen 4141 Flown by Karen nationalists seeking independence and separation from Myanmar. Kayin State has its own flag, a blue-white-red tricolour with a white star in the top left.
Sabah
Ainu
Oceania
Papua New Guinea
Aboriginal Australians
Māori
Vanuatu
Kanaky-New Caledonia
FLNKS flag 4242 Flag of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front, which sought the independence from France.
Solomon Islands
Australia
Aotearoa New Zealand
Cook Islands
Fiji
Tuvalu
Niue
Marshall Islands
Nauru
Micronesia
Palau
Kiribati
Hawaiʻi
Samoa
Tonga
Wallis and Futuna
Maohi Nui
Rapa Nui
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
American Samoa
Norfolk Island
Christmas Island
Torres Strait Islands
South Sea Islanders
Bougainville
North America
Canada
Greenland
United States
Bermuda
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4343 A popular but unofficial local flag.
Québec
Newfoundland
California
Alaska
Texas
Acadia
Mi’kmaq
Métis
Northern Cheyenne
Haudenosaunee
Choctaw
Cherokee
Oglala Lakota
Anishinabek
Haida
Arapaho
Seminole
Ho-Chunk
Blackfeet
Comanche
Navajo
Tohono O’odham
Innu
The Caribbean
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Trinidad and Tobago
Antigua and Barbuda
Guyana
Dominica
Grenada
Guyane
Suriname
Guadeloupe 4444 An unofficial flag flown by Guadeloupe nationalists. There is also a rarely used "heraldic banner" based on the coat of arms of Pointe-à-Pitre.
Martinique 4545 An unofficial flag flown by Martinican nationalists and occasionally by local municipalities.
The Bahamas
Saint Lucia
Barbados
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Bonaire
Aruba
Curaçao
Saint Martin
unity flag 4646 A common cultural flag representing both the French and Dutch halves of the island of Saint Martin.
Saint Martin (Dutch)
Saba
Netherlands Antilles
Anguilla 4747 The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island.
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Belize
Barbuda
Garifuna
Latin America
Brazil
Mexico
Peru
national ensign 4848 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 4949 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Guatemala
Argentina
Honduras
Nicaragua
El Salvador
national flag 5050 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens.
El Salvador
inscribed flag 5151 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices.
El Salvador
plain flag 5252 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens.
Paraguay
front side
Paraguay
back side
Costa Rica
national flag 5353 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 5454 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens.
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Uruguay
national flag 5555 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Uruguay
flag of Artigas 5656 A traditional military emblem, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings.
Uruguay
flag of the Treinta y Tres 5757 A historic flag, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings.
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Chile
Panama
Venezuela
national ensign 5858 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens.
Venezuela
national flag 5959 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Colombia
Ecuador
Bolivia
state flag 6060 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces flew a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms.
Bolivia
national flag 6161 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Aymara
Quechua
Mapuche
Misak
Other International and Cultural Flags
United Nations
Antarctica
Europe
Organization of African Unity
Commonwealth of Nations
La Francophonie
Lusophone Community
Buddhist Flag
Romani
Pan-African Flag
Warrior Flag
Esperanto
Red Cross
Red Crescent
Pride Flag
Olympic Games
Events of 1997
AFGHANISTAN • The unrecognized Taliban government in Afghanistan added a black shahada to its plain white flag on October 27.
AMAZIGH • The First Amazigh World Congress was held from August 27-30, bringing together three hundred Berber delegates from across North Africa. They adopted a flag with the Tifinagh letter yaz.
BARBUDA • The island of Barbuda adopted a flag.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO • The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo swept through Zaire, toppling the government of President Mobutu Sese Seko. When Kinshasa was taken on May 17, rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila proclaimed himself president, restored the country's name to the Democratic Republic of Congo and reinstated the 1960-1963 national flag.
HONG KONG • The flag of Hong Kong was officially raised for the first time on July 1 when the territory was handed over from Britain to China.
KOMI • The Komi Republic shortened its flag from 1:2 to 2:3, to make it the same size as the Russian flag.
SAMOA • Western Samoa changed its name to just Samoa on July 4.
TURKMENISTAN • On February 1, an olive branch was added to Turkmenistan's national flag to represent the country's permanent neutrality.
TUVALU • Prime Minister Bikenibeu Paeniu, who had come to power in December 1996 after a vote of no-confidence brought down his republican predecessor, restored the country's original blue ensign flag.
Notes
1 The plain tricolour is still flown unofficially. ↩
2 Flag of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, which sought independence for the southern part of Sudan. Direct predecessor of the modern flag. The region did not have an official flag within Sudan. ↩
3 Some versions of the flag have the ring of stars extending over all three stripes. ↩
4 Flag of the Oromo Liberation Front, a nationalist liberation movement within Ethiopia. The regional government flies a red, white and black flag with a tree in the middle. ↩
5 Flown by the Polisario Front and the unrecognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which claims to be the rightful government of the disputed Western Sahara. Most of the territory is occupied by Morocco. ↩
6 Flown by private citizens and municipalities. ↩
7 Flown by the federal government and the armed forces. ↩
8 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
9 Flown by the royal house, the government, and the armed forces. Also granted to a select list of private institutions and companies. ↩
10 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
11 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships. ↩
12 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
13 Flown on government buildings and coast guard ships. ↩
14 Flown for all purposes. A three-tailed version of the national flag is flown by the military. ↩
15 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
16 Flown by the government, border guard, and public universities. The armed forces fly a version with a swallowtail cut. ↩
17 Northen Ireland has not had an official flag since 1973, but the Ulster Banner is still flown by some sporting teams and private citizens. More or less exclusively a unionist symbol. Nationalists tend to fly the Irish tricolour instead. ↩
18 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
19 Flown over the Prince's Palace and government buildings. ↩
20 The traditional Catalan flag, and the official flag of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. ↩
21 The flag preferred by supporters of Catalan independence. ↩
22 Flown over the Presidential Palace, parliament, provincial legislatures, and other government buildings. Technically only allowed for private use on national holidays, but in practice flown throughout the year by anyone. ↩
23 Only supposed to be flown by embassies, airports, and merchant ships. In practice, flown by private citizens as well. ↩
24 The back side of the flag was just a plain tricolour. ↩
25 Flown by the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia and the Russian republic of North Ossetia. ↩
26 The internationally-recognized flag of Afghanistan, flown in territories under Northern Alliance control. ↩
27 Flag of the unrecognized Taliban regime in control of Kabul. ↩
28 Flown by Abdul Rashid Dostum's proto-state in Mazar-i-Sharif. ↩
29 The national flag of the Uyghur people, banned within the People's Republic of China. Xinjiang Province does not have an official flag. ↩
30 Banned within the People's Republic of China. The Tibet Autonomous Region does not have a flag. ↩
31 An unofficial local flag. ↩
32 Flown by the departmental council and used as a local flag. ↩
33 Flown by the Chagossians, who were forcibly removed from the islands by the British to make way for a military base. The islands are officially administered as the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has a colonial ensign with a wavy white and blue stripes and a palm tree badge. ↩
34 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir. ↩
35 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir. ↩
36 Flown by Baloch nationalists seeking independence from Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. The star is sometimes flipped upside down or replaced by a white sun. The provincial government of Balochistan in Pakistan flies a green flag with a white camel emblem. ↩
37 Flown by nationalists and separatists. The Indian state of Nagaland does not have an official flag. ↩
38 The popular but unofficial flag of the Kannada people. The Indian state of Karnataka does not have an official flag. ↩
39 The flag of the Republic of China, which is the government of Taiwan. Banned on the mainland, as the People's Republic of China claims sovereignty over the island. At major international sporting events like the Olympics, Taiwan competes under the name "Chinese Taipei" and flies a neutral flag. ↩
40 Flown by nationalists seeking the indpenedence of Timor-Leste. Under Indonesian occupation, flying the flag was illegal. The rarely-used official flag of "Timor Timur" was orange with the provincial seal in the middle. ↩
41 Flown by Karen nationalists seeking independence and separation from Myanmar. Kayin State has its own flag, a blue-white-red tricolour with a white star in the top left. ↩
42 Flag of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front, which sought the independence from France. ↩
43 A popular but unofficial local flag. ↩
44 An unofficial flag flown by Guadeloupe nationalists. There is also a rarely used "heraldic banner" based on the coat of arms of Pointe-à-Pitre. ↩
45 An unofficial flag flown by Martinican nationalists and occasionally by local municipalities. ↩
46 A common cultural flag representing both the French and Dutch halves of the island of Saint Martin. ↩
47 The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island. ↩
48 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. ↩
49 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
50 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens. ↩
51 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices. ↩
52 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens. ↩
53 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too. ↩
54 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens. ↩
55 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
56 A traditional military emblem, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings. ↩
57 A historic flag, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings. ↩
58 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens. ↩
59 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
60 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces flew a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms. ↩
61 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩