Sub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia 11 The plain tricolour is still flown unofficially.
Ghana
Guinea
Mali
Senegal
Cameroon
Chad
Nigeria
Côte d'Ivoire
Niger
Sierra Leone
Gabon
Rwanda
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
Sicily
Isle of Man
Basque Country
Sápmi
Eastern Europe
Russia
Slovenia
Slovakia
Croatia
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia
state 2222 Flown by the republic government, and by local and provincial governments on national holidays and days of mourning. Allowed to be used by private citizens during celebrations, sporting events, and any other context that isn't expressly forbidden by law. In other words, it can basically be used anyone at any time.
Serbia
national flag 2323 Flown by local and provincial governments (except on naitonal holidays and days of mourning). Also allowed to be used by anyone.
Czech Republic
Poland
state flag 2424 Allowed to be flown by anyone. Must be flown over the Presidential Palace, parliament, provincial legislatures, and other government buildings.
Poland
coat of arms flag 2525 Only supposed to be flown by embassies, airports, and merchant ships. In practice, flown by private citizens as well.
Georgia
Latvia
Hungary
Bulgaria
Estonia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Lithuania
national flag 2626 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Lithuania
armorial flag 2727 Ceremonial flag, flown at the Royal Palace in Vilnius, Trakai Island Castle, and War Museum in Kaunas. Also flown over government buildings on certain holidays.
Albania
Montenegro
Macedonia
Belarus
Romania
Moldova 2828 The back side of the flag was just a plain tricolour.
Ukraine
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Adygea
Abkhazia
Chechnya
Tatarstan
Ossetia 2929 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
Székely Land
Kalmykia
Central Asia and Siberia
Afghanistan
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Karakalpakstan
East Turkestan 3030 The national flag of the Uyghur people, banned within the People's Republic of China. Xinjiang Province does not have an official flag.
Tibet 3131 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 3232 A popular but unofficial local flag flown by some municipalities.
Mayotte 3333 Flown by the departmental council and used as a local flag.
Chagos Islands 3434 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 3535 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
Azad Kashmir 3636 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
Balochistan 3737 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 3838 Flown by nationalists and separatists. The Indian state of Nagaland does not have an official flag.
Kannada 3939 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
Macau
Taiwan 4040 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
Timor-Leste
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.
Bougainville
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
Pitcairn Islands
Norfolk Island
Cocos Islands
Christmas Island
Torres Strait Islands
South Sea Islanders
North America
Canada
Greenland
United States
Bermuda
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4343 A popular but unofficial local flag.
Québec
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nunavut
California
Alaska
Texas
Acadia
Mi’kmaq
Métis
Northern Cheyenne
Haudenosaunee
Choctaw
Cherokee
Oglala Lakota
Anishinabek
Haida
Nisga’a
Arapaho
Seminole
Ho-Chunk
Blackfeet
Comanche
Navajo
Tohono O’odham
Hopi
Innu
The Caribbean and South Atlantic
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
Sint Eustatius
Netherlands Antilles
Belize
Virgin Islands (British)
Montserrat
Turks and Caicos
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Saint Helena
Tristan da Cunha
Anguilla
blue ensign 4747 The official flag of the British overseas territory, flown by the government and allowed to be flown by anyone.
Anguilla
dolphin flag 4848 The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island, dating back to Anguilla's unrecognized secession in 1967.
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Barbuda
Taíno
Garifuna
Latin America
Brazil
Mexico
Peru
national ensign 4949 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 5050 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Guatemala
Argentina
Honduras
Nicaragua
El Salvador
national flag 5151 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens.
El Salvador
inscribed flag 5252 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices.
El Salvador
plain flag 5353 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens.
Paraguay
front side
Paraguay
back side
Costa Rica
national flag 5454 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 5555 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens.
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Uruguay
national flag 5656 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Uruguay
flag of Artigas 5757 A traditional military emblem, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings.
Uruguay
flag of the Treinta y Tres 5858 A historic flag, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings.
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Chile
Panama
Venezuela
national ensign 5959 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens.
Venezuela
national flag 6060 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Colombia
Ecuador
Bolivia
state flag 6161 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces fly a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms.
Bolivia
national flag 6262 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
Aymara
Quechua
Mapuche
Guaraní
Misak
Maya
Other International and Cultural Flags
United Nations
Antarctica
Europe
African Union
Commonwealth of Nations
La Francophonie
Lusophone Community
Buddhist Flag
Romani
Pan-African Flag
Warrior Flag
Esperanto
Red Cross
Red Crescent
Pride Flag
Transgender Flag
Olympic Games
Events of 2004
AFGHANISTAN • On January 4, Afghanistan shortened the ratio of its flag from 1:2 to 2:3.
BOLIVIA • Bolivia slightly modified the design of its coat of arms on July 19.
CHECHNYA • The republic of Chechnya adopted a new flag with a golden ornament on May 25.
COCOS ISLANDS • The Cocos (Keeling) Islands adopted a flag on April 6. The green and yellow colour scheme was derived from Australia's sporting colours.
CYPRUS • In a referendum on April 24, Greek Cypriot voters rejected the Annan Plan, which would have reunited the island under a new flag. The broad yellow stripe was to symbolize the island as a whole, while the blue and red stripes symbolized the Greek and Turkish communities.
IRAQ • The United States-installed Iraqi Governing Council announced a new flag for Iraq on April 28. The blue stripes represented the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and yellow and light blue colours represented the Kurdish and Turkmen minorities respectively. The flag's total break with the flag design traditions of the Arab world proved extremely unpopular and the project was shelved.
Two months later on June 28, Iraq adopted a much more modest project for a new flag, replacing Saddam Hussein's handwriting with Kufic calligraphy.
GEORGIA • Georgia adopted a new flag on January 14, based on a banner ascribed to the medieval Kingdom of Georgia in a 14th-century atlas. The design was adopted following the Rose Revolution, which brought the pro-Western United National Movement to power.
GUARANÍ • A Guaraní flag was reported as being seen in protests in this year, although it may have been in use earlier. The colours are sometimes reported in a different order.
LITHUANIA • On September 1, Lithuania shortened the ratio of its flag from 1:2 to 3:5 and adopted a new state flag, similar to the one used before the Second World War.
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO • On July 2, the joint parliament of Serbia and Montenegro considered a proposal to abandon the old Yugoslavian flag in favour of a "compromise" design which combined the nearly identical tricolours of Serbia and Montenegro.
The project died after Montenegro adopted a radically different flag on July 12. Serbia followed suit with a new state flag on August 17.
SINT EUSTATIUS • Sint Eustatius adopted a flag on July 29.
SZÉKELY LAND • The Székely National Council adopted a flag on January 17. The crescent and sun symbols are said to date to the 15th century.
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 by the republic government, and by local and provincial governments on national holidays and days of mourning. Allowed to be used by private citizens during celebrations, sporting events, and any other context that isn't expressly forbidden by law. In other words, it can basically be used anyone at any time. ↩
23 Flown by local and provincial governments (except on naitonal holidays and days of mourning). Also allowed to be used by anyone. ↩
24 Allowed to be flown by anyone. Must be flown over the Presidential Palace, parliament, provincial legislatures, and other government buildings. ↩
25 Only supposed to be flown by embassies, airports, and merchant ships. In practice, flown by private citizens as well. ↩
26 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
27 Ceremonial flag, flown at the Royal Palace in Vilnius, Trakai Island Castle, and War Museum in Kaunas. Also flown over government buildings on certain holidays. ↩
28 The back side of the flag was just a plain tricolour. ↩
29 Flown by the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia and the Russian republic of North Ossetia. ↩
30 The national flag of the Uyghur people, banned within the People's Republic of China. Xinjiang Province does not have an official flag. ↩
31 Banned within the People's Republic of China. The Tibet Autonomous Region does not have a flag. ↩
32 A popular but unofficial local flag flown by some municipalities. ↩
33 Flown by the departmental council and used as a local flag. ↩
34 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. ↩
35 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir. ↩
36 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir. ↩
37 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. ↩
38 Flown by nationalists and separatists. The Indian state of Nagaland does not have an official flag. ↩
39 The popular but unofficial flag of the Kannada people. The Indian state of Karnataka does not have an official flag. ↩
40 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. ↩
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 official flag of the British overseas territory, flown by the government and allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
48 The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island, dating back to Anguilla's unrecognized secession in 1967. ↩
49 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. ↩
50 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
51 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens. ↩
52 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices. ↩
53 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens. ↩
54 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too. ↩
55 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens. ↩
56 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
57 A traditional military emblem, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings. ↩
58 A historic flag, ceremonially flown alongside the national flag at government buildings. ↩
59 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens. ↩
60 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩
61 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces fly a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms. ↩
62 Allowed to be flown by anyone. ↩