Charlotte Greig - The Directory of Flags: A guide to flags from around the world

For thousands of years, flags have been used to identify countries and cultures, people and places. Today, the flags of the world can provide a key to discovering each countrys national identity and history in the international community. By turning the pages of this directory you will be taken on an enlightening journey across the globe. It includes: a comprehensive guide to the national flags of the world, with each flag beautifully illustrated and accompanied by a map. a study of the history and significance of every flag, along with its exact proportions. a selection of flags from international organizations.

Flags have been used all over the world for thousands of years to identify peoples, places, cultures, and beliefs. Flags have been used all over the world for thousands of years to identify peoples, places, cultures, and beliefs.

From earliest times, cloth banners were used in the East. However, in the West, the first flaglike objects were vexilloids, carved staffs used to protect and bring victory to the bearer. The soldiers of ancient Rome, for example, carried standards ornamented with eagles. Later, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Christian crusaders introduced banners to identify their armies in battle. In particular, they used the Christian cross, which today appears on European flags in various guises (as the St. George cross, the saltire, the Greek cross, the off-center Scandinavian cross, and so on).

Islam also has a long history of flags, dating back to its earliest founding dynasties: red for the Khawarij; white for the Umayyad; black for the Abbasid; and green for the Fatimid. Later, just as the cross had been used to rally Christendom, the crescent was displayed to unite the Muslim world. Today, the symbol of the crescent, and the ancient dynastic colors of Islam, still dominate the flags of the Arab nations. Commonwealth of Nations Soloman Islands Moldova In medieval Europe, banners, pennants, and coats of arms were used to identify monarchs, families, cities, and regions. Many of these heraldic designs still appear on European flags. But it was not until the seventeenth century that official national flags began to emerge.

Some were the result of political unions, such as the Union Flag (also called the Union Jack) of Great Britain, adopted in 1606. But many had their origins in banners of political groups fighting for nationalist causes. The most famous of these is the tricolor, which became a powerful symbol of freedom during the French Revolution of 1789, and since then has influenced the design of countless national flags across the globe. From the eighteenth century onward, many countries in all continents fought to free themselves from centuries of colonial rule by the Western European nations. In the nineteenth century, newborn South American republics celebrated their new-found freedom with flags that reflected both their past struggles and their optimism for the future. In the twentieth century, many former British colonies achieved independence; some retained the Union Jack on their flags and others created vibrant new designs based on their indigenous cultures.

Today, the flags of the world provide a fascinating document of each countrys national identity: from past struggles to current political alliances; beliefs, whether religious or secular; even art and culture. The flags in this book are organized geographically, rather than alphabetically, or in terms of political borders. Thus, the Turkish flag will be found in the section on Asia rather than Europe, within a group that includes its nearby neighbors: Cyprus, Armenia, and Syria. In this way, important historical, cultural, and ideological links between countries, as symbolized on their flags, can be seen more clearly. For example, in Eastern Europe, we find that flag designs are often based around the colors red, blue, and white, which date back to the pre-Communist Russian tricolor, revived again after the collapse of the USSR. In Arabic countries, the design of a white or red crescent moon and stars on a green background is prevalent, making reference to Islamic religious beliefs in this part of the world.

And in Africa, during the 1960s when many new flags were established as countries became independent, various designs featuring the colors red, yellow, and green, remind us of Africas history of resistance to colonialism. Kazakhstan Niue Jamaica The book gives factual information on each flag, such as the date it was adopted and its proportions (the ratio 1:2 means height 1 to length 2) and general information about the countries or states listed, such as the main languages spoken (but often for reasons of space it was impossible to include every one). The facts are taken from a variety of reliable sources, in particular the regularly updated CIA World Factbook (see ).

The Americas have a wealth of national flags that reflect both their history of colonization by Europe and their struggle for independence. The U.S. flag is a case in point.

Its red, white, and blue colors reflect its links with Britain, while its design of stars and stripes symbolizes its status as a sovereign nation. In the same way, the colors of the Canadian flag refer to the English cross of St. George, while the maple leaf represents Canadas indigenous people. In the Caribbean, some islands have retained the Union Jack on their flags, while others have adopted entirely new designs. This tension between past and present is again apparent in the flags of the South American republics: on the one hand, rifles and bayonets symbolize their history of struggle against Spanish colonialism, and on the other, rainbows and sunrises show their optimism for the future. mi) 3,794,083; (sq. km) 9,826,675 Currency 1 U.S. dollar = 100 cents Main languages English, Spanish Ratio 10:19

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