viking flag with red and white stripes and a bird

Norway's flag colors are based on the French flag. The flag mirrors the Scandinavian/Nordic Cross (a cross offset to the left) and the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark. The flag of Norway has the colors red, white, and blue, and is the official flag of Norway used to represent Norway worldwide. Traditionally, the Scandinavian countries are Norway, Sweden, and Denmark neighboring countries including Finland, Iceland, and Greenland (part of the Kingdom of Denmark) are typically considered Nordic but not Scandinavian. The Scandinavian Cross design can also be seen on non-Scandinavian Nordic countries, such as Finland and Iceland. The first flag with three colors was the flag of Norway. The flag colors have very specific meanings for each Scandinavian country. Later, the flag's cross design was adopted by other countries in the Nordic region although the colors differed. The very first flag showing the Scandinavian Cross was Denmark's national flag, called the Dannebrog in Danish. Due to the individualization of the Scandinavian flags, the countries' flags are easy to distinguish. The vertical bar of the Scandinavian Cross is moved toward the flag's left side.Īll Scandinavian countries use this basic traditional design on their flags but individualize their flags in color and other (minor) flag details. The 'Cross Flag' is Scandinavia's historic flag pattern showing a + stretching to all four sides of the flag. George on a horse, fighting a dragon.Among Scandinavian flags, all flags show the Scandinavian Cross (also called Nordic Cross or Crusader's Cross) as illustrated above.

United States Virgin Islands (US overseas territory) - eagle.

Montenegro - double-headed eagle and lion.

Sint Maarten (constituent country of the Netherlands) - pelican.

Saint Helena (UK overseas territory) - Saint Helena plover.

Papua New Guinea - raggiana bird-of-paradise.

Christmas Island (external territory of Australia) - golden bosun.

Ascension Island (UK overseas territory) - sea gulls and turtles.

influence and inspiration.Īnimal National flag of Albania Bird As a result, many extant uses of a prominent canton derive either from British territorial history, or U.S.

incorporated elements likewise inspired by the U.S.

Subsequently, many New World nations (and other later countries and regions, such as Liberia or Malaysia) that were inspired by the U.S. flag's canton derives from the British use of the Union Jack in the canton of its possessions (including, historically, the early United States). In these cases, the canton may be called simply the union. Following the practice of British ensigns, a canton sometimes contains a symbol of national unity such as the blue field and white stars of the U.S. For instance, British ensigns have the Union Jack as their canton, as do their derivatives such as the national flags of Australia and New Zealand. The canton of a flag may be a flag in its own right. Main article: Canton (flag) National flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) National flag of the United StatesĪ canton in a flag is a rectangular area at the top hoist corner of a flag, occupying up to a quarter of the flag's area.

The aspect ratio is usually defined around 1:1. Togo: The golden ratio which is roughly 1.618035 Aspect ratio of 2:3.23607 or ~ 8:13.Switzerland: (Square-shaped) Aspect ratio of 1:1.Qatar: The largest aspect ratio of any national flag, the flag's width 2.545 times as large as the height.Nepal: The only national flag that is not rectangular, being made with 5 sides.* Most common aspect ratio is 2:3, followed by 1:2. Sets of flags in this list within the same category may represent countries' shared connections, or the design similarity may be a coincidence. Many countries with shared history, culture, ethnicity, or religion have similarities in their flags that represent this connection. Sometimes these flags are used to represent languages. Common design elements of flags include shapes such as stars, stripes, and crosses, layout elements such as including a canton (a rectangle with a distinct design, such as another national flag), and the overall shape of a flag, such as the aspect ratio of a rectangular flag (whether the flag is square or rectangle, and how wide it is) or the choice of a non-rectangular flag. Flags come in many shapes and designs, which often represent something about the country or people that the flag represents. A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a country.

Viking flag with red and white stripes and a bird