X

Flags Of The World

The flags of the world begin with the Afghanistan flag and end with the Zimbabwe flag. Each flag represents a countries history and place in the world, a unique and important story that makes up the fabric of the human civilization.

Some country flags are widely recognized by people around the world: The Canadian Maple Leaf, the American Star-Spangled Banner, the French Tricolore. But how many flags of the 197 independent nations in the world would you be able to identify?

Here is the full list of every independent country in the world in alphabetical order:

A

Afghanistan

Image source: Wikipedia

Albania

Image source: Wikipedia

Algeria

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Algeria features a crescent moon, the symbol of Islam.

Andorra

Image source: Wikipedia

Angola

Image source: Wikipedia

Antigua and Barbuda

Image source: Wikipedia

Argentina

Image source: Wikipedia

This flag symbolizes Argentina’s independence from Spain. The blue stripes symbolize the sky. It was adopted in 1812.

Armenia

Image source: Wikipedia

Aruba

Image source: Wikipedia

Australia

Image source: Wikipedia

Austria

Image source: Wikipedia

Azerbaijan

Image source: Wikipedia

B

Bahamas, The

Image source: Wikipedia

Bahrain

Image source: Wikipedia

Bangladesh

Image source: Wikipedia

The red disc on the Bangladesh disc is a symbol for the rising sun and the blood of those who struggled for the country’s independence.

Barbados

Image source: Wikipedia

Belarus

Image source: Wikipedia

Belgium

Image source: Wikipedia

Belize

Image source: Wikipedia

Belize adopted its national flag on their first independence day on September 21, 1981.

Benin

Image source: Wikipedia

Bhutan

Image source: Wikipedia

Bolivia

Image source: Wikipedia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Image source: Wikipedia

Botswana

Image source: Wikipedia

Brazil

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Brazil features the Southern Cross and the national motto in Portuguese “Ordem e Progresso” (“Order and Progress).

Brunei

Image source: Wikipedia

Bulgaria

Image source: Wikipedia

Burkina Faso

Image source: Wikipedia

Burma

Image source: Wikipedia

Burundi

Image source: Wikipedia

C

Cambodia

Image source: Wikipedia

Cameroon

Image source: Wikipedia

Canada

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Canada is often referred to as the Maple Leaf in English or L’Unifolié in French. It was adopted in 1965 to replace the Canadian Red Ensign or the Union flag (the flag of the United Kingdom), which were then used in Canada.

Cabo Verde

Image source: Wikipedia

The Central African Republic

Image source: Wikipedia

Chad

Image source: Wikipedia

Chile

Image source: Wikipedia

China

Image source: Wikipedia

Colombia

Image source: Wikipedia

Comoros

Image source: Wikipedia

Congo, the Democratic Republic of the

Image source: Wikipedia

Congo, Republic of the

Image source: Wikipedia

Costa Rica

Image source: Wikipedia

Cote d’Ivoire

Image source: Wikipedia

Croatia

Image source: Wikipedia

Cuba

Image source: Wikipedia

The Cuban flag was adopted in 1902, only a few years after Cuban achieved its independence from Spain. The flag of Cuba served as the model for the flag of Puerto Rico and the Independentist flag of Catalonia, both of which also feature horizontal stripes and a red equilateral triangle with a star.

Curacao

Image source: Wikipedia

Cyprus

Image source: Wikipedia

Czechia

Image source: Wikipedia

D

Denmark

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Denmark features a white Scandinavian cross over a red background. Neighboring Sweden, Norway, and Finland also use similar designs.

Djibouti

Image source: Wikipedia

Dominica

Image source: Wikipedia

Dominican Republic

Image source: Wikipedia

E

East Timor (see Timor-Leste)

Image source: Wikipedia

This former Portuguese colony was later invaded by neighboring Indonesia but recovered its independence 2002.

Ecuador

Image source: Wikipedia

Egypt

Image source: Wikipedia

El Salvador

Image source: Wikipedia

Equatorial Guinea

Image source: Wikipedia

Eritrea

Image source: Wikipedia

Estonia

Image source: Wikipedia

Ethiopia

Image source: Wikipedia

F

Fiji

Image source: Wikipedia

Finland

Image source: Wikipedia

France

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of France is one of the most recognizable world flags. It was adopted after the French Revolution in 1794.

G

Gabon

Image source: Wikipedia

Gambia, The

Image source: Wikipedia

Georgia

Image source: Wikipedia

Germany

Image source: Wikipedia

This horizontal tricolor flag was first adopted in 1919 although it was replaced by the Nazi flag in 1933. It was restored after Germany lost World War II in 1949.

Ghana

Image source: Wikipedia

Greece

Image source: Wikipedia

The cross of the flag of Greece symbolizes Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Grenada

Image source: Wikipedia

Guatemala

Image source: Wikipedia

Guinea

Image source: Wikipedia

Guinea-Bissau

Image source: Wikipedia

Guyana

Image source: Wikipedia

H

Haiti

Image source: Wikipedia

Holy See

Image source: Wikipedia

Honduras

Image source: Wikipedia

Hong Kong

Image source: Wikipedia

The national flag of Hong Kong was adopted when the United Kingdom handed over the sovereignty of their former colony over to the People’s Republic of China. It replaced several former colonial flags that were similar in design to those used for other former British colonies such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Hungary

Image source: Wikipedia

I

Iceland

Image source: Wikipedia

India

Image source: Wikipedia

Indonesia

Image source: Wikipedia

Iran

Image source: Wikipedia

Iraq

Image source: Wikipedia

Ireland

Image source: Wikipedia

The Republic of Ireland follows the republic tradition set out by France of having a tricolor flag. The flag was adopted after the country’s independence from Britain in 1922.

Israel

Image source: Wikipedia

Italy

Image source: Wikipedia

J

Jamaica

Image source: Wikipedia

Japan

Image source: Wikipedia

The national flag of Japan symbolizes the rising sand, for which the country is famous. It was first adopted in 1870.

Jordan

Image source: Wikipedia

K

Kazakhstan

Image source: Wikipedia

Kenya

Image source: Wikipedia

Kiribati

Image source: Wikipedia

 

Kosovo

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Kosovo was only adopted in 2008 after the nation declared independence from Serbia. It features a map of Kosovo over a blue background.

Kuwait

Image source: Wikipedia

Kyrgyzstan

Image source: Wikipedia

L

Laos

Image source: Wikipedia

Latvia

Image source: Wikipedia

Lebanon

Image source: Wikipedia

Lesotho

Image source: Wikipedia

Liberia

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Liberia resembles that of the United States because the African nation was founded by freed slaves from America and the Caribbean.

Libya

Image source: Wikipedia

Liechtenstein

Image source: Wikipedia

Lithuania

Image source: Wikipedia

Luxembourg

Image source: Wikipedia

With a very similar design to the one used for the flag of the Netherlands, Luxembourg adopted it in 1830. The small country had no national flag at that point.

M

Macau

Image source: Wikipedia

This former Portuguese colony is now a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. It features a lotus flower, which is the floral emblem of the country.

Macedonia

Image source: Wikipedia

Madagascar

Image source: Wikipedia

Malawi

Image source: Wikipedia

Malaysia

Image source: Wikipedia

Maldives

Image source: Wikipedia

Mali

Image source: Wikipedia

Malta

Image source: Wikipedia

The most salient element of the Maltese flag is the George Cross, King George VI awarded this Mediterranean island nation back when it was a British colony.

Marshall Islands

Image source: Wikipedia

Mauritania

Image source: Wikipedia

Mauritius

Image source: Wikipedia

Mexico

Image source: Wikipedia

Micronesia

Image source: Wikipedia

Moldova

Image source: Wikipedia

Monaco

Image source: Wikipedia

Mongolia

Image source: Wikipedia

Montenegro

Image source: Wikipedia

Morocco

Image source: Wikipedia

Mozambique

Image source: Wikipedia

N

Namibia

Image source: Wikipedia

Nauru

Image source: Wikipedia

Nepal

Image source: Wikipedia

The flag of Nepal is unique because it is the only flag in the world that does not have a quadrilateral design.

Netherlands

Image source: Wikipedia

New Zealand

Image source: Wikipedia

Nicaragua

Image source: Wikipedia

Niger

Image source: Wikipedia

Nigeria

Image source: Wikipedia

North Korea

Image source: Wikipedia

Norway

Image source: Wikipedia

O

Oman

Image source: Wikipedia

P

Pakistan

Image source: Wikipedia

Palau

Image source: Wikipedia

Palestinian Territories

Image source: Wikipedia

Panama

Image source: Wikipedia

The national flag of Panama was adopted in 1925.

Papua New Guinea

Image source: Wikipedia

Paraguay

Image source: Wikipedia

Peru

Image source: Wikipedia

Philippines

Image source: Wikipedia

Poland

Image source: Wikipedia

Portugal

Image source: Wikipedia

The national flag of the Portuguese Republic features a representation of an armillary sphere that symbolizes the role Portugal played in the so-called Age of Discoveries, and the Portuguese shield that in different forms has been used since Portugal was born in 1139.

Q

Qatar

Image source: Wikipedia

R

Romania

Image source: Wikipedia

Russia

Image source: Wikipedia

The Russian tricolor flag was first adopted in 1696 but it was replaced by different flags until it was restored in the early 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Rwanda

Image source: Wikipedia

S

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Image source: Wikipedia

Saint Lucia

Image source: Wikipedia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Image source: Wikipedia

Samoa

Image source: Wikipedia

San Marino

Image source: Wikipedia

Sao Tome and Principe

Image source: Wikipedia

Saudi Arabia

Image source: Wikipedia

Senegal

Image source: Wikipedia

Serbia

Image source: Wikipedia

Seychelles

Image source: Wikipedia

Sierra Leone

Image source: Wikipedia

Singapore

Image source: Wikipedia

Sint Maarten

Image source: Wikipedia

Slovakia

Image source: Wikipedia

Slovenia

Image source: Wikipedia

Solomon Islands

Image source: Wikipedia

Somalia

Image source: Wikipedia

South Africa

Image source: Wikipedia

The colorful flag of South Africa was adopted in 1994 replacing the old flag that had been in used by the apartheid regime since 1928.

South Korea

Image source: Wikipedia

South Sudan

Image source: Wikipedia

Spain

Image source: Wikipedia

Sri Lanka

Image source: Wikipedia

Sudan

Image source: Wikipedia

Suriname

Image source: Wikipedia

Swaziland

Image source: Wikipedia

Sweden

Image source: Wikipedia

Switzerland

Image source: Wikipedia

Syria

Image source: Wikipedia

T

Taiwan

Image source: Wikipedia

Tajikistan

Image source: Wikipedia

Tanzania

Image source: Wikipedia

Thailand

Image source: Wikipedia

Timor-Leste

Image source: Wikipedia

Togo

Image source: Wikipedia

Tonga

Image source: Wikipedia

Trinidad and Tobago

Image source: Wikipedia

Tunisia

Image source: Wikipedia

Turkey

Image source: Wikipedia

The current flag of Turkey is inspired by the flag of the Ottoman empire. It was adopted in 1936.

Turkmenistan

Image source: Wikipedia

Tuvalu

Image source: Wikipedia

U

Uganda

Image source: Wikipedia

Ukraine

Image source: Wikipedia

United Arab Emirates

Image source: Wikipedia

United States of America

Image source: Wikipedia

I wake up every morning signing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ – Terry McAuliffe

United Kingdom

Image source: Wikipedia

Uruguay

Image source: Wikipedia

Uzbekistan

Image source: Wikipedia

V

Vanuatu

Image source: Wikipedia

Venezuela

Image source: Wikipedia

The current Venezuelan flag was adopted in 2006 but it was based on the flag that had been in use after the Venezuelan War of Independence in 1811. Some of the changes were adding the eighth star or changing the orientation of the white horse galloping, from left to right.

Vietnam

Image source: Wikipedia

Y

Yemen

Image source: Wikipedia

Z

Zambia

Image source: Wikipedia

Zimbabwe

Image source: Wikipedia