Seven flags, seven very different sets of source material. Some borrow from religion, some from landscape, some from a founding myth much older than the state that flies them. What follows is a look at where each design got its ingredients.
Afghanistan: the mosque and the swords
The black, red, and green stripes mark separate chapters of the country's history, running from sovereignty lost to the nation reborn. At the center sits a mosque flanked by two swords, which puts faith and defense in the same emblem. The design is also an attempt at holding a very diverse country together in one image.
Argentina: sky and sun
Light blue and white for the sky and the clouds over the Andes. The sun at the center reaches back to indigenous roots while asserting independence, so the flag ends up carrying both the indigenous and the colonial halves of Argentina's history.
Japan: how little a flag can contain
A red circle for the sun, tied to Japan's founding mythology. Japanese tradition is anything but simple, which makes the plainness of the flag a choice rather than a default: clarity and focus, and nothing else on the field.
Mexico: the eagle and the serpent
Green, white, and red for independence, belief, and togetherness. The eagle and serpent at the center come from Aztec mythology, which puts a pre-Columbian founding story in the middle of a European-style tricolor.
India: saffron, white, and green
Saffron for courage, white for peace, green for prosperity. The Ashoka Chakra in the center is the wheel of law, standing for eternal truth and connecting the flag to dharma.
South Africa: after apartheid
South Africa's flag runs to an unusual number of colors, and the shapes on it converge rather than divide. It was drawn for the country's post-apartheid moment out of a complicated history, and it points forward rather than back.
Scotland: the saltire
The saltire honors St. Andrew, with sky blue and white marking Scotland's spiritual roots. Celtic heritage runs through the design, and the flag has remained a focal point for arguments about Scottish self-expression and autonomy.
