Exploring the Coolest Flags Around the World

Some flags are worth looking at twice. A few break the rules of shape entirely, some carry weapons, and one was designed by a thirteen-year-old. What follows is a tour of the ones with the best designs and the best stories behind them, including flags that belong to regions, organizations, and places that only exist in books.

National flags with unique appeal

Nepal: the world's only non-rectangular flag

Nepal's flag is the only national flag that isn't quadrilateral. It consists of two stacked triangles, combining red and blue with symbols of the moon and sun that stand for the country's Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. The shape is thought to evoke the Himalayas, and the celestial symbols carry the hope that Nepal will last as long as the sun and the moon do.

Bhutan: the dragon embrace

The flag of Bhutan has a white dragon stretched across a diagonal divide of yellow and orange. The dragon is a symbol of protection in Bhutanese culture, and the jewels in its claws stand for wealth. Yellow signifies the civil tradition and authority of the king, orange the spiritual culture of Buddhism.

Mozambique: an emblem of defense

One of the more modern and controversial flags, Mozambique's banner carries an AK-47 with a bayonet attached to a hoe, superimposed on a book. Between them the three objects stand for defense and vigilance, agriculture, and education, a direct reference to the country's struggle for independence and its ongoing defense of sovereignty.

Wales: the dragon standard

The flag of Wales puts a red dragon on a field of white and green. The dragon stands for strength and Welsh identity, drawn from ancient Celtic mythology and the historic emblems of Welsh rulers.

South Africa: a rainbow of unity

South Africa's flag reflects a complicated history and the convergence of diverse cultures. A Y-shaped green stripe edged in white divides sections of black, gold, red and blue, which is why it is often called the "rainbow nation" flag. The design stands for unity and progress after apartheid.

Greenland: the setting sun

Greenland's flag, designed in 1985, has two equal horizontal bands of white on top and red below, with a large disk set slightly off-center toward the hoist. The top half is the ice cap and the bottom half the ocean. The disk is a red sun setting over the horizon and reflecting on the sea.

Flags of states and regions

Maryland: a banner of noble birth

The state flag of Maryland is one of the most distinctive in the United States. It uses the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore: a bold cross bottony with alternating quadrants of gold and black against red and white. Medieval heraldry of this kind is rare among American state flags.

Quebec: fleur-de-lis pride

Quebec's flag, known as the Fleurdelisé, mirrors the region's French heritage. Four white fleurs-de-lis sit on a blue background, standing for purity and the Virgin Mary and nodding to France's historic national emblem. It marks out a cultural identity distinct within Canada.

Alaska: the Big Dipper and the North Star

Alaska's flag was designed by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old Native Alaskan. It shows the Big Dipper and the North Star on a dark blue background. The Big Dipper is part of Ursa Major and symbolizes a bear, an important animal to many Alaskan cultures, while the North Star stands for Alaska's northern location and the state's promise as a frontier.

Organizational and group flags

The Olympic flag

The Olympic flag has five interlocking rings on a white background, one for each of the five inhabited continents brought together by the Olympic spirit. The colors (blue, yellow, black, green and red) were chosen because at least one of them appears on the flag of every nation.

The United Nations flag

The UN flag shows the world map surrounded by olive branches for peace. The map is centered on the North Pole, which gives it a reach over every continent at once.

The Antarctic flag

The flag of Antarctica represents an entire continent with no native population. A white map of Antarctica sits on a blue background, standing for neutrality and peaceful scientific exploration. It is used mainly at Antarctic research stations and at meetings concerning Antarctic affairs.

The flag of the Earth

Proposed by global citizens and used by some international organizations, the flag of the Earth has a blue background with two white interlocking squares that form an eight-pointed star. The design stands for global unity and a shared destiny regardless of national origin.

Historical and cultural flags

The Jolly Roger

The classic pirate flag has a skull and crossbones on a black background. It was meant to strike fear into sailors and to signal that mercy might be spared if they surrendered without a fight. It has since become an emblem of rebellion and adventure.

The flag of Edward England

Edward England, a notorious pirate, flew a version with a skull above two crossed thigh bones on a black field. It conveyed the deadly seriousness of pirate threats, along with a certain dark whimsy that pirate lore has never quite shaken off.

The Gadsden flag

The Gadsden flag, from the American Revolution, has a rattlesnake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me" on a yellow field. It has become a symbol of American independence and libertarian values, emphasizing vigilance and readiness to defend against oppression.

Fictional flags

Narnia

In C.S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia," the flag of Narnia carries a lion representing Aslan, the true king of Narnia. It stands for justice, truth and bravery, and for Narnia's fight against evil forces.

The United Federation of Planets

The flag of the United Federation of Planets in "Star Trek" shows a galaxy with a laurel wreath on a blue background. It represents an alliance of different worlds and species working together for peace and exploration, which is about as concise a summary of the show's optimism as you could ask for.