While Sri Lanka didn’t officially have a national flag until 1815, the roots of its flag, the lion imagery, are some of the oldest in the vexillological world. The lion symbolism was brought to Sri Lanka by Vijaya, Sri Lanka’s first king. Vijaya came to the island in 486 BC with 700 followers after being expelled from the Vanga … More Sri Lanka: Royal outcast
South Carolina’s flag is in a league of its own, but not solely for its looks. What earned it the number one spot on my list of state flags was its combination of a clean and classic design with imagery linked to a very important event in South Carolina and American history, something no other state flag does. In … More South Carolina: Battle born
The flag of Maryland is probably the most polarizing of the U.S. state flags. Many (including myself) love the flag. The North American Vexillogical Association ranked it fourth best of all the U.S. state, territory, and Canadian providence flags and I placed it second in my own ranking of U.S. state flags. However, there are many who … More Maryland: A patchwork of reconciliation
Germany is a world leader in many categories, such as finance, manufacturing, and sports (Mia san mia!). However, this has not always been true, as Germany has been through many periods of struggle, occupation, and war. Almost all of these periods have had a unique flag to represent them. Germany has had two prevalent color schemes throughout its existance; … More Germany: A renewed pride
Flags and boats have had a close relationship for several centuries. At sea, flags have many uses, from communication to identification, even threatening others. In fact, our concept of national flags stems from 17th century sailing ships (as explained in A brief history of flags and why we use them). However, the world of maritime flags isn’t as … More Ensigns, jacks, and more: A primer on maritime flags
Fun Flag Facts 