Germany: A renewed pride

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

Ensigns, jacks, and more: A primer on maritime flags

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

Japan: Rich history, uncertain future

Japan’s flag, known as the Hinomaru, is a world renowned classic due to its simple yet bold design. Even though it is based on symbolism from the 8th century, modern associations leave the Japanese flag with an uncertain future. The red circle in Japan’s flag represents a rising sun, symbolism that’s been associated with Japan almost since … More Japan: Rich history, uncertain future

Why your city/state flag is probably terrible and why you should care

As I’ve covered in my state flag ranking post, the number of poorly designed state flags far outweigh the good ones. Let’s look at two flags from neighboring states: Colorado and Kansas.             It should be fairly obvious to most that the Colorado flag is simply a better design. But why? Well, someone … More Why your city/state flag is probably terrible and why you should care

The Ground Zero flag: a national mystery

September 11, 2001 will forever be a day remembered by the United States and the world. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93. While Americans have many painful and vivd memories of the attacks, memories of the recovery efforts are often focused on one striking image: … More The Ground Zero flag: a national mystery

Pakistan

A special thanks to Rich Campbell for suggesting this post. To get a better sense of the history of the Pakistani flag, we should begin with the colonization of the Indian subcontinent by the British East-India Company (BEIC). While the organization had a presence in the area since 1612, the BEIC didn’t establish a firm foothold in the … More Pakistan