Flags are considered patriotic symbols. And people may think that there is not much to know about them, after all, they are just a piece of fabric that represents mostly military and political purposes. But, in fact, flags can be more complex and fascinating than we can imagine.
There is actually a scientific study of flags: vexillology. It concerns flag design as in why are they made in a certain way and shape. Vexillology comes from the Latin word vexillum, which was used by the Romans to describe a horizontal fabric hung on a pole for messaging purposes.
So do you want to know 5 facts I bet you didn’t know about flags? Then join me in this collection of interesting facts about flags.
5. The Biggest Flag In The World
The biggest flag Guinness World Record belongs to Romania. It was made in 2013. The national flag measured 1,145 by 744.5 ft (349 by 227 meters) and weighed five tonnes. It covered an area of 850,000 square feet (79,000 square meters). It consisted of 44 miles (70km) of thread. And if that wasn’t enough, it took several hours for 200 people to unfold it.
4. There Is Just One Non-Quadrilateral Flag In The World
As you know, every flag is either rectangular or square, but there’s one exception and it is from Nepal. Nepal’s National Flag is shaped with two triangular figures called pennon or pennant. The triangles represent the Himalaya Mountains and the two official Nepali religions Buddhism and Hinduism. The sun and moon crescent symbolize hope and peace.
3. Square Flags
As a matter of fact, flags are not only rectangular. Out of 195 countries in the whole world, only 2 flags are square: Switzerland and Vatican City. The Vatican City is the smallest country in the world with two square-shaped flags half yellow and half white. Switzerland has a red flag with a white cross in the middle of it. It is sometimes mistaken for the flag of the Red Cross.
2. Purple Is Very Rare In Flags
How many flags have you seen that have purple in them? That’s right. Not much, because purple is the most uncommon color to be used on a flag. As a matter of fact, there are only 2 flags in the world that have this color: Nicaragua and Dominica. The reason for this is that dying flags into purple is actually very expensive.
1. The Oldest And The Newest Flag In The World
The oldest flag in the world belongs to Denmark. It dates back to 1625. It was designed in 1219 and amazingly as it may sound it remains the same till today. On the other hand, the newest flag in the world is South Sudan’s flag. It was adopted in 2010 but was made official in 2011 after South Sudan’s independence. The color red represents the blood during the independence process.
