Despite the use of "the red, white, and blue" to refer to the U.S. flag, those are the most common colors among all flags.
The oldest national flag still in use today is the
Dannebrog
of Denmark, dating back more than 700 years. But, even before that, flags?and banners have been important symbols of identity and values. Flags were?used for things like military organization and?identifying ships.?The designs of the flags (heraldic elements and colors) were meant to further convey the ideals or history of the group the flag represented. Today, every nation on Earth has its own representative flag, and Infoplease can help you identify them all. Read on for images of every flag in the world and of each U.S. state.
National Flags
Although many of the world's nations are very old, many of their governments are fairly new. As a result, most of the world's flags were adopted?recently. For example, despite their relative ubiquity, the Union Jack?and the French tricolour are only about 200 years old. And, even after their first adoption, flags can undergo substantial redesigns or adjustments. Infoplease offers you the most recent versions of each country's flag.?
Afghanistan to Dominican Republic
East Timor to Libya
Liechtenstein to San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe to Zimbabwe
U.S.?Flags
The Stars-and-Stripes is one of the most recognizable flags around the world, and it's absolutely everywhere within the country. The individual states all also have flags, though they might not get the daily pledges and their own holiday. Read on for images of each of the state flags, as well as some history on the national flag.?
History of the U.S. Flag
U.S. State Flags
Brewer's: World