Flag Collection

SOICS has a collection of flags from the number of countries that its clients originate from.  Below is the list of flags that we have, their brief description and the Independence Day of each country.

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Angola: Officially adopted on November 11, 1975, Angola’s flag has a horizontally divided field with red over black. A golden star, part of a cogwheel and a machete is centered. That symbol is said to be inspired by the hammer and sickle, and represents industrial and agricultural workers. Yellow is symbolic of the country’s mineral wealth, and red and black are said to stand for ‘Freedom or Death‘.

Independence Day: November 11, 1975

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The flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands of light blue (top), white (center) and light blue (bottom) with a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May centered in the white band. The colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favour of independence.

Independence Day: July 9, 1816

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Bahamas: Bahamas’ flag consists of a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side with three horizontal aquamarine, yellow, and aquamarine bands.  The colours yellow, aquamarine and black, reflect aspects of the natural environment, sun, sand, ocean and the economic and social development respectively.

Independence Day: July 10, 1973

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Bangladesh: The flag consists of a red disc on top of a green field. The green stands for the lush vegetation in the country.  The red disc represents the sun rising over Bengal region, and also the blood of those who died for the independence of Bangladesh.

Independence Day: March 26, 1971

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Belgium: It was designed to signify Belgium’s recognition as an independent country. The flag is a tricolor consists of three equal colours, vertical arranged: black placed at the hoist side of the flag, yellow in the middle and red at the edge. Black, gold and red are symbolic of the country’s coat of arms; black representing the shield; gold representing the lion, and red representing the lion’s claws and tongue.

Independence Day: October 4, 1830

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Bosnia Herzegovina: The Bosnian flag consists of a blue base with seven, white five-pointed stars crossing the flag diagonally and vertically, and descending from left to right.  Above and below the stars are two half stars. To the right of the stars lies a yellow isosceles triangle. The three points of the triangle stand for the three-nation theory of Bosnia, representing the people who make up the nation. These are the Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs. The white stars represent Europe and they are meant to be infinite in number.

Independence Day: March 1, 1992

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Brazil: The colours green and yellow represent the Royal Houses of Bragança (Emperor Pedro I) and Habsburg (Empress Leopoldina). The stars on the blue circle represent the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the night of November 15, 1889, which is the day the Republic of Brazil was declared. Each of the 27 stars represents a different Brazilian state and the Federal District. The number of stars changes anytime a new state is created. When the Brazilian Republic was founded there were 21 stars. The star representing the Federal District is ‘Sigma Octantis’, and its position near the south celestial pole, makes it visible across most of Brazil all year round.

Independence Day: September 7, 1822

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Cameroon: The flag has Don’t want to spend a premium for your three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band. Red, yellow and green are the pan-African colors and the pattern of the flag is similar to the French Tricolour. The green color in the flag symbolizes the rich forest vegetation of the country’s southern region, as well as signifying hope for a happy future. The red represents independence and unity; while the yellow represents the savannahs in the north and the sun as the source of Cameroon’s happiness. The star symbolizes the unity of the country.

Independence Day: January 1, 1960

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Canada: In 1921, King George proclaimed the Canadian flag’s official colours. The colour red was taken from the Saint George’s Cross-and the colour white from the French royal emblem.

Independence Day: July 1, 1867

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Chile: The current flag of Chile was officially adopted on October 18, 1817. The red stripe represents the blood of patriots who fought during the long fight of freedom for Chile’s independence. The white stripe symbolizes the snow of the Andes Mountains; while the blue stripe represents the sky.  The star on the flag stresses the fact that Chile is a Unitarian republic, and not a federal republic.

Independence Day: September 18, 1810

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China: Also known as the Five Star Red flag, is a red field with one large four smaller yellow stars arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag in the upper hoist-side corner. Red is also a traditional colour in Chinese culture. The larger star represents the Communist Party of China; while the four smaller stars represent four social classes of the traditional Chinese society – the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) – united under the Communist Party. Much can be read into the fact that one point of the flag’s big star points up the flag; while each of the smaller stars has a point aiming towards the centre of the big star. This is believed to signify that the Communist Party is the force at the core of the leadership of all Chinese people. The stars are yellow as an indication that the cause of socialism has a bright future in China. Five pointed stars reflects the importance of the number five in Chinese philosophy (The number 5 is associated with the five elements – Water, Fire, Earth, Wood, and Metal, associating with the Emperor of China.

Independence Day: October 1, 1949

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Colombia: The Colombian flag features three horizontal bands of yellow (double-width), blue and red. Colors of the flag are commonly interpreted in two ways: One version indicates that the yellow symbolizes sovereignty and justice, blue as loyalty and vigilance, and red represents the valor shown and the victory achieved during the battles for independence from Spain.

A very popular children’s song claims that yellow represents the gold Colombia once owned until the arrival of the Spanish, blue indicates the country’s contact with two oceans and red represents the blood that Colombians spent in their struggle for independence from Spain.

Independence Day: July 20, 1810

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Croatia: The Croatian flag was adopted on December 21, 1990. The flag of Croatia is a tricolor with the background formed of three colors: red, white and blue placed horizontally with the coat of arms centred. The colours represents the three symbols of Croatian history and people – the red represents, bravery, which originates from the blood of Croatian martyrs; white symbolizes Croatia’s peaceful; and the blue represents Croatian devotion and loyalty to God. The main coat of arms is a chessboard, named šahovnica and it has 13 red and 12 white fields. Above the checkerboard are five crowning coats, which represent the historical regions from which Croatia originated.

Independence Day: October 8, 1991

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Czech Republic: Adopted on March 30, 1920, the Czech Republic flag consists of two horizontal halves. The top half is white and the bottom half is red.  On the left side of the Czech Republic flag is a horizontal blue triangle pointing toward the middle of the flag.  The flag’s colours are Bohemian traditional colours, which were inherited from various coats of arms. The colour and flag pattern was selected mainly to produce a Czech Republic flag that would be easily recognizable, especially in battle.

Independence Day: January 1,1993

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Egypt: The flag of Egypt has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band. The colours of the Egyptian flag are traditional Pan-Arabic colours.  The red stripe refers to the period before the 1952 revolution, which brought a group of army officers to power after deposing King Farouk, the King of Egypt.  This period was characterized by the struggle against British occupation of the country.  The white symbolizes the revolution which ended the monarchy but without bloodshed. The colour black symbolizes the end of the oppression of the Egyptian people at the hands of the Monarchy and British colonialism.

Independence Day: February 28, 1922

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El Salvador: The top and bottom stripes are blue with a single white strip in the middle.  Within the middle of El Salvador’s flag is the country’s coat of arms. The blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea; while the white stripe symbolizes peace.  The state coat of arms on El Salvador’s flag is based on the coat of arms of the former United Provinces of Central America. The triangle in the coat of arms represents equality and the three branches of El Salvador’s government. The five volcanoes within the flag symbolize the five former members of the federation, flanked by the blue of the ocean and sea.  The triangle contains symbols of liberty, ideals of the people and peace, which are represented by a red cap, golden rays, rainbow, and the date that El Salvador gained independence from Spain. Underneath the triangle lies El Salvador’s national motto, which translates in English to ‘God, Union and Liberty’.  Fourteen clusters of leaves represent the 14 departments or states of El Salvador

Independence Day: September 15, 1821

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France: Officially adopted on February 15, 1794, the French flag consists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying the country’s national colours: blue, white and red.  The blue band is positioned nearest the flagstaff, the white in the middle, and the red on the outside.  The flag is based on a red, white and blue cockade (a badge of concentric circles), which was worn by King Louis XVI while addressing a revolutionary gathering in Paris. The King had added white to the cockade, as it is the traditional colour of French royalty. Red and blue are also the traditional livery colours of Paris, the country’s capital city.

Independence Day: 14 July 1789

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Germany: The national flag of Germany consists of three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold. The colours black, red and gold have been associated with Germany since the Middle Ages, but the current German flag colours are traced back to early 19th century volunteers, who fought for the country in the Napoleonic wars.  The colours are based on the soldiers’ uniforms, which were black coats with red braid and gold buttons.  The Germany flag was officially adopted on May 23, 1949.  It was used by West Germany when the country divided itself into East and West. Note that both were reunited into one nation in 1990.

Independence Day: January 18, 1871

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Greece: The flag of historic Greece was officially adopted in 1822.  It features a white cross, and a combination of nine blue and white horizontal stripes.  The cross is symbolic of the Greek religious faith and the nine stripes represent the nine syllables in the cry “Freedom or Death,” one commonly used during the Greek war of independence.  The white is said to reflect the purity of that struggle.  It is also believed that the nine stripes are syllables of the Greek patriots’ motto: ‘Eleutheria e Thanatos’ meaning ‘Freedom or Death’.  Another theory states that they also symbolize the nine Muses, the goddesses of art and civilization. The blue and white colours represent the Greek sea and sky combined with white clouds and waves.

Independence Day: February 3, 1830

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Guatemala: The flag of Guatemala consists of three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue, with the national emblem of Guatemala centered in the white band. The national emblem of Guatemala comprises of a wreath of bay laurel branches, the Resplendent Quetzal (the national bird of Guatemala), a scroll with ‘LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821’ written on it, two crossed Remington rifles and two crossed swords.  In the coat of arms, the crossed rifles indicate Guatemala’s willingness to defend itself by war if need be; while the olive branches symbolize the preferred peace.  The sky blue stripes represent the fact that Guatemala is located between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the white stripe stands for the purity of the country’s values and peace.

Independence Day: September 15, 1821

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Hungary: The flag consists of three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green dating back to the national movement of the 18th and 19th centuries. The red stripe symbolizes strength; the white stripe represents faithfulness and fidelity; and the green stands for hope.

Independence day: 19 June, 895 AD

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India: At the time of its initial introduction in 1931, the Indian flag’s colours represented the two main ethnic groups of India – the saffron stripe represented the Hindu people; and the green stripe represented the Muslim people.  The white stripe represented the peace desired between them and the truth.  An updated meaning has interpreted the saffron symbol as representing courage and sacrifice; the white representing purity and truth; and the green standing for faith, fertility and chivalry.  The Wheel of Law’s 24 spokes represent each hour of the day, as well as the endless circle of life.

Independence Day: August 15, 1947

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Iran: The flag of Iran was officially adopted on July 29, 1980. The colours of the flag date to the mid-18th century; green represents Islam; white represents peace, and red means courage.  The centered symbol stylized emblem as a whole reads Allah or God, is said to symbolize the five principles of Islam.  According to sources, the white stylized script on the red and green panels, repeated 22 times in Kufi script, is the Islamic phrase Allahu Akbar, meaning “God is greater than to be described”.  The centered sword is representative of the country’s strength.  The coat of arms symbolizes strength and fortitude and the growth of the Muslim faith.

Independence Day: April 1, 1979

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Ireland: Modeled after the French Tricolor, Ireland’s flag comprised of three equal sized rectangles, each of which symbolizes separate religions. Green is representative of Catholics; orange is representative of Protestants, and the white is symbolic of the union of both.

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Israel: The flag of Israel consists of a white background with a horizontal blue stripe towards the top and an equal sized stripe across the bottom section.  In the middle of the Israeli flag is a blue Star of David.  The Star of David (Magen David) is also known as the Jewish star and is a symbol of Judaism. The Star was officially used as a Jewish symbol for the first time in 1354.  A modern interpretation of the Israeli flag states the blue and white stripes represent purity, guided by the principles of the Torah and the Star of David represents a new beginning for Israel.

Independence Day: May 11, 1948

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Italy: The flag of Italy was officially adopted on January 21, 1919. 

The modern Italian flag, the famous tricoloure, is derived from an original design by Napoleon.  It consists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying the national colours of Italy: green, white and red.  The Italian flag is based on the design of the French flag. There are different accounts explaining the meaning and history of the green, white and red colours.  One account states that the colours of the Italian flag may have been based on military uniforms from Milan.  Another one suggests Napoleon Bonaparte replaced the blue of the French flag with green because he liked the colour.

Independence Day: March 17, 1861

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Jamaica: The national flag of Jamaica consists of a gold saltire (diagonal cross), which divides the flag into four sections: two of them green (top and bottom) and two black (hoist and fly).  The black triangles are symbolic of adversity Jamaica has overcome and for hardships it may have in the future, green triangles represents the fertile land, and the yellow saltire (diagonal cross) stands for the mineral wealth of Jamaica and sunlight.  In addition, black, green and yellow are Pan-African colours, and pay tribute to Jamaica’s significant African heritage.  The Jamaican flag is symbolized by the motto: ‘Hardships there are but the land is green and the sun shineth’.

Independence Day: August 6, 1962

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Japan: The national flag of Japan, officially called Nisshōki (日章旗), is a white rectangular flag with a stylized sun as a red disk in the center. Japan’s name translates to “The land of the rising sun”.  The white represents honesty and purity and the red disc is a sun symbol meaning brightness, sincerity and warmth.

Independence Day: February 11, 1952

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Karen: The flag has a rectangular shape with a square-shaped box on the left top in which there is a picture of a rising sun having nine beams of light.  A Karen drum with frogs and two buffalo horns are situated in the center of the box.  Outside of the box, the flag is divided into three equal, horizontal stripes.  The top stripe is red, the middle stripe is white, and the bottom stripe is blue.  The public was invited to participate in a competition to design the new flag.  The colour red was used on the fabric to speak of heroism and perseverance, white for purity and clarity and blue for honesty and peace. Nine rays of light streaming from the rising sun indicated the nine regions from which the Karen people traced their origins.

Independence Day: N/A

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Lebanon: The flag of Lebanon consists of two equal-sized red horizontal stripes that are placed at the top and bottom of the flag.  In between the red stripes is a white stripe that is equal in size to the red stripes.  In the middle of the flag and white stripe there is an image of a green cedar tree. The cedar tree is a prominent feature of the Lebanese flag. It has been used as a symbol by the Maronite Christians of Lebanon since the 18th and 19th centuries.  The tree represents peace, immortality and tolerance.  The red stripes symbolize martyrdom and self-sacrifice, and the white represents the snow-capped peaks of Lebanon’s mountains.  Historically, red and white have symbolized the Kayssites (red) and the Yemmenites (white), who were opposing clans within the Lebanese territory between 634 and 1711.

Independence Day: November 22, 1943

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Mexico: The flag of Mexico consists of three equal sized vertical stripes – the left stripe is green; the middle is white; and the right stripe is red.  In the middle of the Mexican flag and white stripe is the country’s national coat of arms.  The stripes on Mexico’s flag are believed to represent the following: the green stripe represents hope; the white represents symbolizes religion; and the red represents independence and the unity of the nation.  Mexico’s coat of arms depicts an ancient Aztec legend that tells a tale of God telling a band of wandering Aztec Indians that when they came across an eagle eating a snake while perched on a nopal cactus growing out of a rock surrounded by water, they were to create their home.  This spot eventually became Mexico City.  This scenario with the eagle eating a snake is depicted on the Mexican coat of arms.

Independence Day: September 28, 1821

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Nepal: The national flag of Nepal is the world’s only non-quadrilateral national flag. blue border symbolizes peace, while red is the color of the rhododendron, Nepal’s official flower. The crescent moon is said to represent the royal house, while the sun represents the Rana family.

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Netherlands: The flag of the Netherlands consists of three equal sized horizontal stripes – the top stripe is red; the middle one white; and the bottom stripe is blue.  The red stripe which was originally orange, along with the white and blue stripes, are based on the heraldic colours (coat of arms) of Prince William of Orange, who led the fight for Dutch independence.

Independence Day: January 30, 1648

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Nigeria: Nigeria’s flag is a horizontal bicolor of green and white. The two green stripes represent Nigeria’s natural wealth, while the white band represents peace.

Independence Day: October 1, 1060
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Pakistan: The flag of Pakistan consists of a dark green background with a white vertical stripe on the left side of it. In the center of the green base lie a white crescent and a five-pointed white star.  Green is a traditional Islamic colour and the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols.  The white stripe represents the non-Muslim, minority religious groups in Pakistan.  According to modern meaning, the green represents prosperity; white symbolizes peace; the white crescent represents progress; and the white star represents light and knowledge.

Independence Day: August 14, 1947

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The Palestinian flag is a tricolour of three equal horizontal stripes black (top), white (middle), and green (bottom) overlaid by a red triangle on the hoist side of the flag.  These are the Pan-Arab colours.

Independence Day: November 15, 1988

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Peru: The flag of Peru consists of three equal sized vertical stripes – the left and right stripes are red and the middle one is white. Peru also has a state flag, which incorporates the shield from the national coat of arms in the middle of the flag.  The red stripes represent the blood spilt for Peruvian freedom while the white stands for peace.

Independence Day: July 28, 1821

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Philippines: The flag of the Philippines consists of two horizontal stripes and a white horizontal triangle on the left side of the flag facing the middle.  The top stripe is blue and the bottom is red. In each corner of the triangle is a five pointed gold/yellow star.  In the center of the triangle there is a large gold/yellow sun.  The blue stripe symbolizes patriotism and justice. The red represents valour and the blood spilt for freedom and independence and the white stands for peace and purity.  The white triangle represents equality and the Katipunan nationalist organization.

Independence Day: June 12, 1898

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Portugal: The flag of Portugal consists of two vertical stripes – the left stripe is green and the right one is a shade of red. The stripes are uneven as the green stripe takes up two fifths of the flag’s length and the red stripe takes up the remaining three fifths.  A coat of arms with the country’s traditional shield is centered on the Portuguese flag where the two colours meet. The red section represents the Portuguese revolution of 1910 and the green represents hope. The white shield consists of five blue shields with five white dots. The blue shields represent the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques I, victory over five Moorish kings and the divine assistance he received to do so is represented by the five dots, which symbolize the five wounds of Christ.

Independence Day: June 24, 1128

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Russia: The flag of Russia consists of three equal-sized horizontal stripes. The top stripe is white, the middle one is blue and the bottom stripe is red.  The design of the Russian flag is based on the flag of the Netherlands. Peter the great was keenly interested in shipbuilding in the European style, different from the barges ordinarily used in Russia at the time.  In 1693, Peter had ordered a Dutch-built frigate from Amsterdam. In 1694 when it arrived, the Dutch red-white-and-blue banner flew from its stern.Peter decided to model Russia’s naval flag after this banner by changing the sequence of colours.  It eventually became the flag of the Russian empire.

Independence Day: June 12, 1990

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Seychelles: The flag of Seychelles consists of five oblique bands of blue, yellow, red, white and green (from left to right). Red, white and green are the colours of the Seychelles People’s United Party while blue and yellow represent the country’s Democratic Party.  On their own, the blue represents the sea and sky, yellow represents the sun, red symbolizes the unity of the nation’s people, white stands for justice and harmony and green symbolizes the land.  The expanding width of the flag’s stripes symbolizes the Seychelles growth and vitality.

Independence Day: June 29, 1976

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Singapore: The flag of Singapore consists of two equal-sized horizontal stripes – the top stripe is red and the bottom one is white. On the left hand side of the red stripe there is a white crescent moon with five white, five-pointed stars to its right.  The red represents universal brotherhood and equality of man and the white stands for purity and virtue.  The crescent moon, symbolizes the young nation of Singapore on the rise and the five stars represent the country’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

Independence Day: June 29, 1976

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Slovakia: The flag of Slovakia consists of three equal-sized horizontal stripes. The top stripe is white, the middle is blue and the bottom stripe is red. Towards the left side of the Slovakian flag is the country’s coat of arms, which is outlined in white. The coat of arms features a white patriarchal double cross on a red base with a blue triple mountain. The flag’s coat of arms represents Slovakia’s past link with Hungary and it is a modified version of the Hungarian coat of arms.  The arms’ cross represents Orthodox Christianity and the mountains symbolize the Tatra, Fatra and Matra mountain regions across the country.  Blue, white and red are traditional Slavic colours and together they make up the pan-Slavic colours.

Independence Day: July 17, 1992

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Somalia: The blue field in the Somalia flag is the same shade used by the United Nations. The five-pointed white “Star of Unity” is symbolic of the Somali race found in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and the former associated British and Italian colonies.

Independence Day: July 1, 1960

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South Africa: The flag of South Africa consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width – red on the top and blue on the bottom. The red and blue stripes are separated by a green middle stripe, which is bordered in white and splits into a horizontal Y.  On the left side of the flag there is a black isosceles triangle, which is outlined in yellow.  Although the colours have no official meaning attached to them the South African flag incorporates the colours black, green and yellow of Nelson Mandela’s political party, the African National Congress and the former Boer republics flags (red, white, and blue).  The Y shape represents the convergence of South Africa’s diverse society and the desire for unity.

Independence Day: May 31, 1910

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South Korea: The South Korea flag was officially adopted on October 15, 1949. South Korea’s flag pictures a red and blue Yin-Yang symbol, red (yang) on top, blue (yin) on the bottom, in the center of a white field.  Four groups of three long and short black bars (called kwae) surround the central circle.  The white field represents the traditional colour of the Korean people.  The emblem in the centre represents the dual forces of yin (blue) and yang (red).  Yin is the passive or static mode and yang the active or dynamic mode.  The trigrams (kwae) represent the elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal.  The three black unbroken bars situated in the upper left corner symbolize heaven, the trigram in the lower left symbolizes fire, the one in the upper right symbolizes water, while the three broken bars in the lower right symbolize earth.

Independence Day: August 15, 1948

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Sudan: The flag of Sudan has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side. The flag of Sudan was officially adopted on May 20, 1970.  It’s similar to flags of other Arab countries in both colour and style.  The red represents socialism, green the traditional colour of Islam while white is symbolic of purity and optimism.  Those three colours combined are also the official Pan-Arab colours.

Independence Day: January 1, 1956

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Switzerland: The flag of Switzerland consists of a white cross in the center of a red squared background.  The white cross on the red base represents faith in Christianity.  The Swiss flag traditionally stands for freedom, honour and fidelity.  In modern times the Swiss flag has also come to represent neutrality, democracy, peace and refuge.

Independence Day: August 1, 1291

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The Syrian flag is divided horizontally into three equal bands of red, white, and black from top to bottom.  Across the center white stripe are two small green five-pointed stars, spaced evenly in the centre.  The Syrian flag incorporates the four pan-Arab colors, which represent the various dynasties that ruled the region in history.

Independence Day: April 17, 1946

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Taiwan: The flag of Taiwan has a red backdrop with a blue upper left quadrant and on it is a white sun with twelve rays.  The flag of Taiwan is also known as the white sun in the blue sky.  The rays of the sun symbolizes the twelve hours of the day as according to the Chinese traditional hours which corresponds to two hours each of present day time system, and the twelve months of the year.  The red earth signifies the blood and the sacrifice of the people who fought to overthrow the Qing dynasty and helped established the Republic of China.  The white sun in the blue field also represents the Kuomintang party (Chinese Nationalist Party).  The red field represents the Han Chinese race.

Independence Day: October 10, 1911

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Thailand: The flag of Thailand consists of five horizontal stripes.  The top and bottom are equal-sized red stripes, the middle stripe is blue which is lined above and below by equal-sized white stripes.  The blue stripe is double the size of the other four.  The red stripes represent the blood spilt to maintain Thailand’s independence. The white stands for purity and is the colour of Buddhism, which is the country’s main religion.  Blue is Thailand’s national colour and it represents the Thai monarchy. The current Thai flag was adopted on September 28, 1917, making it one of the world’s older flags.  From the mid-19th century until 1916, Thailand, which was called Siam until 1939, used a red-based flag with a white elephant on it.

Independence Day: December 5, 1238

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Ukraine: The Ukraine national flag was adopted on September 4, 1991, shortly after the collapse of the former Soviet Union.  It consists of two equal sized horizontal stripes – the top stripe is light blue and the bottom one is yellow.  The light blue half represents peace, the sky above Ukraine and the country’s streams and the yellow represents prosperity and the colour of the country’s wheat fields.

Independence Day: August 24, 1991

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United Kingdom: The red cross outlined in white, is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England, and represents England and Wales.  The white diagonal cross on a blue base is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, and represents Scotland.  The red diagonal cross on a white base is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Independence Day: May 1, 1707

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USA: The 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies of the US: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia.  The 50 stars represent the individual states that make up the nation.  Popular history states the red of the flag represents valour, white stands for liberty and blue represents justice, loyalty and perseverance.

Independence Day: July 4, 1776

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Vietnam: The National Flag of Vietnam is the official flag used by the Vietnamese government since the French Revolution (1945 -1954) to mobilize the people to resist the French colony.  After some minor modifications, the flag takes its present design with red background and a big yellow pentagram at the center of the flag. This star represents five main classes in Vietnamese society including intellectuals, farmers, workers, businessman and militaries.  The red base refers to the blood sacrificed by many Vietnamese soldiers in the great fights against foreign invaders.

Independence Day: September 2, 1945

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