A
national flag is a
flag that represents and symbolizes a
country. Flags come in many
shapes and designs, which often represent something about the country or people that the flag represents. Common design elements of flags include shapes such as
stars,
stripes, and
crosses, layout elements such as including a
canton (a rectangle with a distinct design, such as another national flag), and the overall shape of a flag, such as the
aspect ratio of a rectangular flag (whether the flag is square or rectangle, and how wide it is) or the choice of a non-rectangular flag. Sometimes these flags are
used to represent languages.
Many countries with shared
history,
culture,
ethnicity, or
religion have similarities in their flags that represent this connection. Sets of flags in this list within the same category may represent countries' shared connections, or the design similarity may be a
coincidence.
Afghanistan(under an unrecognized government) – the
Shahada (an Islamic creed meaning "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet") written in the
Thuluth script.
Andorra – "VIRTVS VNITA FORTIOR", Classical Latin for "United virtue is stronger".
Belize – "Sub Umbra Floreo", meaning "Under the Shade I Flourish" in Latin.
Brazil – "Ordem e Progresso", meaning "Order and Progress" in Portuguese.
Equatorial Guinea – "Unidad, Paz, Justicia", meaning "Unity, Peace, Justice" in Spanish
Iran – the
Takbir ("Allahu akbar", which means "God is [the] greatest") written in the
Kufic script 11 times.
Afghanistan (2013–2021) – the lowest line of text reads Afghanistan in the
Pashto alphabet, and the calligraphic text at the top is the
Shahada with the
Takbir written beneath it.
Brunei – the line of text on the crescent reads "Always render service with God's guidance", while the lower line reads Brunei Darussalam, both in the
Jawi script.
El Salvador – the name of the country encircles the coat of arms, which features the motto "Dios, Unión, Libertad" (Spanish for "God, Unity, Freedom") inside.
Dominican Republic – the motto "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (meaning "God, Homeland, Freedom" in Spanish) can be read above the coat of arms at the center, below is the name of the country.
Other texts
California – the name of the short lived and unrecognized state "California Republic", which preceded California's admission into the Union.
Dominican Republic – the Bible is opened to the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 32, which reads “Y la verdad los hará libres”, which translates to “And
the truth shall set you free” from Spanish.
Guatemala – "Libertad 15 de septiembre de 1821", a combination of the Spanish word for "Freedom" and the date of independence of the former
Federal Republic of Central America from Spain.
Haiti – "L'union fait la force" (meaning "Union makes strength" in French), which is different from the country's official motto "Liberté, égalité, fraternité".
Malta – "For Gallantry" can be read at the
George Cross carried in the canton.