For most people, national flags are just boring. They’re just a bunch of stripes and random colours, with some rectangles or stars added to them. Well, that’s not all they are and if you’ve ever wondered about the national flags meanings, then you’ve arrived in the right place.
National flags are not boring for everybody, there are some people called vexhillophiles who actually study and collect them, giving special attention to their meanings. They are the enthusiasts who know better, but you don’t need to be a vexohillophile to marvel at these 5 cool national flags meanings. Without much ado, let’s jump right in!
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1. Nepal’s national flags meanings
Nepal’s flag has a cool, different overall shape that stands out from all the rest of the flags out there. It is the only non-quadrilateral national flag in the world, and this is because they wanted to represent the Himalayan Mountains through the flag’s jagged edges.
The blue border is for peace and harmony after the unification of the all Nepal principalities. The dominant red colour is Nepal’s national colour and it stands for courage, a value that all the Nepalese people strongly adhere to. The two illustrations on the flag symbolize the sun and the moon, which are reveled by the Nepalese people for their longevity. They hope they will lead long and worthwhile lives, just as the two celestial bodies represented on their national flag.
2. Mozambique’s intricate national flag design
The first thing that strikes you here is the AK-47. It is actually the only national flag in the world to feature an automatic weapon. They don’t want to promote violence, but rather vigilance and national defense values.
Near the automatic gun, we also see a hoe, an open book and a star which encapsulates them all. What looks like a pretty strange association of objects, is actually a intricate representation of agriculture, woven with education, Marxism and nationanl defense.
Apart from these, we’ve also got a black stripe which stands for the African continent, a green stripe which represents the minerals and a yellow one which encapsulates Mozambique’s struggle for independence.
3. The Kyrgyzstan national flag
Adopted in 1992, after declaring independece from the Soviet Union, this flag features a sun in the middle, to bring peace and wealth to the troubled state, and a red background that stands for valor and bravery.
You probably haven’t counted them, but there are 40 rays around the sun, one for each Kyrgyz tribe that fought against the Mongols under the command of the epic hero Mansas. The ball inside the sun is actually a tundunk symbol that exemplifies a yurt’s roof structure.
4. The Sicily flag
Ok, we know that Sicily is not an independent country, but this is one of the most unique flags in the world and it’s deserving of its place among our 5 cool examples of national flags meanings.
In the middle of the flag we see a curious being. It is actually the mythological Medusa, pictured three-legged on an equally diagonally-sliced flag. People living in Sicily are very proud of their culture and they like to differentiate themselves from the rest of Italy.
The three-legged Medusa on their flag represents the triangular shape of the island. Another small detail you might have missed is Medusa’s ears which are made of corn, hinting at the island’s proverbial fertility.
5. The Belize flag
All images: pixabay
Belize has an interesting motto I’m not sure you’ve all heard of. It goes like “Under the Shade I Flourish”. It stands prominently on the national flag under two woodcutters, which are there to boast about their flourishing logging industry.
The uniqueness of the Belize’s flag is its main featuring characters. It is the only flag in the world that showcases two people as the major design element. The two people are of two different descent. One us African and the other is mestizo. The main message is that Belize is a culturally diverse country that really likes to show the world their diversity.
Via Matador Network