The History Of Flags From Around The World

For centuries discoverers have been planting flags to signal that their claim a new land. Now every country in the world has its own design. Flags originated as vexilloids, which were decorated staffs that soldiers carried into battle. Early ones were decorated with symbols to identify the groups the soldiers represented, and set them apart from the others. Over time silk and other fabrics were added to these staffs, thus the birth of flags as we know them.

Flags have been used for centuries to signify different things. They can be used to signify civilizations, ideas, groups, and nations. Flags were not used to symbolize a nation until the eighteenth century. Today, every nation has their own flag, each rich with symbolism. This symbolism often only means something to the inhabitants of that nation.

The flag of the United States of America is also known as the stars and stripes. This flag was completed in 1960 when Hawaii joined the USA. Until then it had been constantly revised since 1777. The stripes symbolize the first 13 states that made up the USA and each state is represented by a star, thus showing 50 stars on the flag.

Great Britain's flag is also called the Union Jack. It has been the official flag since 1801. The flag symbolizes the three different countries that are united; England, Scotland, and Ireland. Today it only represents Northern Ireland, as the rest of Ireland became its own state in 1920. The Union Jack is a familiar symbol and is used on many other flags such as Australia.

The Canadian flag is made up of a red maple leaf and red stripes. The maple leaf was a Canadian symbol for many years, and the flag bearing it became official in 1965. The stripes stand for the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans which border the country on each side.

The flag of Barbados is an interesting one. It is represented by two stripes of blue on either side which represent the ocean and the sky, and the center which is yellow represents Barbados' beaches. The interesting part is the trident in the center, which represents Neptune. The trident is broken, which symbolizes Barbados' split from Britain in 1966 when the flag was made official.

The flag of Israel shows its Jewish values. The flag consist of blue and white stripes which represent a type of Jewish shawl used for prayers, and the symbol on the center is the Star of David. The flag became official in 1948.

Flags all over the world express their values through symbolism and sometimes religion. Often they carry religious sayings or symbols that tell the world about their countries. As territories change hands throughout the world, or two nations become one, new flags are designed. Two of the most recent and recognizable are the flags representing the United Nations and the European Union.

Flags are important to the people that live in each nation, to them it is a symbol of who they are and what is important to their nation. Flags have been used for centuries as a type of identification and shall for many years to come.

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