What's your favorite flag of the world? Least favorite?

http://ahpc-jp30.st-and.ac.uk/~josh/flags/intro.html ^

[watsonfellow]

Some time ago, browsing through my friend's atlas, I realised that there are significant differences in quality between the flags of different countries. Some are good, some are bad. Some countries have clearly taken care in the choice of colours, layout, and design. Others have been lazy, stolen the flags of their neighbours, or just designed flags that are clearly supposed to cause pain to those who look at them.

To my surprise, there is no international body responsible for upholding simple standards of vexillilic aesthetics. Nor do the UN or Interpol have the power to call in and punish those responsible for such atrocities as the Brazilian or Cypriot flags. I suppose there is probably a conspiracy of rich western nations (those with permanent seats on the UN security council, no doubt) to prevent such crimes from being brought to justice; however, in the meantime I am giving letter grades to the existing flags of the world.

[archy]

Thanks, my direct male-line ancestors were Gonzales settlers and played a respectable role in the fight for Texas freedom. Look for the name McCullough or McCulloch.

I will, Mike. And now, in the time of the anniversary of the Gonzales and Alamo fights that gave Texas her freedom from Mexico, I'll see to it that others recall that name as well.

You reckon his partners called them *Mac*? Texas Mac has a sort of nice ring to it....

-archy-/-

[archy]

Here's one not often seen anymore. But some great endeavors were accomplished beneath it.

[KangarooJacqui]

Indeed there was, archy... thanks for the reminder.

*bows head respectfully*


(I like your tagline, by the way...)

[KangarooJacqui]

With one proviso: it's at its best when whipped by the wind and fully extended, or nearly so. At rest and hanging limply, it's nowhere near as impressive or inspiring.

Another proviso: people, flags need REPLACING ever so often.... I was disgusted at the number of American flags I saw in Connecticut which were literally tattered! The red stripes and the white were coming apart, they were that weathered! Now I know I'm not an American, but I love the country about as much as any foreigner can, and I shake my head at that kind of "national pride". Show your flag well, I say, or don't show it at all.

[struwwelpeter]

Not a very good shot, but Kyiv's city flag has Archangel Mikhail with a sword, ready to slay Orthodoxy's enemies. Ukrainian flag (blue on gold) is kind of boring, but the EU flag might make a good dust mop.

[Fledermaus]

Seriously, who cares about the grades given to world flags by some Brit with way too much time on their hands?

[Heatseeker]

Maryland has the best flag in the world.

I agree!

I see we have similar interests - you've got Freepmail.

[daddyOwe]

Most Favorite. The American Flag
Least Favorite. The Rainbow Flag
And I have a whole lot at the bottom.

[Pharmboy]

Well, someone already posted the General's flag, but this is the first one Amricans fought under:

Washington supposedly named it: The Flag of the Grand Union.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I won't apologize for this but my favorite is the STARS and STRIPES and no other one even comes close.

Good choice. I always thought that the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack had the advantage of being distinctive, readily identifiable, yet retain a simplicity and economy of design.

Other good designs are the Japanese Meatball (ok, Rising Sun) , the South Korean Yin and Yang, and surprisingly the old Soviet Hammer and Sickle. Australia and New Zealand are ok, but I get them confused. The Maple Leaf is the perfect symbol of her country, modest and unpresuming, not especially inspiring or inspired.

Most European flags fail the distinctiveness test, Maryland's clearly fails the economy of design test. No good flag has a motto on it. I cannot think of a realy good state flag. Brazil, well, could a flag be more ugly?

[brityank]

... (sorry it's pointing right to left): ...

Yes, but notice that the Left is always tied up, whereas the Right flies free!

My favourites:

[stainlessbanner]

Hah! My favorite is the old Bonnie Blue - remincient of founding families in FLA & MS.
That solid white star shines brightly!

[archy]

Hah! My favorite is the old Bonnie Blue - remincient of founding families in FLA & MS.
That solid white star shines brightly!

See # 120 and #125.

[archy]

Other good designs are... the South Korean Yin and Yang....

The Korean term for their flag is the Tae Kuk and the technical term for that two-coloured design in its middle is the monad. The four 3-black-bar trigraph designs of the flag represent Earth, Water, Fire and Heaven.

During the Japanese occupation of the Second World War, possession of that Korean ensign was prohibited, enforced as a death penalty offence; yet once the Japs were gone, thousands of those Korean flags appeared as if by magic.

The addition of the blue portion of the monad over the bottom of the center design of a Japanese *meatball* Rising Sun flag, plus a few careful additions of the black lines of the trigrams gave the Koreans their flags back. I'm aware of only one other similar instance of such a convenient change of flag from one design to another.

[Rummyfan]

The US flag is my favorite of course, followed by the Danish flag (for personal reasons). Least favorite would be the Pali flag or the rainbow banner.

[archy]

Indeed there was, archy... thanks for the reminder.

*bows head respectfully*

(I like your tagline, by the way...)

It's recent, from a particularly American and poignant source, one that once gave me considerable entertainment, and more recently, some pretty profound thought. Give it a thoughtful look for yourself, love, and sometime when you have a little free time and care to have a grin, run through the entire post and response thread for a cracking good story and some pretty good Yank music. Speakers up!

*Remember Me When I'm Gone*

[archy]

How is this for attitude?

Rise, O voices of Rhodesia,
Bringing her your proud acclaim,
Grandly echoing through the mountains,
Rolling over far flung plain.

Roaring in the mighty rivers,
Joining in one grand refrain,
Ascending to the sunlit heavens,
Telling of her honoured name.

[cyborg]

nice :-)

[bondjamesbond]

It may be "The Church of the Proper Fork", but you gotta admit that the Episcopal Church, USA has a cool flag:

[lawdude]

I always believed the French "White Flag of Surrender" was just devine. It is simple, not gaudy and tells the tale immediately.

And it is used so often, just everybody recognizes it.