The World Flag Chart

◀︎ Flags of 1948 ▶︎

Sub-Saharan Africa


green-yellow-red, lion
Ethiopia
royal flag 11 Often (but not always) flown by the royal house and the government.
green-yellow-red
Ethiopia
national flag 22 Flown by anyone.
black-green-yellow
African National Congress
orange-white-blue, a cross made up of the Union Jack, Orange Free State, and Transvaal flags
South Africa
11 red-white stripes, blue canton, white star
Liberia
blue, yellow star
Congo
blue-yellow-blue, coat of arms
Buganda
plain red
Zanzibar

Middle East and North Africa


red, white crescent and star
Turkey
red, white disc, red crescent and star
Tunisia
red, green pentagram
Morocco 33 Moroccan merchant ships in the French zone flew what was called the "Arab ensign", the national flag with a French tricolour added to the top-left corner.
red, green canton outlined in white, white pentagram
Morocco
Spanish merchant flag 44 Flown by merchant ships operating out of the Spanish zone in northern Morocco. The Moroccan national flag was flown on land.
green-white, red star and crescent
Algeria 55 Flown by nationalists and indepenence activists. The French colony in Algeria did not have an official flag.
green, white crescent and three white stars
Egypt
black-white-green, red triangle
Palestine
black-white-green, red triangle, white 7-pointed star
Transjordan
black-white-green, red trapezoid, two white 7-pointed stars
Iraq
green-white-black, three red stars
Syria
white, two thin blue stripes, blue star of David
Israel
red-white-red, green cedar tree
Lebanon
green-white-red, yellow lion and sun
Iran
state flag 66 Flown by the government, and often by private citizens. At sea, and in certain ceremonial settings on land, the ratio was 1:3.
green-white-red
Iran
national flag 77 Allowed to be flown by anyone. At sea, the ratio was 1:3.
green, white shahadah, white sword
Saudi Arabia
red with the Arabic word
Kuwait 88 There were many variations of this flag, depending on who was flying it and when. Some versions would have added inscriptions, decorations or royal symbols. The flag could also be triangular.
red, white sword, five white stars
Yemen
plain red
Muscat and Oman
red, thick white serrated stripe
Bahrain 99 The number of points could vary.
maroon, ornate serrated white stripe, white Arabic word
Qatar 1010 The design of the flag wasn't laid down in law, and this may have been one of many variations in use at the time.
red, thick white stripe
Abu Dhabi · Dubai · Ajman · Umm al-Quwain
red, thick white outline
Ras al-Khaimah · Sharjah · Kalba
red-yellow-blue, three blue-green-blue circles, three gray towers
Qu'aiti State
red-white-green, yellow sun
Kurdistan
purple-white-red, triangle of three white stars in the top-left
Assyrians
green-red-yellow-blue-white
Druze

Western Europe


blue-white-red
France
green-white-red
Italy
green-white-orange
Ireland
blue-yellow-red, coat of arms
Andorra
black-yellow-red
Belgium
red-white-blue
Netherlands
red-white-azure
Luxembourg
red-white-red
Austria
national flag 1111 Flown by private citizens and municipalities.
red-white-red, black eagle
Austria
federal service flag 1212 Flown by the federal government and the armed forces.
red-yellow-red, coat of arms
Spain
red, white nordic cross
Denmark
national flag 1313 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
red, white nordic cross, swallowtail cut
Denmark
sovereign flag 1414 Flown by the royal house, the government, and the armed forces. Also granted to a select list of private institutions and companies.
red, white-blue nordic cross
Norway
merchant flag 1515 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
red, white-blue nordic cross, swallowtail cut
Norway
state flag 1616 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships.
blue, white-red nordic cross
Iceland
national flag 1717 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
blue, white-red nordic cross, swallowtail cut
Iceland
state flag 1818 Flown on government buildings and coast guard ships.
blue, yellow nordic cross
Sweden 1919 Flown for all purposes. A three-tailed version of the national flag is flown by the military.
white, blue nordic cross
Finland
national flag 2020 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
white, blue nordic cross, coat of arms
Finland
state flag 2121 Flown by the government, border guard, and public universities. The armed forces fly a version with a swallowtail cut.
white, blue-red nordic cross
Faroe Islands
blue, white cross
Greece
land flag 2222 Flown on land within Greece. The military flag had a crown in the centre of the cross.
9 blue-white stripes, blue canton containing a white cross
Greece
sea flag 2323 Flown at sea and abroad. The naval ensign had a crown in the centre of the cross.
blue, red-white pinwheel saltire outlined in white, red cross outlined in white
United Kingdom
white, red cross
England · Guernsey
blue, white saltire
Scotland
white, red saltire
Jersey
red, white square cross
Switzerland
white-blue, coat of arms
San Marino
blue-red, yellow crown
Liechtenstein
red-white
Monaco
national flag 2424 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
white, coat of arms
Monaco
princely flag 2525 Flown over the Prince's Palace and government buildings.
yellow-white, crossed keys emblem
Vatican City
white-red, blue canton, George Cross
Malta
traditional flag 2626 Flown unofficially, mostly by civilian ships. Plain flags without the George Cross were also common. The colonial government had a blue ensign with the Maltese coat of arms on it.
red, thick green stripe, yellow armillary sphere, coat of arms
Portugal
red, white nordic cross, blue quadrants on the left
Saarland
red, green saltire, white cross
Basque Country
red, white triskellion
Isle of Man
red, white halberd
Trieste
9 red-yellow stripes
Catalonia
senyera 2727 The traditional Catalan flag.
9 red-yellow stripes, blue triangle, white star
Catalonia
estelada 2828 The flag preferred by supporters of Catalan independence.
9 black-white stripes, white canton, 11 ermine spots
Brittany
black, white cross
Cornwall
blue-yellow-blue
Åland
blue-white-red-white-blue, swallowtail cut
Germany
provisional civil ensign 2929 Flown by German ships, but explicitly not as a national flag, and not given any of the ceremonial respect typically given to national flags. Not used on land. Known as the "C-Pennant" since it was derived for the maritime signal flag for the letter C.
white, blue diagonal stripe
Galicia
white, black moors head emblem
Corsica
white, red dragon
Wales
yellow, black lion
Flanders
yellow, red rooster
Wallonia

Eastern Europe


red, yellow hammer and sickle
Soviet Union
red, black two-headed eagle, yellow hollow star
Albania
white-red, blue triangle
Czechoslovakia
white-red
Poland
blue-white-red, red star outlined in yellow
Yugoslavia
red-white-green, coat of arms
Hungary
white-green-red, emblem
Bulgaria
blue-black-white
Estonia 3030 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Estonian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
yellow-green-red
Lithuania 3131 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Lithuanian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
maroon-white-maroon
Latvia 3232 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Latvian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
blue-yellow-red, factory emblem
Romania

South Asia and the Indian Ocean


orange-white-green, blue wheel
India
green, thick white stripe, white crescent and star
Pakistan
black-red-green, white mosque
Afghanistan
red double-tailed pennant outlined in blue, white moon, white sun
Nepal
white, yellow wheel surrounded by colourful decorations, ornate border
Sikkim
maroon, yellow outline, yellow lion, four yellow leaves
Ceylon
red, black-white barberpole-striped edge, green rectangle, white crescent
Maldive Islands
red, white plough
Jammu and Kashmir 3333 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
green, four white stripes, orange canton, white crescent and star
Azad Kashmir 3434 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.

East, Central and Southeast Asia


white, red circle
Japan 3535 Flown over the Imperial Palace and a handful of other government buildings. Private citizens could only fly the flag on national holidays.
white, red-blue taeguk, four black trigrams
South Korea
blue-red-blue, white outlines, white disc, red star
North Korea
red, blue canton, white sun
China
red, blue canton, six white stars
Burma
red, yellow star
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
yellow, three thin red stripes
State of Vietnam
white triangle, 12-red-blue wedges, yellow sun, two snow lions, yellow border
Tibet
red-blue-red, yellow soyombo, yellow star
Mongolia
red, three white elephants under an umbrella
Laos
red-blue-red, white circle
Laos
Lao Issara flag 3636 Flown by the nationalist Lao Issara government-in-exile in Bangkok.
red-white-blue-white-red
Siam
blue-red-blue, white Angkor Wat
Cambodia
blue-red, white triangle, yellow sun, three yellow stars
Philippines
red-white
Indonesia
white-yellow-red-black, white oval, tiger
Malaya
yellow, diagonal white-black stripes
Brunei
yellow, vertically divided black-red cross, yellow crown
Sarawak 3737 Sarawak also had a blue colonial ensign.
yellow-green-red, white circle
Shan
red-white-blue, thick blue stripe, red sunburst and yellow drum
Karen 3838 Flown by Karen nationalists seeking independence and separation from Burma.
blue, white crescent and star
East Turkestan 3939 The Uyghur nationalist flag. Xinjiang Province did not have an official flag.

Oceania


blue British ensign, white 7-pointed star and southern cross
Australia
blue British ensign, red southern cross outlined in white
New Zealand
white-red-blue-white-red-blue-white-red, union jack
Hawaiʻi
red, blue canton, white southern cross
Western Samoa
red, white canton, red cross
Tonga
red, white maltese cross, French flag outlined in white
Wallis and Futuna
blue outlined in red, emblem
Guam

North America and the Caribbean


13 red-white stripes, blue canton, 48 white stars
United States
red British ensign, coat of arms
Canada 4040 Not legally the national flag, but allowed to be flown wherever a "distinctive Canadian flag" was needed.
blue, white cross, four white fleurs-de-lis
Québec
blue, yellow big dipper and polaris
Alaska
white-red, thick blue stripe, white star
Texas
blue-white-red, yellow star
Acadia
white, American eagle flanked on either side by the blue letters
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
white, red stripe, bear, the words CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC, red star
California
white, red offset cross, red star, red crescent
Mi’kmaq
blue, white infinity symbol
Métis
yellow-purple, staff with 11 feathers dangling from it
Papago
black-white-yellow
Garifuna

Latin America


green, yellow diamond, blue and white celestial sphere
Brazil
green-white-red, eagle and snake symbol
Mexico
red-white-red, coat of arms
Peru
national ensign 4141 Flown by the government, the navy, the national police, and national sports teams. Raised at major ceremonies. The army uses a similar flag with a different coat of arms.
red-white-red
Peru
national flag 4242 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
blue-white-blue containing an emblem
Guatemala
blue-white-blue, gold sun
Argentina
blue-white-blue, coat of arms
Nicaragua
blue-white-blue, coat of arms
El Salvador
national flag 4343 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens.
blue-white-blue, yellow
El Salvador
inscribed flag 4444 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices.
blue-white-blue
El Salvador
plain flag 4545 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens.
blue-white-blue, 5 blue stars
Honduras
red-white-blue, star seal
Paraguay
front side
red-white-blue, lion seal
Paraguay
back side
blue-white-red-white-blue,
Costa Rica
national flag 4646 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too.
blue-white-red-white-blue, coat of arms
Costa Rica
national ensign 4747 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens.
5 red-white stripes, blue triangle, white star
Puerto Rico 4848 Flown by Puerto Rican nationalists. Display of the flag was initially banned under American rule.
5 blue-white stripes, red triangle, white star
Cuba
9 white-blue stripes, white canton, yellow sun
Uruguay
blue-red, white square containing a coat of arms
Haiti
blue-red quarters, white cross, coat of arms
Dominican Republic
white-red, blue canton, white star
Chile
white-red-white-blue quarters, blue star, red star
Panama
yellow-blue-red
Colombia
yellow-blue-red, coat of arms
Ecuador
yellow-blue-red, arc of 7 white stars, coat of arms
Venezuela
national ensign 4949 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens.
yellow-blue-red, arc of 7 white stars
Venezuela
national flag 5050 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
red-yellow-green, coat of arms
Bolivia
state flag 5151 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces flew a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms.
red-yellow-green
Bolivia
national flag 5252 Allowed to be flown by anyone.

Other International and Cultural Flags


blue, white map of the world, white wreath
United Nations
blue-yellow-red-white-orange-multicolour
Buddhist Flag
blue-green
Romani
red-black-green
Pan-African Flag
green, white canton, green star
Esperanto
white, red cross
Red Cross
white, red crescent
Red Crescent
white, red lion and sun
Red Lion and Sun
white, olympic rings
Olympic Games

Events of 1948


BULGARIA • The national emblem was modified on March 30.
1947 flag of Bulgariaright arrow1948 flag of Bulgaria
BURMA • Burma became independent from the United Kingdom on January 4.
1947 flag of Burma
CAMBODIA • A new flag design was adopted on October 29.
1863 flag of Cambodiaright arrow
CEYLON • The Dominion of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) became independent from the United Kingdom on February 4. Its new national flag was based on the nineteenth-century royal standard of the Kingdom of Kandy.
1948 flag of Ceylon
GUAM • A red border was added to the territorial flag on February 9.
1917 flag of Guamright arrow1948 flag of Guam
HYDERABAD • India invaded the state of Hyderabad. It surrendered on September 18, effectively ending its attempted independence.
Flag of Hyderabad
ISRAEL • Israel declared independence from the British Mandate of Palestine on May 14. The flag of the Zionist movement was confirmed as the national flag on October 28.
Flag of Israel
KOREA • The Republic of Korea was declared in the South on August 15, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was declared in the North on September 9. South Korea continued flying the Taeguk flag, but North Korea adopted a new flag designed by Moscow.
Flag of South KoreaFlag of North Korea
QUÉBEC • The Fleurdelisé flag (without any Sacred Heart iconography) was officially adopted on January 21.
Carillon-Sacre-Coeur flagright arrowFlag of Quebec
ROMANIA • Romania added an emblem to its flag on January 8. On April 13 the design of the emblem was changed.
1866 Flag of Romaniaright arrowJanuary 1948 flag of Romaniaright arrowApril 1948 flag of Romania
VIETNAM • The French-controlled Provisional Central Government of Vietnam adopted a flag on June 2.
1948 flag of South Vietnam
WESTERN SAMOA • Western Samoa adopted a flag on May 26.
1948 flag of Western Samoa

Notes


1 Often (but not always) flown by the royal house and the government.
2 Flown by anyone.
3 Moroccan merchant ships in the French zone flew what was called the "Arab ensign", the national flag with a French tricolour added to the top-left corner.
4 Flown by merchant ships operating out of the Spanish zone in northern Morocco. The Moroccan national flag was flown on land.
5 Flown by nationalists and indepenence activists. The French colony in Algeria did not have an official flag.
6 Flown by the government, and often by private citizens. At sea, and in certain ceremonial settings on land, the ratio was 1:3.
7 Allowed to be flown by anyone. At sea, the ratio was 1:3.
8 There were many variations of this flag, depending on who was flying it and when. Some versions would have added inscriptions, decorations or royal symbols. The flag could also be triangular.
9 The number of points could vary.
10 The design of the flag wasn't laid down in law, and this may have been one of many variations in use at the time.
11 Flown by private citizens and municipalities.
12 Flown by the federal government and the armed forces.
13 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
14 Flown by the royal house, the government, and the armed forces. Also granted to a select list of private institutions and companies.
15 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
16 Flown only on state-owned buildings and naval ships.
17 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
18 Flown on government buildings and coast guard ships.
19 Flown for all purposes. A three-tailed version of the national flag is flown by the military.
20 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
21 Flown by the government, border guard, and public universities. The armed forces fly a version with a swallowtail cut.
22 Flown on land within Greece. The military flag had a crown in the centre of the cross.
23 Flown at sea and abroad. The naval ensign had a crown in the centre of the cross.
24 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
25 Flown over the Prince's Palace and government buildings.
26 Flown unofficially, mostly by civilian ships. Plain flags without the George Cross were also common. The colonial government had a blue ensign with the Maltese coat of arms on it.
27 The traditional Catalan flag.
28 The flag preferred by supporters of Catalan independence.
29 Flown by German ships, but explicitly not as a national flag, and not given any of the ceremonial respect typically given to national flags. Not used on land. Known as the "C-Pennant" since it was derived for the maritime signal flag for the letter C.
30 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Estonian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
31 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Lithuanian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
32 Flown by the diplomatic service in exile and the Latvian disaspora. Flying the national flag was banned under the Soviet occupation.
33 Flown in the Indian-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
34 Flown in the Pakistan-controlled parts of the disputed region of Kashmir.
35 Flown over the Imperial Palace and a handful of other government buildings. Private citizens could only fly the flag on national holidays.
36 Flown by the nationalist Lao Issara government-in-exile in Bangkok.
37 Sarawak also had a blue colonial ensign.
38 Flown by Karen nationalists seeking independence and separation from Burma.
39 The Uyghur nationalist flag. Xinjiang Province did not have an official flag.
40 Not legally the national flag, but allowed to be flown wherever a "distinctive Canadian flag" was needed.
41 Flown by the government, the navy, the national police, and national sports teams. Raised at major ceremonies. The army uses a similar flag with a different coat of arms.
42 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
43 The most common flag, flown over most government buildings, at ceremonies, by diplomatic missions and often by public citizens.
44 An alternative government flag, most commonly flown by the armed forces but also on some public buildings and offices.
45 The simplest version of the national flag, flown by some private citizens.
46 The most common Costa Rican flag. Officially designated for private citizens, but in practice often used on government buildings and schools too.
47 Flown by the government and by diplomatic missions, although also used sometimes by private citizens.
48 Flown by Puerto Rican nationalists. Display of the flag was initially banned under American rule.
49 Flown by the government and armed forces, and unofficially used by many private citizens.
50 Allowed to be flown by anyone.
51 Flown by the governmnent. The armed forces flew a similar flag with olive and laurel branches around the coat of arms.
52 Allowed to be flown by anyone.