Facts About National Flags

Did you know that the use of flags didn’t start in recent times, and they didn’t start out as silky, colourful pieces of materials as we know them today?

Flags were also used for various reasons, including war, ownership, and identification. Here are a few fun facts about flags you probably didn’t know:

1. The study of flags is called vexillology, from the Latin vexillum, meaning “flag” or “banner.” They were originally called “vexilloids,” which were large pieces of wood with different images engraved to signify the different countries, cities or tribes.
2. The use of these silky flags started in the 16th century.
3. Denmark’s flag is the oldest currently in use, designed in 1219 and unchanged since.
4. Nepal is the only flag in the world that doesn’t have 4 sides; it’s shaped like two triangles mounted on each other; the shape is called a pennant or pennon.
5. The colours on a flag are representative of the country’s history.
6. There are only two flags in the world that have the colour purple on them — the flags of Dominica and Nicaragua.
7. The flag of Belize has the most colours of any flag in the world; it has twelve in total!
8. The newest flag in the world is the flag of South Sudan. It was adopted on July 9, 2010.
9. There are only 3 national flags that differ on their front and reverse sides. They are Moldova, Paraguay, and Saudi Arabia.
10. The use of a particular flag shows that you identify with the place or region where the flag originates from. The person who carries the flag in the war or in a ceremony is also referred to as a flagbearer, meaning he or she displays the country’s virtues and characteristics.

As Christians, we are the flagbearers of the greatest nation on earth today (1 Peter 2:9), and we’re ambassadors of the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Thus, knowing you belong to the city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:8-11), you ought to conduct yourself in this world as true representatives of Christ in all you say and do.