MORE UNUSUAL THINGS ON FLAGS

CYPRUS

Since August 1960, Cyprus has used a national flag which

features the map of the island with two olive branches underneath.

The olive branches as well as the purely white background

symbolize peace and the orange colour of the map

represents its large deposits of copper ore.

UGANDA

Native to the African savannah, the grey crowned crane takes the

centre spot in Uganda’s flag. The three colours are representative

of the African people (black), Africa’s sunshine (yellow), and African

brotherhood (red) and the raised leg of the crane symbolizes

the forward movement of the country.

GRENADA

Used since 1974, the national flag of Grenada is bordered with a thick

red frame containing 6 yellow stars that stand for the country’s

six parishes. The central star, encircled by a red disk, represents

Saint George, Grenada’s capital. The strange little symbol on the left

is a nutmeg, one of Grenada staples. As far as the flag’s colours are

concerned; red stands for courage and vitality; yellow for wisdom and

warmth; and green for vegetation and agriculture.

MONGOLIA

The national flag of Mongolia features 3 vertical bands, one of which

holds Mongolia’s national symbol, the Soyombo. If you look closely

at the symbol, you should be able to recognize representations of fire,

sun, moon, earth, water, and the Yin-Yang symbol. The central blue band

signifies the sky, while the red bands represent the ability of Mongolia

to thrive in its harsh environment.

SAUDI ARABIA

The world´s dominant oil producer, Saudi Arabia, is another country with

a weapon on its national flag. Similar to Libya and other countries,

the green background represents Islam and the sword is the symbol of

the country´s military power and also of the House of Saud, the founding

dynasty of the country. The Arabic inscription placed above the sword is

the Shahada – Islamic declaration of faith.

ECUADOR

The national flag of Ecuador consists of three coloured bands and an

extremely complex and intricate coat of arms in the middle.

In it, there’s a mountain (Mt. Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador),

a river, a steamboat, the sun, spears, both laurel and palm leaves and

several other objects related to the country. On top of it all resides a

condor which symbolizes the power of Ecuador.

ANGOLA

If the design of Angola´s national flag reminds you of the communist

symbol of the former Soviet Union, you’re not alone. The symbol

in the middle of the flag is a crossed cog wheel (representing industry)

and a machete (representing the peasantry and the armed struggle).

The flag was adopted in 1975 when Angola was ruled by a Marxist

government, and thus was supposed to evoke the image of the

hammer and sickle found on the flag of the former Soviet Union.

GIBRALTAR

Gibraltar’s flag features a three-towered red castle and a gold key.

The castle refers to the Kingdom of Castile, a large and powerful

medieval kingdom and the key signifies the fact that Gibraltar has

been considered the entrance to the Mediterranean.