NATIONAL FLAGS AND THEIR MEANINGS

AUSTRALIA

The Australian flag features a Union Jack (it was mandatory at the time

for all British Colonies), a seven pointed star representing each of

Australia’s six states as well as one point for its territories, and a series

of stars representing the Southern Cross constellation which is visible

from everywhere in Australia.

BOTSWANA

The colours on the country flag are the same as those on the coat of arms.

The blue symbolizes water (the motto on the coat of arms is “let there be

rain”), the black and white represent racial harmony, and the stripes were

inspired by the country’s national animal, the zebra.

VIETNAM

The red represents the blood spilled as the country fought for its

independence while the 5 points of the yellow star represent the union

of workers, soldiers, peasants, young people, and intellectuals working

together to build socialism.

BAHAMAS

The yellow stripe represents the sandy beaches of the 700 Bahamian islands,

the blue represents the water, and the black triangle represents the

Bahamian people along with their desire to develop the land and the sea.

PARAGUAY

One of many flags inspired by the French, its colours symbolize liberty

and independence. The coat of arms represents May 14, 1811, the date of

Paraguay’s independence.

CHAD AND ROMANIA

Although the two countries are on completely different continents and have

had almost nothing to do with each other, their flags are exactly the same.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The red and white are traditional Bohemian colours and were primarily

adopted so as to be easily recognized in battle. The blue wedge was

actually added later so as to distinguish the Czech flag from the Polish flag.

INDIA

The flag of India is sometimes called the “tiranga” which means

“tricolor” in Hindi. When it was introduced in 1931 the stripes

represented the two main groups in India. The green was for the

Muslims and the orange was for the Hindus. The white stripe represented

the desire for there to be peace between them. The meanings, however,

have been updated since then. The wheel in the middle has 24 spokes,

each one supposedly representing one hour of the day.