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The History Of Flags From Around The World

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[ Posted On: 2006-11-25 ]

Flags have a rich history and heritage. Flags trace their genesis to the use of staffs or vexilloids, that were commonly used to lead men into battle. These staffs were decorated with symbols and other items, giving the soldiers a feeling of camaraderie. With time, these staffs were adorned with silk and other types of material. This is what we see now as the modern day 'Flag'. Now every country has its own flag as an identity. These are used to stake claim over a new land or a symbol of presence - flag on the moon by Neil Armstrong.

Throughout the history of mankind, flags have been used to signify different things such as civilizations, ideas, groups, and nations. It was only in the eighteenth century that flags were initially used to symbolize a nation. Today, every country in the world has their own flag. These flags have symbols that the country men relate to and hold with pride close to their hearts as a cherished possession.

The stars and stripes, the national flag of the United states of America reached its current form in 1960 when Hawaii joined the USA. The flag was conceived in 1777 and since then has seen various transformations. The stripes symbolize the first 13 states that made up the USA and each state is represented by a star, thus showing 50 stars on the flag. This symbolizes the unity of all states.

Great Britain's flag is also called the Union Jack. It has been the official flag since 1801. The flag symbolizes the three different countries that are united; England, Scotland, and Ireland. Today it only represents Northern Ireland, as the rest of Ireland became its own state in 1920. The Union Jack is a familiar symbol and is used on many other flags such as Australia.

The Canadian flag has a red maple leaf flanked by stripes of red. Despite the fact that the maple leaf was a Canadian symbol for many years, the design of the current flag was officially adopted only in 1965. The two stripes represent the Pacific and Atlantic oceans that flank the country.

The flag of Barbados is an interesting one. It is represented by two stripes of blue on either side which represent the ocean and the sky, and the center which is yellow represents Barbados' beaches. The interesting part is the trident in the center, which represents Neptune. The trident is broken, which symbolizes Barbados' split from Britain in 1966 when the flag was made official.

The flag of Israel shows its Jewish values. The flag consist of blue and white stripes which represent a type of Jewish shawl used for prayers, and the symbol on the center is the Star of David. The flag became official in 1948.

Flags all over the world express their values through symbolism and sometimes religion. Often they carry religious sayings or symbols that tell the world about their countries. As territories change hands throughout the world, or two nations become one, new flags are designed. Two of the most recent and recognizable are the flags representing the United Nations and the European Union.

Flags are important to the people that live in each nation, to them it is a symbol of who they are and what is important to their nation. Flags have been used for centuries as a type of identification and shall for many years to come.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About the author: George Pascatt is the chief editor for Flag FX, the #1 source on the internet when you're looking for fresh up to date advice and reviews to do with Flags. For more articles on Flags why not visit: www.flagfx.com/articles Why not sign up for our free Flags newsletter at: www.flagfx.com/newsletters

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