QUIZ: How Well Do You Know the Flags of the World?

Japan is called the land of the rising sun, which the flag symbolizes. In fact, the sun is a big deal in Japanese mythology. It’s said that the Emperor is a descendant of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, which is why the red sun appears on the flag.

The Danish flag goes all the way back to 1219 and adopted traits from other Nordic countries. The flag itself represents Christianity, hence the white cross. Denmark’s capital city is also known for having more bicycles than it has humans.

In 1919, Germany adopted the black, red and gold colors to their flag during what was known as the Weimar Republic. It was temporarily replaced during World War II, but afterwards, Germany used the original flag once again.

After the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia fell apart, the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, was born and it retained the appearance of its former country’s original national flag, too.

It’s the largest South American country and has a sky full of stars on its flag as well as the Southern Cross constellation. The flag also has a banner with Brazil’s national motto that reads: “Ordem e Progresso” or “Order and Progress.”

Aside from crossed AK-47 rifles, the flag also contains an open book and a pair of crossed swords. It also showcases the Resplendent Quetzal, which is Guatemala’s national bird.

Romania’s tricolored flag is eerily similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad. But there’s one thing the other countries don’t have and that’s Bran Castle, the structure that’s associated with the legend of the most famous vampire in human history— Dracula.

The Argentine flag was designed by Manuel Belgrano and was raised in 1812 in the city of Rosario during the country’s War of Independence. The Sun of May was added to the middle of the flag in 1818.

The Jamaican flag was officially adopted in 1962 after the country won its independence from the Federation of the West Indies. If asked what the colors represent on the flag, Jamaicans will say that “hardships are there, but the land is green and the sun shineth.”

Ireland is home to the Celtic cross, Shamrocks, and the Blarney Stone, which millions of tourists stop by to kiss every year. The flag was originally a gift given to Thomas Francis Meagher in 1848 by French women. Then in 1916, this flag became the national flag after it was raised above Dublin’s General Post Office.

Portugal sits between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain, and its flag’s green color is used to symbolize hope while the red symbolizes the blood of those who lost their lives to defend the country.

The Scottish flag’s design was originally recorded in 1542, essentially making it one of the oldest flag designs still in use today. The flag is also known as the Saltire or St. Andrew’s Cross.

In the 1980s, the Chernobyl power plant had a meltdown. But the country is also known for other things such as their beautiful coastline as well as the popular city of Kiev which attracts tourists from all over the world.

The flag was designed in 1575 and is based on the coat of arms of this country’s royal family. It’s also known as the House of Orange, but despite its tricolor design, there is no orange in the flag.

The Russian flag was originally used by Russian merchant ships as an ensign before becoming the official flag in 1696. The flag was temporarily taken down when the Soviet Union was in power, but returned in 1991 shortly after the fall.

This flag belongs to Andorra, which some people believe was founded by Charlemagne, the former king of the Franks. But it is not the only European flag to have three colors. Foix, Catalonia, and France also have tricolored flags.

The Panamanian flag was adopted in 1949 and it symbolized the politics of the country at the time. For example, the white stands for purity and peace while the blue symbolizes the government’s Conservative Party. The red, on the other hand, represents the Liberal Party.

A version of this flag was originally flown in the city of Melbourne way back in 1901. Over the years, the flag was revised several times before Australia settled on this version, which incorporates some elements from its mother country, the UK.

The Austrian flag became the national flag in 1918, but its design was based off of the 13th-century coat of arms of the Babenberg dynasty. Most people are more familiar with this European country for their Linzer Tortes and Apple Strudels.

Israel is located between Jordan and Egypt and is known for its many iconic locations like Akko’s Old City and Tel Aviv’s White City, among others. But perhaps it’s more famous for being the country where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.

Algeria was once known as Numidia and is located in West Africa. The territory’s coastline borders the Alboran Sea near Morocco. The crescent moon and star in the center of the flag represent Islam, which is the primary faith practiced in this country.

This country is partially known for their Swiss army knives and for being neutral. Their flags also have a giant white cross in the middle. This symbol was used in the 14th century as a sign of the Old Swiss Confederacy.

Every year, tourists flock to Mexico to enjoy the beautiful white sandy beaches and tequila. The country’s flag colors were adopted in 1921 after Mexico gained independence from Spain.

This flag's design was adopted way back in 1965. The maple leaf has become synonymous with this North American country. Another worthy detail to point out is that the maple syrup most people use to pour on their pancakes come from the maple tree, whose leaves look like this.

The flag of Greenland was designed by Greenland native Thue Christiansen, who is a teacher, artist and politician. His design was adopted by the country on June 21, 1985. He also served as the Minister of Culture and Education in the country from 1979 to 1983.

The flag of Iceland has been used since 1944, when the country officially became a republic after many years of being in a union with Denmark. Before then, their flag was a more simple white cross over a blue background, which was first flown at a parade in 1897.

The current version of France’s flag, which is known as the Tricolore, has flown over the country since 1848. This flag looks similar to flags of other countries, but it was the first to adopt the three-colored pattern and it is always displayed with blue at the hoist side.

Cuba’s flag was originally designed in 1849, but it wasn’t officially adopted until 1902, when the country became an independent republic after being seized by the United States during the Spanish-American war. The flag is also referred to as the Lone Star flag

The flag of Norway has a simple red background with a blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white. The current flag of the country was adopted in 1905, and before then they used Sweden’s flags for protection when sailing in foreign waters.

The South Korean flag includes a few symbols including a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, which is a traditional Korean symbol. The shapes on either side are four black trigrams and the flag itself was adopted in 1883 and last changed in 2011.

The flag of Cyprus came into use on August 16, 1960 when Cyprus became independent. The flag utilizes symbols of peace and neutrality including two olive branches on a white field and the outline of the island of Cyprus.

The flag of Lebanon proudly showcases a Lebanon Cedar tree, which was inspired by the mountains of Lebanon and the use of the cedar as a symbol of longevity. The cedar of Lebanon also has many biblical references.

The flag of Indonesia was originally adopted in 1945 and was first hoisted during the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ceremony that year. The flag’s colors were derived from the Majapahit Empire’s banner from the 13th century.

The flag of Malta includes a George Cross, which was awarded to the country of Malta in 1942 by King George VI. The country is also famous for being the filming location of the 1980 film adaptation of “Popeye,” which starred Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall.

The flag of the United Kingdom, which is also known as the Union Jack, was adopted in 1801 when the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

The flag of Vietnam was designed in 1940 and first used during an uprising against the French. The red of the flag represents stubble while the five points on the yellow star represent the five social classes in the country which include workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals and businessmen.

Aruba’s national flag was designed partially by flag scholar Whitney Smith and it was adopted by the country in 1976. The blue color represents the waters around the island while the yellow lines represent abundance and the red stars symbolizes the four points of a compass, celebrating the fact that people from all over the world visit the country.

The flag of Iran was originally adopted in 1907, but changes were made to the design after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The white script bordering the white stripe of the flag translate to read “God is great.”

The 24-spoke wheel at the center of India’s flag is called the Ashoka Chakra, which is based on the wheel of dharma, a poignant symbol used in many religions including Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

Jordan’s current flag is based on a design that was created in 1916 during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The flag was officially adopted on April 16, 1922 and symbolizes the history of the Arab Revolt.