According to Countryaah, a national flag represents a country’s cultural history using colors and symbols. Each flag is thus a rich work of art and beautiful in its own way. But some flags are still more aesthetically pleasing than others. Here are the world’s eight most beautiful flags according to Countryaah. Among them, two are African countries. Their judgment is based solely on the exterior of the flags and not on what they symbolize.
- Australia
After the colonization of Australia, the continent consisted of six separate British colonies. When the colonies were to unite in 1901, competitions were announced in who could design the best flag for the new nation. The winning entry is basically the flag that is still used today. The flag contains the British flag, Union Jack, and five stars in the shape of the southern cross – a small but clear constellation visible from the southern hemisphere. In addition, the flag contains a large star – the “Commonwealth Star” – whose seven tips represent Australia’s six states as well as the Northern Territory.
- Swaziland
The Swaziland flag is based on a version designed in 1941 by the country’s then king Sobhuza II. In 1967, an updated version was adopted as the national flag. The blue symbolizes peace, the yellow land’s mineral resources and the red past war. In the middle of the flag is a traditional shield in the country made of black and white ox skin that is stretched over a wooden frame.
- Brazil
Brazil’s current flag was taken into use after a coup in 1889, when the monarchy became a republic. However, the green and yellow fields were retained from the previous flag and symbolize two royal families, although they are also associated with greenery and gold. On the new flag, the emperor’s coat of arms was replaced by a starry sky where the stars represent the states of the country (the starry sky has been modified a few times as the number of states varied over the years). The stars are also arranged to resemble the starry sky in the southern hemisphere. Across the starry sky is a white ribbon with Brazil’s slogan “order and progress”.
- Belize
Belize (formerly British Honduras) is a small country in Central America with a coast facing the Caribbean Sea. The flag of Belize consists of the coat of arms on a blue and red background. The coat of arms was adopted in 1819 and represents two woodcutters of different skin colors (from the beginning both were dark-skinned) and a mahogany tree. One man carries an ax, and the other an oar used to put timber downstream. In front of the tree is a shield containing pictures of a ship and a logging tool. Below them is the country’s slogan “in the shadow I thrive”. All this mainly symbolizes the importance of the forest for the country’s economy. The coat of arms is surrounded by a wreath of 50 mahogany leaves that symbolizes the year 1950 when the country began to oppose British rule. The background colors symbolize the country’s two largest political parties.
- Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan flag contains a gold-colored lion holding a castane – a traditional and ceremonial sword in the country. The flag became Sri Lanka’s official in 1951, but the lion itself is believed to have been on other flags in the country since the 400s BC. Around the lion are four leaves from a bodhi tree, which symbolize the four virtues of Buddhism – benevolence, compassion, joy and equality. The green ribbon represents the ethnic group Tamils or Hindus, while the orange ribbon represents Muslims.
- Vatican City State
The Vatican City is located in the middle of Rome and is considered the world’s smallest country in terms of both area and population. The Vatican City flag is the only national flag other than Switzerland that is square. In the white field are the country’s coat of arms. In the coat of arms there is a classic pope, a triregnum, because the pope always lives in the Vatican City. Under the tiara are two keys, one in gold and one in silver, which can symbolize the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The keys can also symbolize the power of the pope, where silver and gold (and white and yellow) represent the worldly and spiritual power, respectively.
- Kenya
The Kenyan flag was introduced in 1963 when the country became independent from British rule. The background of the flag with black on red on green comes from an older flag, namely the one that the political party Kenya African National Union (KANU) had. The shield and spear were added in 1963, at the same time as a color change was made and white ribbons were added. The black color symbolizes the black majority, the red color symbolizes the struggle for freedom and the green color symbolizes the country’s natural riches. The narrow white ribbons symbolize peace, while the shield is that of the Maasai (indigenous people in Kenya).
- San Marino
The world’s most beautiful flag, ranked by Abbreviationfinder, belongs to the micro state of San Marino. The coat of arms of the flag of San Marino probably dates from the 14th century and took its current form in 1862. [In the center of the coat of arms is a picture of three wind vane-adorned towers on three hills, which symbolize the three fortresses on Mount Titano’s three peaks. Under the towers it says “Libertas”, which means freedom and is a reference to the fact that San Marino has been a refuge for political refugees since the 4th century. The two background colors probably symbolize clouds and sky.
African Public Policy by Country
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