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The History Of Flags From Around The World

By: George Pascatt

Every country in the world has its own flag. Flags were used when a new land was discovered. Whoever first discovered it would plant their flag to signify their claim to the land. Flags came from the use of staffs or vexilloids, most commonly used to lead men into battle. These staffs were decorated with symbols and other items, giving the soldiers a unified feeling. Later these staffs were adorned with silk and other types of material, making them resemble the flags we see today.

It wasn't until the eighteenth century that flags began to represent whole countries. Early on they stood for ideas, civilizations, groups, and nations. Today's flags carry symbolism that is only meaningful to the citizen of the particular countries they stand for.

The flag of the United States of America first stood for the original thirteen states. Each state was represented by a star and there were stripes in the body, thus its name stars and stripes. Since 1777 the flag was continually being revised, but in 1960 when Hawaii became the 50th state in the USA, the flag was completed.

The flag of United Kingdom or Great Britain is also known as the Union Jack. The flag which has been the official symbol since 1801, symbolizes the three unification of three different countries; England, Scotland, and Ireland. Currently, the Union Jack represents Northern Ireland, as the rest of Ireland became its own state in 1920. A novel observation is that the Union Jack itself forms a part of the flag of some nations - Australia for one.

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.

Another very interesting flag is from Barbados. It is represented by a yellow center that signifies the beaches of Barbados flanked by two stripes of blue on either side which represent the ocean and the sky. The center also has a broken trident which represents Neptune. The break symbolizes the splitting of Barbados from Britain in 1966.

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.

People love their national flags and are proud of what they express. The flag tells who the people are and what they value. Flags have proudly flown for thousands of years and will continue to fly throughout the world forever.

Article Source: http://www.article-voip.com

About the author: George Pascatt is the proprietor of Flag FX, a fantastic website to visit if you're looking for accurate up to date advice and discussion about Flags. For questions or comments about this article visit: www.flagfx.com/articles

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