Skip to main content

The history of the flags of the world

Maybe you've ever stopped to think where the flags come from, because they have those colors or shapes, because some have drawings and others have stripes.Because there are flags of different countries that are very similar, it may be a coincidence or perhaps they have something in common.To this and other questions we will answer in this article that we have titled The history of the flags of the world.

The history of the flags of the world

History of the flags of the world | Origin of the Flags

The flags are responsible for generating the identity signals of a country , it is the embodiment of a series of values ​​that hold a community together or region that share a series of characteristics, whether geographical, cultural or historical.

When several nations have shared a common period in history, it is normal that they also share symbols, examples such as the flags of the Nordic countries or as with New Zealand and Australia.

The history of the flags of the world

Today all countries are represented by their corresponding flag, but not only serve to represent countries, it also represents organizations, locations or institutions.Loaded fabric pieces of a great symbolism that serves as a union and as a sign of identity of individuals who share a ter common river.

It is believed that the first flags have their origin in the Asian continent, more exactly in what is now Burma, but there is no historical documentation that supports it, so we can consider the place of appearance of the first flag in the Persian Empire.During the Aquemenide Dynasty S VI-S II BC, the Derafsh Kaviani flag was taken as a symbol of the impressive empire.

The history of the flags of the world

Derafsh Kaviani

This flag will appear later in the Sasanida Empire AD 224-651, in the region of Iran , so it could be considered the first flag of this country.

The Roman Empire , was the first to use flags in Europe, the first flags were the banners that carried the Roman legions, in these pieces of cloth where used to represent ntar animals of strength like the eagle, dragons or lions.Little by little these banners were initially rigid, they became more flexible until they came to what we know today as flags.

The history of the flags of the world

From now on the flags begin to respond to different purposes, such as religious badges, to identify cities, empires, guilds, etc.Soon it was given a much more useful belica , on the battlefields, the flags were used to identify the different armies and within these the different units, being able to shape, plan war strategies.

In the maritime trade they were also vitally important, when a ship arrived at the port, you could know your nationality , improving in this way the commercial relations and knowing at the moment what type of merchandise could carry taking into account your flag of origin.

The history of the flags of the world

Flag of the Plaza de Cartagena de Indias

As a result of maritime commerce and much more when the new trade routes with the Indies began, the use of the flags would no longer only be to identify vessels, but a true communication language was created, moving the arms in certain ways messages or signals were emitted through which the ships could communicate despite being over long distances.

Now that we know a little more about the origin of the flags and what they represent, we are going to see the different flags of the world, how they are and what they represent.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of Spain

The history of the flags of the world

The flag of Spain has undergone several modifications to throughout its history, initially they were banners and each company or detachment sported a different banner.

The history of the flags of the world

Cruz de Borgona (1506-1701) Flag representing the Spanish pavilion

Later during the reign of Carlos III and due to the constant wars , the king saw the need to differentiate the Spanish pavilion from the rest of the banners, since in most of them the predominant color was white and by far, in case of battle, they distinguished themselves very bad the own ships of the enemies.

The history of the flags of the world

The king summoned a contest of ideas and triumph the bicolor, red and yellow flag .These colors have been maintained throughout history, although also and during the second republic is added one more color, purple, that symbolized Castile.

The history of the flags of the world

Currently the flag of Spain sports three horizontal stripes, being the ends bands in red and the center and double thickness in yellow color.

The history of the flags of the world

Legitimated Flags of Spain

On the left, the national shield, where Castilla, Leon, Aragon, Navarra and Granada are represented.They also present the image of two columns, those of Hercules one on each side of the shield , one of the columns represents Gibraltar and the other Ceuta.A red band borders the columns with the Plus Ultra inscription (beyond), recalling the discovery of America and replacing the old motto of NON PLUS ULTRA, which the Catholic kings wore.

At least the flag has its history, because remember that the Spanish anthem has no official letter.Can it be more cumbersome than us?

History of the flags of the world | Flag of France

The history of the flags of the world

Colors of the French flag red, blue and white, arises as a result of the French Revolution. Round badges, worn by revolutionaries who in 1789, stormed the Bastille , were red, blue and white.After being considered the assault on the Bastille as the beginning of the Revolution, it was this color that the French wanted to associate with the new France, now republican.

The history of the flags of the world

The stripes of the French flag are represented in vertical and they are all of the same width, being the band that is more to the left is blue, white occupies the center and red the right part of the flag.

History of the flags of m undo | United Kingdom Flag

The history of the flags of the world

It is also known as Union Jack , is a flag of long tradition since it has been used since 1603, thanks to King James VI, who when becoming king of England, established that flag as a sign of identity.The flag represents both England like Scotland and Wales.

The history of the flags of the world

The cross of St.George , patron of England, occupies the central part, represented by a large red cross, it is surrounded by another white cross and all on a white background.The white diagonal cross represents San Andres , patron of Scotland, while Ireland, incorporated in 1801, after becoming part of the United Kingdom, is represented by a red diagonal cross, in honor of St.Patrick , its pattern.

History of the flags of the world | Greek Flag

The history of the flags of the world

In 1821 , during the uprising that took place in Greece against the Turks, a blue flag with a white cross drawn, I face the crescent of the Ottoman Empire.At this moment, the blue flag with a white cross has become part of the Greek people as its identity and flag.

The history of the flags of the world

The cross that initially was in the center, was changed to the upper left, adding 9 bands 5 blue and 4 white that they represent the nine syllables of the revolutionary slogan "Freedom or Death" (Eleftheria i Thanatos).

The blue color of the flag represents the sea as part of the inspiration of the revolt, while the white symbolizes the purity of revolutionary ideas. The cross is the representation of the Greek Church, the Orthodox Church.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of the United States

United States is currently the most powerful country in the world, but it is not by far one of the oldest.On the contrary, many of the others current powers were already hitting the world before even if the United States was considered a country.

As regards the United States flag itself, it counts with thirteen red and white horizontal stripes, which represent the thirteen founding states of the country.In the upper right corner there is a blue box in which you can see the 50 stars that represent the 50 states that make up the country.its national anthem is also closely linked to its flag and is called "Stars and Stripes."

It should be said that the first version of the flag dates from 1777, while the current version, the version with 50 stars, is from July 4, 1960.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of Mexico

The history of the flags of the world

The flag of Mexico is formed by three vertical stripes, green on the left, white in the center, and red on the right.In the center is the coat of arms.The latest version of the flag dates back to 1969.As in any country It is one of the most important patriotic symbols of Mexico.There are two original flags, one of them stored in the National Museum and the other in the National Archive.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of Argentina

The flag of Argentina is also, together with the national shield and the anthem, one of the great symbols of the Argentine Republic.Its origin is in the national cockade , that later Manuel Belgrano would apply to a flag with the same colors, blue and white.This was the year 1812, date on which the flag of the Republic of Argentina was enrabolo for the first time, in an act that was rejected at that time by the authorities.

It would not be until 1818 when the flag included S ol de Mayo , in homage to the events that took place in Buenos Aires in May 1810 and which was a symbol of the revolution.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of Italy

The history of the flags of the world

To know the origin of the current Italian flag must be traced back to the end of the 18th century, when Napoleon Bonaparte handed a green, white and red banner to three citizens of Lombardia who wanted to enlist in their troops.

This banner began to be used as a symbol of the Cispadana Republic.With the fall of Napoleon in 1814, the tricolor ceased to be used until the mid-nineteenth century, when the Austrians left the country and came to power the house of Savoy.From that moment the tricolor would be the flag of Italy and incorporate the shield of Savoy.

However, in 1946 there was the last modification of the Italian flag.fall of the In 1946, the monarchy removed the shield of the house of Savoy, and so it has remained since then until today.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of Germany

The flag of Germany with the colors we know today has its origin in the year 1919 , after the 1st GM when the country was in the Weimar Republic.These colors were chosen because they were the ones carried by German troops in the fights against Napoleonic troops.

During the Nazi period the German flag was replaced by the red flag with the Nazi symbol , with the famous eagle or a flag similar to the current one but with the colors black, white and red.After the fall of the Third Reich, and the separation of Germany, the black, red and gold flag was adopted by both both sides, both the Federal Republic and the Democratic Republic.With the reunification of Germany in 1990, it is declared a national flag.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of Brazil

The history of the flags of the world

The first versions of the flag from Brazil dates from the beginning of the 19th century, however, it was not until 1889 when a religious group decided to make some changes.The first flag was only used for just four days, and it was the same as the United States , except for the colors of the bars, which in the case of Brazil were yellow and green.

On November 19, the first official flag of Brazil was proclaimed, and that it was just as we know today: a yellow box on a green background.Inside the yellow box there is a blue circle with 27 stars inside and on which you can read the inscription « Order and progress permitted.

In any case, over time it has undergone some modifications, last in 1992, when it was approved by decree suulti mo design, which has a total of 27 stars.

History of the flags of the world | Flag of China

The Chinese flag has a red background and in it you can see 5 stars, a larger one and four others at its side forming a kind of crescent.this is called " the red flag of the 5 stars ".This flag was created by Zeng Liansong in 1949, and is the symbol of the communist party as well as the symbol of the country.they identify with the union between the members of the party and among the people themselves.The red symbolizes the color of the revolution, while the gold of the stars was done so simply to make them stand out over the red.

There is no doubt that many things can be learned from the countries about the history of their flags.In fact, they have undergone changes according to the bank that was in power.Hopefully each country can continue to maintain its own for many years., that would mean we would be living moments of peace.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Carmen balcells Biography

Carmen Balcells (Santa Fe de Segarra, Lleida, 1930-Barcelona, ​​2015) Spanish literary agent who with her innovative management radically modified the market for hiring, promoting and publishing books in the Spanish language. Carmen Balcells Born into a family of rural owners, she studied business expertise and at the age of twenty-four she settled in Barcelona with her family, where she worked as a secretary until that her friend Joaquim Sabrià recommended her to the exiled Romanian writer Vintila Horia, owner of the literary agency ACER, administrator of foreign authors for Spain. In this agency he began to work as a correspondent until, in 1960, Vintila Horia won the Goncourt Prize and moved to Paris.Carmen Balcells then decided to establish herself on her own: she founded her own literary agency in the rental apartment where she lived, and in a few years she revolutionized the international map of publishing.Meanwhile, in 1961 she had married Luis Palomares, with whom she ...

Giacomo Jaquerio Biography

Giacomo Jaquerio (Turin, c .1375-?, 1453) Italian painter.He was the most important of the active artists in the Duchy of Savoy during the first half of the s.XV.While his work may focus on international Gothic, it did not actually conform to the dominant trend in Lombardy of his time, but instead embraced the realism of Burgundian artists.Most of his work is located in the Abbey of San Antonio (Raverso), the fruit of a remarkable career that exerted great influence in Piedmont.

Ignacio Puig and Simón Biography

Ignacio Puig y Simón (Manresa, 1887-Barcelona, ​​1961) Physicist and Spanish Jesuit.In 1908 he entered the seminary of the Society of Jesus, and was ordained a priest in 1920.Since then he devoted himself to teaching theology and philosophy, activities that he combined with studies in physics and astronomy.Between 1924 and 1934 he was deputy director of the Ebro Astronomical Observatory, where he was in charge of the electrical and magnetic measurements section. In 1930 he went to Ethiopia to found an observatory in Addis Ababa, but the conflict between the Italian occupation army and the Ethiopian pro-independence activists made him give up the project.He returned to Spain in 1935, and was assigned to the Buenos Aires Observatory.He took over the management of the center and carried out research on electrical phenomena and relativity. He founded the San Miguel Observatory of Cosmic Physics, and developed a project of aerostatic ascent to the stratosphere, in which he hoped to a...

The true inventor of the phone

If you ask someone who was the inventor of the phone, most people (those who think they know) will answer Graham Bell, because that's how it appears in the history books, however, sometimes things They are not what they seem and there are times when glory takes her who does not deserve her, as in this case.If you want to know who is the true inventor of the phone , keep reading. Article index Antonio Meucci, the true inventor of the telephone Antonio Meucci was born in Florence in In 1808 and after completing his studies, he emigrated to Cuba in the 1830s in order to work with rheumatic patients. In order to reduce the pain of his patients, Meucci applied on the same small electricity discharges, thus being the means by which he discovered the transmission of sounds by electric impulses. Fascinated with his discovery, Antonio Meucci traveled to the United States in order to materialize this idea, creating a sound transmitter device, what we know today as telepho...

Catherine of Aragon - Queen of England

A woman who, like her mother, knew how to stay in her place, be the queen of England being a foreigner and Spanish shouldn't be easy and more when the king was who she was, however Catalina de Aragon , won the love and trust of the English, who supported her until the end and for those who never ceased to be her queen.If you find it interesting, wait to discover her exciting story in Catalina de Aragon-Queen of England . Article index Biography of Catalina de Aragon On December 16, 1485 , she was born in Alcala de Henares, Catalina de Aragon .A Madrid Infanta who She became Queen of England (1509-1533), when she married King Henry VIII.Mother of another Queen Maria I of England and widow of a Prince of Wales as was Prince Arthur. Catali Na de Aragon passed away on January 7, 1536, in Kimbolton Castle, England.A life that is not easy and now we will detail more briefly. Infanta de Aragon y Castilla The Infanta Catalina was born in Alcala de Henares on December 16, ...

Javier Fesser Biography

Javier Fesser (Javier Fesser Pérez de Petinto; Madrid, 1964) Spanish filmmaker.After filming two remarkable comedies, he gained notoriety with the drama Camino (2008), a controversial film for its vision of religious fanaticism that won six Goya Awards in 2009. Born in the Womb From a family with artistic concerns, Javier Fesser enrolled in naval engineering; Then he changed his studies for communication sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, although he would not get a degree either.In 1986 he created Línea Films, a company dedicated to making advertising spots, from which he developed campaigns for brands such as Telefónica or BMW.In 1992 he founded, with Luis Manso, the Pendelton Film production company, with the idea of ​​alternating advertising production with film production. Javier Fesser A at the same time that the television campaigns followed, Fesser began his journey in the cinema with the direction of short films.His debut could not have been more enco...

Gaudi: Madness, genius and devotion

In times when the foundations of an eclectic architecture were professed, inspired by classical monuments , the harmony of romanticism , and greatness from the baroque , a man appeared who broke with all this kind of concepts, showing fantasy designs and strange forms never seen before, based on the essence of nature and the mathematical architecture. Image Today_is_a_good_day Antoni Gaudi was born under the bed of a humble family, in the year 1852 .The place of his birth is a subject of discussion by many historians, since it is not known with certainty whether it was in Reus or Riudoms located in the province of Tarragona . He suffered a hard childhood , since he suffered from motor problems and constant diseases that forced him to remain more guarded than a Anyone and over time, this greatly influenced Gaudi's personality, making him introverted and unsociable. After being received at the School de la Llotja in Barcelona, ​​ began its work obtai...

Andrea di Cione Orcagna Biography

Andrea di Cione Orcagna Italian architect, active in Florence between 1344 and 1368.Considered the best painter of his generation, he was also a master builder and sculptor.As an architect he made the structure of the tabernacle of Or San Michele (1352-1359).After completing his work he moved to Orvieto, together with his brother Matteo, to work in the direction of the works of the cathedral, in which he personally participated collaborating in the execution of the mosaics on the façade.He lived there until 1362.Once he returned to Florence, he began in 1366 his collaboration on the plans for the cathedral, which had already been started at the end of the 13th century by Arnoldo di Cambio and was later modified.His pictorial work, influenced by Maso di Banco, reveals a taste for Sienese derivation color.

August weismann Biography

August Weismann (Frankfurt on the Main, 1834-Freiburg im Breisgau, 1914) German biologist, famous for his theory of germ plasm.He studied at the University of Göttingen, after which he worked for some time in a hospital in Rostock.In order to expand his training, in 1858 he moved to Vienna, where he stayed for a year; later he went to Italy and the following year to Paris.In 1863 he began his studies in zoology at the University of Freiburg, where he also taught between 1866 and 1912; he was professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at this university.He also directed the Museum of Zoology. August Weismann His first research was devoted to experimental zoology and published valuable works on the development of Diptera and on the sexuality of hydromedusae.But his most important investigations in the field of biology focused on the origin of species, and led him to develop the Germ Plasma Theory of Heredity , which denied Lamarck's concept that Acquired characters are tran...

Guillaume de l’Hôpital Biography

Guillaume de l'Hôpital (Guillaume de l'Hôpital, Marquis de Sainte-Mesme; Paris, 1661- id ., 1704) French mathematician.A military man by profession, he became interested in the study of mathematics under the influence of Bernoulli and carried out the first complete exposition of the infinitesimal calculus in his work Analysis of the infinitely small for the understanding of curved lines ( 1696).The L'Hôpital rule allows to eliminate certain indeterminacies in the passage to the limit of the quotient of two functions, applying the differential calculus.