Collection: All Countries Flags

In the modern world, it’s sometimes easy to identify the most common flags at a glance, but not all country flags are instantly recognizable – in fact, many of them carry designs that are quite complex and which require a bit of knowledge to understand.

Many flags are based around simple geometric designs, and certain regions across the world use similar distinctive symbols or colours – for example, many African countries use the same set of colours, for a very specific reason, and many countries in the Middle East do the same – but the sheer variety of flag designs can be quite overwhelming. For those willing to look a little deeper, though, the remarkable history behind the flags of all countries can become a passionate pursuit.

With a few exceptions, almost all flags undergo change over time, as governments change hands and national identity evolves to include new concepts or symbols. For example, the highly distinctive national flag of Germany, featuring three horizontal stripes in black, red, and gold, has not always been the simple design we now recognize so readily. In the early days of the Prussian Empire, the flag consisted of a black eagle on a golden background. It was later replaced with a black and red flag featuring a golden oak branch, and then a version that looked very much like today’s German flag. That, too, disappeared during WWII, when the infamous Swastika became a national symbol, which also fell away in the aftermath of the war.

The impact of enormous historical and political change – and two world wars – resulted in the German national flag being transformed or replaced several times before settling into its modern, simplified design.

Not all country flags change as a result of outside influence or gradual, though. Some flags are redesigned repeatedly and deliberately in order to reflect shifts in power, to emphasize changing elements of a national identity, or due to the demands of a religion or ideology. An example of this is the flag of Afghanistan, which has been changed a staggering 25 times since its inception – more than any country on earth. During the 20th century alone, Afghanistan went through 18 national flags, with the most recent change taking place in 2013.