Collection: Flags

The topic of which countries have the coolest national flags is one that just never seems to go away.

But, before we can answer that one, we need to take a look at what constitutes cool. For some people, the best flags are those which are symmetrical, restrained, and abstract, while for others, the real attractions are flags with unusual or eye-catching features.

And if it’s eye-catching you’re after, there’s no shortage of candidates. For example, the national flag of Bhutan features a rearing dragon clutching enormous pearls in its claws. Sicily’s flag features a Medusa figure: a head with plaited hair out of which is protruding three bent legs! Or, if you’re after something a little more literal, try Cambodia’s national flag, which features a beautiful portrait of the famed Angkor Wat ruins, a world heritage site and one of the cradles of Asian civilization.

The tradition of heraldry, based around geometric shapes and the mathematical division of space on a flag, features strongly across Europe, with many countries adopting flags that consist of simple horizontal or vertical stripes (France and The Netherlands, for example, featuring characteristic national flags with red, white, and blue, and Italy with its green, white and red), while others incorporate symbols like crosses, crowns, or eagles into their geometric layout.

On the topic of eagles, one of the most recognizable flags across the world today is Old Glory, the flag of the USA. Although the US had to fight a war to achieve independence from Britain, the colors of the old British flag are still echoed in the US national flag – but for entirely different reasons. Most notably, though, the US flag has become a symbol for freedom and democracy, and we think that makes it one of the coolest national flags in the modern world.