Ten questions on flags and national emblems, each with the documented meaning behind the design.
Flags are dense with deliberate meaning, and most of it goes unread. This quiz covers well-known national flags, the terms used to describe their parts, and a few designs that break the usual rules entirely. It also covers emblems that appear beyond flags, on coins and official documents. The explanations give the official symbolism where records exist, and flag where a widely repeated meaning is actually later folklore.
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
Play it insteadAnswer: D. A red disc representing the sun
Why: The plain red disc on white represents the sun. Japan's name in Japanese means roughly origin of the sun.
Answer: D. Canada
Why: The eleven-pointed maple leaf was adopted in 1965 after long debate. The point count was chosen for clarity in wind, not for symbolic reasons.
Answer: D. Not rectangular
Why: It is the only national flag that is not a rectangle or square, formed from two stacked pennants. Its proportions are fixed in the constitution by geometric construction.
Answer: B. Vexillology
Why: Vexillology comes from vexillum, a Roman military banner. Heraldry, related but distinct, deals with coats of arms.
Answer: C. England, Scotland and Ireland
Why: It layers the crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick. Wales is not represented, as it was already joined to England when the flag was formed.
Answer: D. 50
Why: One star represents each state, with thirteen stripes for the original colonies. Stars have been added as states joined, most recently in 1960.
Answer: C. Order and Progress
Why: Ordem e Progresso comes from the positivist philosophy influential among the founders of the republic. The star arrangement depicts the sky over Rio on a specific date in 1889.
Answer: A. The background area
Why: The field is the background against which other elements sit. The vertical strip nearest the pole is called the hoist.
Answer: D. The Ashoka Chakra
Why: It is a 24-spoked wheel taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka. It replaced the spinning wheel used on an earlier design.
Answer: D. Lebanon
Why: The cedar has symbolised Lebanon since antiquity and appears in ancient texts. Its forests are now much reduced and legally protected.
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On the flag of Ireland, the orange band is generally understood to represent which group?
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The off-centre cross used by Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland is known as what?
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Which country's flag features a temple complex?