List of sovereign states by date of current flag adoption

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of sovereign states by the date in which they adopted their current national flag.

For most of these states, the date of flag adoption is clear, but for others the exact date of flag adoption is unknown or disputed because of design changes. This list defines the year of flag adoption as the year since when the current flag has been used continuously to represent a nation, autonomous region or occupied state. Only countries which are currently sovereign states are listed, although the flag may have been adopted before the countries gained independence. The listed countries may have undergone fundamental regime changes, great geographical changes or even temporary lost autonomy, political unions or secessions. If the flag remained in use during such events, its original adoption date is listed. Changes that do not alter the basic design of the flag, like the changes in ratio or colour shade, restyling of emblems or inscriptions or the addition or removal of stars, are listed in the last column. The current flag design often evolved over the years (e.g. the flag of the United States) or can be a re-adoption of an earlier, historic flag (e.g. the flag of Libya). The year the current flag design first came into use is listed in the third column.

List[]

Country Adoption of current flag design First use of current flag design Last change to current flag design
 Denmark 1370 (or earlier)[1] 1370 (or earlier) 1893 (proportions formalized)
 Netherlands 1660[2] 1409-1410 1937 (colours formalized)
 Nepal 1743 1743 1962 (modernized; the faces disappeared from the sun and moon)
 United Kingdom 1801 1801 1801
 Chile 1817 1817 1854 (the national coat of arms disappeared and the star was kept completely upright)
 Argentina 1818 1812 2012 (proportions standardized)
 Peru 1825 1822 1950
 Uruguay 1828 1828 1830
 France 1830 1794 (naval ensign) 1976 (colours standardized); current design reintroduced in 1830.[3]
 Tunisia 1831 1827 (naval ensign) 1999 (proportions formalized)
 Belgium 1831 1831 1831
 Paraguay 1842 1842 2013 (coat of arms modified)
 Turkey 1844 1793 1936 (proportions standardised)
 Liberia 1847 1847 1847
 Bolivia 1851 1851 1851
 Ecuador 1860 1810 2009 (modernized)
 Colombia 1861 1810 1949 (official pattern issued, all flags with arms modified)[4]
 San Marino 1862 1797[5] 2011 (proportions standardised)
 Honduras 1866 1823 1933[6]
 Japan 1870 1870 1999 (exact colours specified, sun disc is perfectly centered, and proportions fixed)
 Guatemala 1871 1868 1968[7]
 Tonga 1875 1674 (as English Red Ensign) 1875
 Monaco 1881 1881 1881
 South Korea 1883 1882[note 1] (designed by King Gojong or Pak Yeong-hyo) 2011 (when the exact colour shades were last changed from their previous colours set in 1997).
In 1948 the South Korean national assembly readopted this as the national flag with a modification of the taegeuk.
The trigrams were moved into their current place in 1949.
The exact dimensions were specified in 1984.
 Switzerland 1889 1470 1841
 Philippines 1898 1898 1998 (present definitive shades of blue and red)
 Norway 1899 1821 1899 (removal of Union mark of Norway and Sweden)
 Australia 1901 1901 1934 (dimensions officially gazetted)
 Cuba 1902 1868 (naval jack of Cuba) 1902
 New Zealand 1902 1869 1902 (dimensions defined)
 Sweden 1906 1562 (or earlier) 1906 (removal of Union mark of Norway and Sweden)
 Costa Rica 1848 1848 1998 (changes to coat of arms)
 Dominican Republic 1908[8] 1844 1908
 Portugal 1911 1910 1910
 Albania 1912 1443[9] 22 July 2002 (colours standardized)
 El Salvador 17 May 1912 1822 (as provincial flag within Federal Republic of Central America) 17 May 1912 (colours specified, and replaced with its own coat of arms)
 Morocco 1915 1915 1915 (the Seal of Solomon is replaced by a green pentagram)
 Thailand 1917 1917 30 September 2017 (colours standardized)[10]
 Austria 1918 1230 1918
 Estonia 1918 1918 2002 (colours standardized)
 Finland 1918 1861 1920 (colours changed)
 Germany 1918 1848 (by the Frankfurt Parliament)[note 1] 1999 (when the exact colours were specified)[11]
 Ireland 1919 1848 1848
 Poland 1919 1831 1921 (colours formalized)
 Jordan 1928 1917 1928 (star introduced)
 Latvia 1921 1279 1923 (proportions formalized)
 Republic of China 1928 1921 (by the Guangzhou government) 1921
 Panama 1925 1903 1925 (upper left quadrant made white)
 Vatican City 1929 1808 1929 (Papal tiara and keys added)
 Liechtenstein 1937 1764 1937 (addition of crown)
 Lebanon 1943 1943 1943
 Iceland 1944 1918 1944 (when the exact colours were changed)
 Indonesia 1945 1881 1881
 Vietnam 1945 1940 1955 (star edges made sharper)
 India 24 July 1947 1923 1947 (Gandhian Spinning Wheel changed to Ashoka Chakra (Ashoka's Wheel; colours formalized))
 Pakistan 11 August 1947 14 August 1947 1947
 Italy 1948 1796 (with Napoleon I) 2006 (when exact colours were specified).
In 1948 the monarch's banner was removed, and the Italian Republic was proclaimed.
 North Korea July 1948[12] 1948[12] 1992 (standardization, star and disc sizes changed)
 Israel 1948 1891 1897
 Samoa 1949 1948 1948
 People's Republic of China 1949 1949 1949
 Somalia 1960 1954 1954
 Hungary 1957 1848 (1681) 1956 (removing the Rákosi-coat of arms)
 Madagascar 1958 1958 1958
 Guinea 1958 1958 1958
 Central African Republic 1958 1958 1958
 Chad 1959 1959 1959
 Brunei 1959 1906 1959 (crest added)
 Benin 1959 1959 1959
 Niger 1959 1958 1958
 Ivory Coast 1959 1959 1959
 Singapore 1959 1959 1959
 United States 1960 1777[note 1] 1960 (addition of a star)
 Togo 1960 1960 1960
 Gabon 1960 1959 1960
 Cyprus 1960 1960 24 April 2006 (modification)
 Senegal 1960 1959 1960
 Nigeria 1960 1959 1959
 Mali 1961 1959 1961 (removal of central stick figure)
 Sierra Leone 1961 1960 1960
 Kuwait 1961 1961 1961
 Algeria 1962 1934 1962
 Jamaica 1962 1962 1962
 Trinidad and Tobago 1962 1962 1962
 Uganda 1962 1962 1962
 Malaysia 1950 1950 1963 (14-point star and 14 stripes)
 Kenya 1963 1963 1963
 Tanzania 1964 1964 1964
 Malta 1964 1943 1964 (background of George Cross changed to white)
 Zambia 1964 1964 1996 (green field changed to a lighter shade)
 Maldives 1965 1926 1965 (removal of striped hoist after Independence)
 Canada 1965 1965 1965
 Gambia 1965 1965 1965
 Ghana 1966 1957 1966 (white stripe changed back to original yellow)
 Botswana 1966 1966 1966
 Barbados 1966 1966 1966
 Burundi 1967 1962 1982 (ratio changed from 2:3 to 3:5)
 Nauru 1968 1968 1968
 Mauritius 1968 1968 1968
 Mexico 1968 1821 (First Mexican Empire flag) 1968 (coat of arms modified)
 Eswatini 1968 1968 1968
 Bhutan 1969 1947 1969 (colour of the lower half changed from red to orange)
 Sudan 1970 1970 1970
 Fiji 1970 1924 1970 (emblem on flag changed)
 Papua New Guinea 1971 1971 1971
 Qatar 1971 1949 1971 (proportion modified)
 Andorra 1971 1866 1971 (coat of arms modified)
 Nicaragua 1971 1823 (as provincial flag within United States of Central America) 1908 (coat of arms modified)
 United Arab Emirates 1971 1971 1971
 Bangladesh 1972 1971 1972 (removal of country's map)
 Sri Lanka 1972 1948 1972 (four leaves of the Bo tree were added to the corners of the flag) [a]
 Luxembourg 1972 1845[13] 1845
 Saudi Arabia 1973 1932 1973 (design of sword modified)
 Bahamas 1973 1973 1973
 Guinea-Bissau 1973 1973 1973
 Grenada 1974 1974 1974
 Cameroon 20 May 1975 1957 1975 (a yellow star added in the middle)
 São Tomé and Príncipe 1975 1975 1975
 Angola 1975 1975 1975
 Suriname 1975 1975 1975
 Laos 1975 1945 (by the Lao Issara government) 1945
 Djibouti 1977 1977 1977
 Solomon Islands 1977 1977 1977
 Dominica 1990 1978 1990 (yellow side of green stars removed, but old design seldom use today)
 Greece 1978 1822 (naval ensign)[note 1] 1978 (land flag abolished)
 Saint Lucia 1979 1967 2002
 Marshall Islands 1979 1979 1979
 Kiribati 1979 1979 1979
 Equatorial Guinea 1979 1972 1979 (re-adoption of coat of arms due to the collapse of Francisco Nguema regime)
 Micronesia 1979 1965 (as Flag of the TTPI which had 6 stars above) 1979 (two stars removed due to reorganization of the Territory)
 Vanuatu 1980 1980 1980
 Syria 1980 1958[note 1] 1980
 Zimbabwe 18 April 1980 1980 1980
 Iran 1980 1980 1980 (national emblem added to center of flag and religious script added due to the Islamic Revolution)
 Spain 1981 1785[note 1] 1981 (coat of arms replaced)
 Palau 1981 1981 1981
 Belize 1981 1981 September 21, 2019 (standardized)
 Mozambique 1983 1975[14][note 1] 1983 (change of emblem on the left side of flag)
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1983 1983 1983
 Burkina Faso 1984 1984 1984
 Egypt 1984 1953 1984
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1985 1985 1985
 Haiti 1986 1806[note 1] 1986 (re-adoption due to the collapse of Duvalier regime)
 Palestine 1988 1988 1988
 Lithuania 1922 1918 2004 (ratio changed)
 Romania 1989 1867 1989 (removed emblem)
 Namibia 1990 1990 1990
 Yemen 1990 1952 1952
 Moldova 1990 1990 2010 (emblem copied to reverse side)
 Armenia 1990 1918 1990 (ratio changed)
 Azerbaijan 1990 1918 1918
 Croatia 1990 1848[note 1] 1990 (redesign of the coat of arms)
 Russia 1991[15] 1696[note 1] 1993 (ratio and colours changed)
 Bulgaria 1991 1879 1991 (removal of the state emblem)
 Republic of the Congo 10 June 1991 1959 1959
 Slovenia 25 June 1991 1848 1991 (red star was replaced with coat of arms)
 Uzbekistan 18 November 1991 1991 1991
 Mongolia 12 January 1992 1940 2011 (colours standardized)
 Ukraine 28 January 1992 1848 1918
 Turkmenistan 19 February 1992 1992 2001 (ratio and ornament design adjusted)
 Kyrgyzstan 3 March 1992 1992 1992
 Brazil 11 May 1992 1889 1992 (addition of six stars)
 Kazakhstan 4 June 1992[16] 1992 1992
 Slovakia 3 September 1992 1848 1992
 Cape Verde 22 September 1992 1992 1992
 Tajikistan 24 November 1992 1992 1992
 Czech Republic 1 January 1993 1920 1920
 Eritrea 24 May 1993[17] 1993 1995 (ratio changed)
 Cambodia June 1993 1948 1993 (re-adoption)
 South Africa 27 April 1994 1994 1994
 Oman 25 April 1995 1970 1995 (middle band to equal size)
 Belarus 7 June 1995 1951[note 1] 2012 (previous 1995 design with a thicker ornament pattern)[18]
 North Macedonia 5 October 1995 1995 1995
 Seychelles 8 January 1996 1996 1996
 Ethiopia 6 February 1996 1996 2009 (larger central disc)
 Tuvalu 11 April 1997 1978 1997 (restoration of 1978 flag)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 February 1998 1998 10 August 2001
 Rwanda 25 October 2001 2001 2001
 Comoros 23 December 2001 2002 2002
 Bahrain 14 February 2002 1932 2002 (white points reduced to 5)
 East Timor 20 May 2002[19] 1975 1975
 Afghanistan 2002 1928[note 1] 19 August 2013 (ratio changed)
 Georgia 14 January 2004 1350[note 1] (approx. and disputed) 2004 (proportions defined)
 Serbia 2004 1835 (by the Principality of Serbia without coat of arms)[20][21][note 1] 2010 (redesign of the coat of arms, exact colours defined)
 Montenegro 13 July 2004 2004 2004 (first publication)
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 20 February 2006 [22] 1963[note 1] 2006 (return to 1966 design, colours changed to a lighter shade of blue)
 Venezuela 12 March 2006 1810 12 March 2006 (addition of a star)
 Lesotho 4 October 2006 4 October 2006 4 October 2006
 Iraq 22 January 2008 1963 22 January 2008 (removal of stars, slight change to script)
 Myanmar 10 October 2010 10 October 2010 10 October 2010
 Libya 17 February 2011 24 December 1951[note 1] 1951
 South Sudan 9 July 2011 9 July 2005[23] 9 July 2011 (proportions defined, independent state)
 Malawi 28 May 2012[24][25] 6 July 1964[note 1] 6 July 1964[24][25]
 Mauritania 15 August 2017 15 August 2017 15 August 2017 (addition of red bands)

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q The flag has not been in continuous use.
  1. ^ The flag originated as the Flag of the Kingdom of Kandy (1592-1815), but was discontinued during British colonial rule, and was readopted in 1948 after Independence with few alterations.

References[]

  1. ^ "National Flag – The official Website of Denmark". Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  2. ^ Poels, Jos (2011). "The Orange Pennant: The Dutch Response to a Flag Dilemma" (PDF). The Washington Flag Congress.
  3. ^ http://flagspot.net/flags/fr-index.html#his Historical flags of France FOTW
  4. ^ "Colombia – Historical Flags (1910–1949)". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Sanmarino". www.rbvex.it. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Honduras – Historical Flags". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Guatemala Flag and Description". www.worldatlas.com. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  8. ^ "The Dominican Republic Flag - Dominican Flag meaning - ThatsDominican.com". Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  9. ^ Elsie 2010, "Flag, Albanian", p. 140: "The eagle was a common heraldic symbol for many Albanian dynasties in the Late Middle Ages and came to be a symbol of the Albanians in general. It is also said to have been the flag of Skanderbeg...As a symbol of modern Albania, the flag began to be seen during the years of the national awakening and was in common use during the uprisings of 1909-1912. It was this flag that Ismail Qemal bey Vlora raised in Vlora on 28 November 1912 in proclaiming Albanian independence."
  10. ^ "มาตรฐานแถบสีธงชาติไทย" [Flag of Thailand] (in Thai). National Science and Technology Development Agency. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  11. ^ Federal Government of Germany (17 December 2007). "Primärfarben". Corporate Design Documentation (in German). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Tertitskiy, Fyodor (20 June 2014). "Kim Tu Bong and the Flag of Great Extremes". Daily NK. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  13. ^ http://flagspot.net/flags/lu.html Flag of Luxembourg
  14. ^ http://flagspot.net/flags/mz.html Flag of Mozambique
  15. ^ http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ru.html Russian flag FOTW
  16. ^ http://flagspot.net/flags/kz.html Flag of Kazakhstan
  17. ^ http://flagspot.net/flags/er.html Flag of Eritrea
  18. ^ Flag of Belarus
  19. ^ http://flagspot.net/flags/tl.html Flag of East Timor
  20. ^ D. Matic, Javno pravo Knjazevstva Srbije, Beograd, 1851, 33
  21. ^ Српска државна застава у обновљеној Србији ("Политика", 1-4. мај 1937)
  22. ^ Stadler, Paul (21 March 2011). "Zaire / Congo-Kinshasa". Encyclopedia of Christianity Online.
  23. ^ http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ss.html Flag of South Sudan
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Malawi Parliament approves to revert to original flag". Nyasa Times. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b "Malawi reverts to old flag". Sunday Times. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2015.

Sources[]

  • Sources for most of the dates in this list can be found in the articles on the respective flags or per the Flags of the World database.
Retrieved from ""