Country Flags - Good

Alright, it’s time to go abroad. I’m going to start with the nice ones. And that’s just this one post. Don’t worry, though, there will be plenty of posts for the bad ones.


#10  Barbados

What I like about this one is its simplicity, but also its distinctiveness. The basic structure is a tricolor, popularized by France and seemingly on half the countries across the globe. Okay, it’s really more like a bicolor, but that’s actually a pretty unusual variant (I can think of only Nigeria and Peru off the top of my head).

Further, the colors themselves are also rather different (I can only think of Sweden this time). They are, however, also very representative of the Caribbean island itself, symbolizing the blue of the sea and the golden sand of its beaches. 

And, finally, there’s that trident. Who else has one of those? What could be more simply evocative of the sea though? As a final touch, that trident is also a play on words of the country’s name. A trident could also be called … a barb! Get it?


#9  Swaziland

Hard to believe, but this baby was on somebody else’s 10 worst list. (By the way, they show a variant with a much darker blue.  And I do have to agree that that does not work anywhere near as well.). 

Personally, I just like the colors and that wonderful shield. BTW, that shield is a traditional Swazi number. It’s been on the flag all the way back to 1894. 


#8  Sri Lanka 

There are so many distinctive things about this one:

• That great lion
• That unique maroon (dark red? carnelian?) 
• The overall yellow border
• The length
• The two colors at the hoist

By the way, the original flag was just the right two-thirds – the stylized lion, the leaves, and the golden border. This was, in fact, the original flag of the kingdom of Ceylon, before the Brits took over. The green and orange were added latter, for the country’s two main ethnic groups, Muslims and Tamils. Unfortunately, those two never really did get along.


#7  Korea

Wow! So simple. So distinct. 

For example, let’s take a look at that white background. What other country has one of those? (Well, Cyprus does, but they’re kinda not a real country these days.)

Now, how about those symbols? I’m sure you recognize the yin-yang symbol. The others are called kwae, and represent various four-fold thingies such as the four seasons, the four compass points, the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water), and the Four Freshman (kidding about that last one).


#6  Philippines

There’s only two other flags out there (the Czech Republic and Djibouti, by the way) that does that cool thing with the triangle and the two stripes.  Kinda cool, huh?

Of course, the Filipinos have those Czechs and Eritreans beat bigtime with that awesome sun and stars (that’s what they are, right?). BTW, those (and the overall design) came from a relative of the famous Filipino freedom fighter Emilio Aguinaldo, and date all the way back to 1898.


#5  Panama

Hmm, am I detecting a theme here? Yup, it’s another play on Old Glory. 

Sorry about that, but I gotta admit, this one is just so perfect. How many other flags are divided up quarterly like that? And look at that perfect balance. This one just rocks.

No great origination story for this one, unfortunately. The traditional story, though, is that the colors represent the 1900 Panamanian equivalent of blue states and red states.


#4  Central African Republic

An interesting one (hey, what’s with the red stripe?), but also one with a great story behind it. Let me explain …

So, first, check out those colors. Red, white, and blue, right? Hmm, aren’t those the colors of their colonial masters, la belle France? And red, green, and yellow? Why, aren’t those the pan-African colors? And what color do both of those have in common? Why, red, of course! Genius! Absolutely genius.


#3  Guyana

Talk about unique … Nope, nobody even comes close to this. 

What makes this extra-special, super-good, though, is that it was designed by my hero – Whitney Smith himself. 

Interestingly, the original design lacked those fimbriations (the white and black bits). They were added later by the Royal College of Arms, for some reason. I like it.


2  Papua New Guinea

Like some of these here, it’s rather an obscure country. But it’s a damn nice flag. Think of some of the interesting things going on here:

• Square shape
• Triangular scheme
• Black and red color scheme
• Cool bird of paradise
• Southern Cross (tying PNG to Australia and New Zealand)

Interestingly, this beauty was designed by an 18-year-old local.


1  UK

Am I biased? Why, yes, I am. It’s where I’m from.

That said, this thing is just so darn awesome. Yeah, it’s pretty darn complex. But, wow, does it hang together. I honestly can’t think of a more iconic flag out there.

You may already know this, but the:

• White X and blue background are for Scotland
• Red cross and white border are for England
• Red X and white border are for Ireland (I know, that one’s a little weird and made up)

Honorable Mention

• Brazil
• Kenya
• Zambia
• Seychelles
• Faeroe Is.
• France
• Jamaica
• Malta
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Dominican Rep.

More links:

• Bad country flags
• US cities
• International
• US state flags
• Site intro