Something similar happens with flags. No, it’s not a matter of lack of legibility. It’s usually just a matter of putting two colors together that simply don’t go together. Red and green, for example. Or red and blue. Heck, how about blue and black?
Interestingly, heraldry – from which many flags can trace their origin – does not allow such things to happen. They have rules that state that darker colors – red, blue, green, black – have to border on lighter ones – white and yellow, mainly.
These guys? Heck, they don’t need no stinkin’ rules.
#6 Russia
This may very well be where it all started. The Russian flag was famously created as a simple re-jiggering of the flag of the Netherlands (red, white, and blue). Turns out Peter the Great visited there early in his reign and much admired what he saw, including their flag. Unfortunately, he also violated some basic rules of heraldry when he switched the colors around a little and came up with this baby.
I will spare you all the others – Slovenia, Slovakia, etc. – that closely mimic this.
#5 Armenia
I’m not sure if the Russian flag influenced this one or not. It was originally adopted back in the 1920s, when Armenia was briefly independent. There was also, however, a very similar flag dating all the way back to the 14th Century.
The orange on this flag is officially known as “apricot.” Somehow or other, it represents “courage.”
#4 Estonia
We’re still in the general area of the old Soviet Union, so I’m guessing there’s probably an influence here as well. Estonia’s flag dates all the way back to 1881. It’s called the sinimustvalge, which is Estonian for “blue-black-white,” but sounds a lot like the “cinnamon flag” to me.
Here’s a fascinating photo that shows a winter landscape in Estonia, and also offers an alternative explanation for where the flag comes from (credit: Valmar Valdmann):
#3 Libya
This one’s a multiple offender – black on red and black on green. And they do not have Russia to blame here either.
Libya’s flag dates back to 1951, when Libya gained its independence (from Italy, of all places). The colors are directly from the three states – Tripoli, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan – that made up the modern country. And those flags were basically just the solid colors –green, black, and red, respectively – with some moons and stars sprinkled on them.
This flag was superseded in 1969 by two horrors owing much to Col. Qaddafi. The first was the same as Egypt’s (a red, white, and black horizontal tricolor). The second was just a solid block of green. The original flag was restored in 2011 when Qaddafi was ousted.
Wanna see what that flag might look like with some fimbriations (a white line to separate the colors)?
Not bad, if I must say so myself. Might work for Armenia as well.
#2 Bangladesh
Now, there are actually certain color combinations that are, not just hard to read or aesthetically objectionable, but that actually do weird things with your eyes. Red and green are the classic example, setting off seeming vibrations. Tell me this doesn’t happen to you on this one.
The red on the Bangladeshi flag supposedly represents the “blood of the martyrs of independence,” or some such tired patriotic theme. Correspondingly, the “bottle green” of the background represents the “lushness of the country.” For me, the two have always said “hot sun” and “Islam.”
Interestingly, the Bangladeshi flag is the only one other than Japan’s and Palau’s (yellow disc on light blue background) that uses this basic format.
#1 Morocco
So, if that last one didn’t vibrate for you, this one surely will.
Up to 1915, the Moroccans used a plain red flag. They then added this star, known as the seal of Solomon (and symbolizing the Five Pillars of Islam). Interestingly, that symbol is also known officially as a “pentagram” (which, admit it, definitely sounds a little satanic).
Morocco has had some very interesting flags in the past. In the 11th through 13th Centuries, Moroccan flags prominently featured a checker board. In the 17th through 19th Centuries, it was a pair of scissors.
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