Flags and Anthems of the World
Flags are among the most identifiable and recognizable objects in the world. They have been used for thousands of years, initially mainly as military banners. In that context they were—and to some extent remain—insignia of leadership, serving to identify friend or foe and as rallying points. However, flags are now much more common as symbols of countries, states and provinces, and organizations.
The colours and designs selected for national flags usually are not arbitrary but rather stem from the history, culture, or religion of a particular country. Political scientists, historians, sociologists, and others have considered flags to be expressive of cultures at certain times and places. Flags often provoke strong feelings and passions—e.g., pride, patriotism, anger, hate, or nostalgia—and they can be almost synonymous with a country (e.g., the United States), an organization (the United Nations), or a historical period (the swastika flag of Nazi Germany). Worldwide there is great interest in flags, both as symbols and as design objects.
National anthems, like national flags, also often engender a sense of patriotism or can evoke a range of other strong feelings, be they positive or negative. They too often are closely linked to a country’s identity outside its borders, such as the association of “The Star-Spangled Banner” with the United States or “La Marseillaise” with France. The playing of a national anthem frequently accompanies the presentation of the colours or the raising of the flag at a public event (e.g., a sports contest)—perhaps no more famously than during the awarding of medals at the Olympic Games, when the anthem of the gold medal winner’s country is played as the flags of all the finalists’ countries are raised.
Britannica is pleased to present this special feature on the Flags and Anthems of the World, which, in addition to providing links to images of the flags, has links to articles about each country and to the history of each flag, the latter written by Whitney Smith of the Flag Research Center, as well as links to instrumental renditions of national anthems for most countries.
