About This Quiz
How well do you know the flags of these countries? Take this quiz to find out.
So, what's in a flag? Flags are simple pieces of material, but they carry quite a lot of meaning. Flags go back to the beginning of history as an identifying factor for civilizations. They were often military symbols, signaling which factions were participating in the battle, and serving as a way of understanding who won or lost (the side that captured the other side's flag, won).
For most of us, a flag is a patriotic symbol, denoting the nation to which it belongs. We fly flags at all national events, wear it with pride, and enact laws that protect it. The oldest national flag still in use is the flag of Denmark, which was first flown in 1478.Â
The US flag, known as Stars and Stripes or Old Glory, was designed by Francis Hopkinson and had only 13 stars on the original version in 1777. The American flag, as it is sometimes known, now boasts 50 stars for 50 states and 13 stripes for the original 13 colonies. Each of the 50 states also has its own unique flag that typically flies alongside the US flag.Â
Can you ace this flag quiz? Let's get started.
The official name of the Japanese flag is nisshoki, or "sun-mark flag." The first documented use of this flag was in 701. The Japanese flag isn't white and red, it is white and crimson.
On the Mongolian flag, the blue signifies the sky and the red signifies progress and prosperity. The current flag was adopted on February 12, 1992, after Mongolia transferred to a democracy. There is no longer a socialist star on the flag.
Croatians settled on the Adriatic coast around the seventh century, on the ruins of the Roman Empire. The huge HBO series, "Game of Thrones," was filmed on the Dalmatian coast in Split and Dubrovnik. The fortified walls of Dubrovnik are among the most preserved fortification systems in Europe.
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The Egyptian flag is made up of four colors - red, white, black, and yellow. Red represents the struggle against the British occupation of Egypt. White symbolizes the 1952 Revolution. Black stands for the end of the oppression of Egyptian people. And finally, yellow represents power and strength.
The original inhabitants of Jamaica cultivated corn and yams. Now they are famous for sugar cane, bananas, and mangoes, none of which are indigenous. Jamaica also produces Blue Mountain Coffee, a highly sought after and expensive coffee that is popular across the globe.
Israel's industry is highly technology-based. They grow cotton, vegetables, beef, and citrus. Their major exports are machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agriculture products, and chemicals. Israel is also home to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the Earth's surface.
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Ecuador is one of three countries created in 1830, after the collapse of Gran Colombia. Ecuador is named for the equator, which runs through the country. The Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador.
Finland is referred to as the land of a thousand lakes, but there are way more lakes in Finland than that. There are an incredible 187,888 lakes within the territory of Finland – the most of any country in the world. There is not a single pay phone within the territory of Finland.
The name Kenya originates from the Kikuyu, Embu, and Kamba names for Mount Kenya. Tradition also holds that the name may have come from a Hebrew origin, meaning "animal horn." In Russia and Old English, this name means "innocence."
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Spelled out in scrabble tiles, Mozambique would score more than any other one-word country. Mozambique has the only national flag with a modern weapon on it. The official language of Mozambique is Portuguese. In 2015, citizens voted to decriminalize homosexuality.
Estonia was the first country in the world to use online political voting. Estonian is the official language of the country, although Russia is widely spoken also. Almost 50% of Estonia is covered in forest. Estonia is the homeland of Skype and Hotmail.
The average height of a man from Ireland is 5"8". 90% of Irish nationals are Catholic, but only 30% actually attend church. Only 9% of the Irish population is a natural redhead. May is generally the driest month in Ireland.
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Australia is the only nation-continent of 20 million people in the world. More than 80% of Australians live within 100 kilometers of the coast, which makes Australia one of the world's most urbanized coastal populations.
Georgia isn't called Georgia by the people that live there, they call it Sakartvelo. The highest mountain range in Europe is the Caucasus, marking the border between Georgia and Russia. There is a huge amount of space-age architecture in Georgia.
The first known fireplace and construction in human history, which is dated from 700,000 to 500,000 years ago, was discovered in Azikh Cave, the largest cave in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is also home to the first town built entirely on stilts.
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Latvia's Internet speeds are among the fastest in the world. Latvia has 12,000 rivers and 3,000 small lakes. Around 54% of Latvia is forest, making it one of Europe's greenest countries. Latvia produces more female models per capita than almost anywhere else in the world.
The present territory of Tajikistan was once part of the Persian Empire, and, to date, it is influenced by Persian culture. Tajikistan is completely landlocked. Although it contains a few small lakes, they contribute only two percent of the water coverage of the country.
Belize is home to around 900 Mayan sites. Belize has the only jaguar sanctuary in the world, known as Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. The islands in Belize - around 450 total - are called Cayes. Belize is the only Central American country where the official language is English.
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Qatar is the leading producer of liquified natural gas. This Arab country produces about eleven billion cubic feet of LNG every day. Qatar also produces 283 barrels of crude oil every day. Qatar recently spent around $30 billion dollars on a new infrastructure for the country.
Lebanon has 18 different religious communities. The name Lebanon appears 75 times in the Old Testament. Byblos, in Lebanon, is the oldest continually occupied city in the world. Also, the first alphabet was written in Byblos, Lebanon.
El Salvador has the third largest economy in Central America, only behind Costa Rica and Panama. Spanish is the official language, but Nahuatl is still spoken in some regions. It is known as the "land of volcanoes" because there are more than 20 volcanoes in the region.
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The name Argentina comes from the Latin word for silver, argentum. The original European settlers thought that the country was full of silver, and there was even a legend about a mountain made of silver in Argentina that reached Spain in 1524. It is also the first country in South America to legalize gay marriage.
Traditionally Moldova’s biggest export market for wine was Russia. Russia consumed as much as 90 per cent of its wine. Unfortunately though, a diplomatic dispute in 2006 resulted in a Russian ban on Moldovan and Georgian produce, which has been devastating for Moldova's economy.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and it is also the third-largest country in the Caribbean. Haiti has the most mountains of any Carribean country. Only about 53% of the population can read and write in Haiti.
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Researchers claim that most Irish and Britons can trace their heritage back to Iraq and Syria. Iraq's national dish is called Masgouf, or impaled fish. Michigan, California, and Illinois have the highest numbers of Iraqi-born residents.
India has the largest postal network in the world. They have a huge number of post offices. A single post office on average serves about 7,175 people. India is also the wettest inhabited space in the world. Shampooing was invented in India.
Denmark is reported to be the happiest place in the world. Denmark is an archipelago made up of over 100 islands, including some that aren't inhabited. Denmark is also considered to be the least corrupt country in the world.
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The Cambodian flag is the only national flag to feature an image of a building, the Angkor Wat. Half of the Cambodian population is under 15 years old. In Cambodia, the head is considered the highest part of the body and shouldn't be touched, not even in a kind way.
For more than 2000 years, Istanbul was the capital of three empires - Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. The first known University in history is in Harran, in SE Turkey. The most precious silk carpet in the world is in the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey.
Libya had only one King in its entire history. Idris was king of the country from 1951- 1969, as well as the head of the Senussi Muslim order. In 1969, his regime was defeated by Gaddafi.
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After the successful Mexican revolution from Spain on September 15, 1821, Nicaragua won its independence from Spain as well. Almost three quarters of the population lives on less than $2 per day. This country has the lowest crime rate of all the Central American countries.
Botswana is home to the world's largest concentration of African Elephants, most specifically in Chobe National Park. Almost 38% of the country's surface is dedicated to National Parks. The border between Botswana and Zambia is only 150 meters, making it the shortest border between countries in the world.
In Taiwan, only the teachers switch classes, not the students. Taiwanese apartments are vertical - unlike American homes, which are short and fat, apartments in Taiwan are tall and skinny.
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Fiji is made up of 333 islands, but only one third of them are inhabited. There is an average of 70 inches of rainfall each year. The total land area of Fiji is 7045 square miles, with 702 miles of coastline.
Since December of 1975, the official name of Laos has actually been "Lao People's Democratic Republic," but everyone still calls it Laos. A full 80% of Laotian work is in agriculture and their biggest export is coffee.
Paraguay's nickname is the corazon of America (the heart of America). Paraguay's literacy rate is higher than the United States' literacy rate. In Paraguay, 94% of fifteen-year-olds can read, compared with 86% in the United States.
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Chad attained independence from France on August 20, 1960. Chad has been inhabited since at least 500 B.C. The Sahara desert occupies one-third of Chad's surface. This country has had long lasting Muslim and Christian conflicts.
The two stars on the Syrian flag represent the previous union between Syria and Egypt. The largest lake in Syria is Lake Assad, but it is actually manmade and has only existed since 1968. The Shouting Valley is the connecting point between Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan.
Peru grows over 55 varieties of corn and grows almost every color, including white, yellow, purple, and black. Peru has the second largest number of shamans in the world, second only to India. Peru is the sixth largest producer of gold in the world.
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The royal bengal tiger is Bangladesh's national animal. Tigers have a roar that can be heard up to 3 kilometers away. More than half of Bangladesh's population is composed of farmers. Despite the excess of farming, most of their export earnings come from the garment industry.
Brazil is named after a tree, Brazilwood. Brazil shares a border with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. Every Brazilian city has a soccer stadium because they are obsessed with soccer. Brazil is ranked number nine in soccer standings around the world.
The president and thirteen other government officials strapped on scuba gear and sat at desks at the bottom of the ocean in an attempt to raise awareness about the dangers facing the island chains in the Maldives. It has one of the richest sea environments in the world.
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Chomolungma is the name that the Nepalese people call Mt. Everest. It translates to "Goddess Mother of the World." 44% of the Nepalese people speak the native language, Nepali. 81% of their population is Hindu.
Somalia is known as the Nation of Poets. Poetry has been a national and historical component of the culture. Businesses recite a poem before they open and families do the same to commemorate big events. Somalia has one of the highest livestock populations in the world.
The Big Bang theory originated in Belgium, between a priest and a physicist. Belgian men are the second tallest in the world. Belgium was the second country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Europe's first skyscraper was built in Belgium.
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Nigeria has over 250 different ethnic groups. The Niger River is West Africa's longest river. This is historically one of the oldest inhabited lands in all of the world. Nigeria also has the largest variety of butterflies. The country is the biggest producer of crude oil.
The top five exports in Guatemala are raw sugar, bananas, coffee, gold, and the precious metal ore. Around 60% of the population can't read or write in Guatemala. Due to Spanish influences, most Guatemalans are Catholic. The country has more than 29 active volcanoes.
Madagascar has been an isolated island for over 70 million years, breaking away first from Africa around 165 million years ago, and then from India around 100 million years ago. Because of this, 90% of its flora and fauna are found only on Madagascar.
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The people of Guinea are 90% Muslim and 5% Christian, with the remaining people still following indigenous beliefs. The official language is French, although many of the subcultures in Guinea speak their own language. Guinea gained independence from France in 1958.
Palestine is a country with only partially recognised state territories, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Middle East. Wild boar, foxes, mountain gazelles, wolves, jackals, hyenas, leopards and the Nubian Ibex are all wild animals you can see in Palestine.