# Coolest national flags **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701 "2005-09-21T14:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/1 "2005-09-21T14:38:16Z")
We’ve got threads on the coolest U.S. state and U.S. city flags, so why not talk about cool national flags? Of course I appeal not to your patriotism, but your sense of aesthetics. My picks: **United States** - A classic; good colors, good symbolism, highly evocative. **United Kingdom** - Ditto. **Antigua and Barbuda** - Striking design. **Bahrain** - Love that jagged line and visually-interesting asymmetry (ditto **Qatar** ). \*\*Finland \*\* - Cool and elegant. \*\*Estonia \*\* - Usually tricolors are boring, but for some reason I’ve always liked the blue, black and white stripes of this flag. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/2 "2005-09-21T15:04:32Z")
[Nepal](http://www.flags.net/NEPA.htm), for thinking outside the box (sorry) [The Phillippines](http://www.flags.net/PHIL.htm), for this bit of trivia: the flag shown in the link is correct for peacetime only. During times of war, the flag is meant to be flipped, and flown red-side-up. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/3 "2005-09-21T15:11:54Z")
Surely many Americans would vote for Mozambique’s flag featuring the AK-47 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/4 "2005-09-21T15:27:05Z")
I’ve always been partial to Scotland. Simple and classy. Ireland too, for that matter; plus, I like the symbolism. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/5 "2005-09-21T17:46:08Z")
I like Wales’s flag, but then, I like dragons. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/6 "2005-09-21T18:01:28Z")
I quite like the [Polish](http://www.flags.net/POLA.htm) flag. It’s very solid and reassuring. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/7 "2005-09-21T18:28:07Z")
I vote for [Libya,](http://www.flags.net/LBYA.htm) for simplicity and uniqueness. Who else would think to have a one-color flag? Of the flags with more than one color, I like [Canada’s](http://www.flags.net/CANA.htm) the best. Simple, elegant, and unique. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/8 "2005-09-21T18:42:28Z")
[St Lucia](http://www.flags.net/STLU.htm)’s is kinda cool as well. Reminds me of a Star Trek emblem. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/9 "2005-09-21T18:44:27Z")
Simplicity is key. I’m not a huge fan of the American flag because it’s so _busy_. Pretty colors, though… Countries with no imagination who just line up some colors horizontally or vertically normally don’t get my vote, either, but somehow Austria’s flag appeals to me. I like Canada’s flag, and Japan, and the Czech republic. Oh, and Switzerland. The Scandinavian flags, with the crosses, are good too. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/10 "2005-09-21T18:49:48Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Of the flags with more than one color, I like Canada’s the best. Simple, elegant, and unique. It is all these things. But do you know what they call it? “The nosebleed.” I like Scotland’s too. Also [Denmark’s](http://www.roennebech.dk/grafik/dannebrog.gif). (They plaster their flag all over the place too. At Christmas they put strings of 'em on trees. Their tourist bureau logo is the flag in a heart shape, which is perfect.) ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/11 "2005-09-21T19:00:22Z")
The Canadian flag is known as the nosebleed? Where? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/12 "2005-09-21T19:34:43Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > The Canadian flag is known as the nosebleed? Where? I never heard of this expression either. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/13 "2005-09-21T19:43:23Z")
I’ll second [Wales](http://flagspot.net/flags/gb-wales.html); if you like dragons [Bhutan](http://flagspot.net/flags/bt.html) is also cool. I also like [Algeria](http://flagspot.net/flags/dz.html); in fact, it may be my favorite national flag. (I like crescent designs and I think red, white, and green make an appealing color combination.) [Japan](http://flagspot.net/flags/jp.html) has a classic simplicity to it; among flags that are probably too complicated for their own good, I think [Kazakhstan](http://flagspot.net/flags/kz.html) is pretty. I also kind of like [Kyrgyzstan](http://flagspot.net/flags/kg.html). ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/14 "2005-09-21T19:50:45Z")
I like [Iceland](http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/europe/iceland.htm) and [Norway](http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/europe/norway.htm) . Good balance of pleasant colours, strong, simple designs that aren’t too busy. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/15 "2005-09-21T20:40:04Z")
[Finland](http://www.flags.net/FINL.htm). Simple, noble, recognizable. Also, I’ve always thought [Saudi Arabia](http://www.flags.net/SAAR.htm)’s flag was kinda cool, for one of the too complicated designs. [Pakistan](http://www.flags.net/PAKS.htm)’s is nice too. For a neat flag with no religiosity, give me [Greenland](http://www.flags.net/GRLD.htm). Canada’s is nice too. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/16 "2005-09-21T21:18:44Z")
Two good ones are [Cyprus](http://www.flags.net/CYPR.htm) , which contains a map of the country , and [Lebanon](http://www.flags.net/LEBA.htm) which has a picture of a cedar tree. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/17 "2005-09-21T21:25:05Z")
Well, not only for patriotic reason, I love the symbolism of the US flag. But it’s hard to completely objective, so take it for what it’s worth. I, too, vote for St Andrew’s Cross. But then, I’m half Scot, so see above. ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/18 "2005-09-21T21:40:24Z")
Peru’s flag has a coat of arms that features a llama, a quinine tree and a cornucopia of gold coins – it’s all-singing, all-dancing all the time. I’ve formulated a theory that countries with animals on their flags tend to be less developed on balance and tend also to have more problems and violence. Sri Lanka, where I was for the last two years, not only has a lion, but a lion holding a [i[sword\*. Go figure. And Bhutan has the whole dragon on rollerblades thing going, so that’s cool too. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/19 "2005-09-21T22:41:10Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I never heard of this expression either. Neither have I. I like our flag. Simple and yet unique, and very recognizable. I’m also fond of Japan and Jamaica. Israel’s is very striking. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701/20 "2005-09-22T00:29:19Z")
I like Gibralter for being so hideous. Such forced symbolism yet ever so grandesque. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-national-flags/322701.md?page=2)