Why Are Flags All the Same Shape?

Factual Questions
21

Also, as mentioned before, many countries/states/whatever will have statuted very specific dimension specs for their official flag, as well as even specs of the exact Pantone-scale number of the shade of blue, or red, or green, to be used in the government-sanctioned banner.

However… very often, when you set up something like for instance the OP’s airport display, you will NOT see these “official” spec flags. What you will see is a bunch of commercially produced flags, at most one of them actually produced in the country it represents, and by people who will be just looking at some secondary reference rather than at the official specs sheet; plus, one of the main criteria for how they’re made will be aesthetic: to look as uniform as possible on the display, specially avoiding having people potentially offended at seeing the flag of their homeland smaller than that of their neighbor. The combination of these two factors results in a block of 1:1.5 or 1:1.67 flags, in “close enough” colors.

22

Yes, there is. It’s a “burgee” or swallowtail pennant.

As has been mentioned above, most national flags have different ratios as set by national law. However, most companies that produce flags for general use just cram them all into one size, ignoring the official ratios.

23

Not surprisingly, I am particularly aware of this “standardization” of flag sizes with the Canadian flag. The flag is 1:2 in proportion, with the central white area a 1:1 square and the flanking red bars each half the width of the white centre. Many non-Canadian sources show the flag graphically or physically in a “standard” shape closer to 2:3 or 3:5. The white section has to remain approximately square for the maple leaf to fit, so the red bars are significantly reduced in width and appear as narrow borders instead of wide bars.