Fun Fact of the Week Four: Flag Fun Fact Iceberg

“Flags: like opinions, everybody has one, most are terrible,” once said a great popularizer of vexillology. Although sometimes it can seem difficult to care, flags can often be greatly revered and hailed as markers of pride and struggle among communities around the globe. So, let’s take a look at some interesting flag facts in an internet-friendly Iceberg tier list. This article is written assuming out of the set of UN-recognized member states, unless otherwise stated. 

Layman:

The flags of Chad and Romania are identical.

Nepal is the only non-rectangular national flag; Ohio is the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag. 

Jamaica is the only flag without red, white, or blue on it.

Utah, Minnesota, and Mississippi all changed their state flags in the last 5 years. 

Amature Vexillologist:

Wales and Bhutan are the only flags featuring dragons.

The Spanish flag has pink on it, and the Dominican is the only flag with purple on it. (El Salvador has a rainbow, but no purple)

Switzerland and the Vatican City have flag ratios of 1:1. 

It is widely accepted that Denmark has the oldest flag. 

Advanced Vexillologist:

The Japanese prefecture flags are better than the U.S. state flags by a mile (or 1.6 km)

The Oregon flag is double-sided; so is the flag of Paraguay (although both sides are strikingly similar). 

The flag of Apartheid South Africa featured a flag within a flag within the flag. 

The flag of the Philippines is flown upside-down, so the red is on top, during a state of war. 

Deep Flag Lore:

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly refused to allow its flag to be printed on FIFA soccer balls, due to the Shahada being a part of the flag, and the idea of kicking a holy religious symbol wasn’t terribly appetizing. 

The designer of the flag of Nigeria, Taiwo Michael Akinkunmi, died last year, but hasn’t been buried yet. According to the BBC, as of September 3, “a senator sponsored a successful motion that he be given a state burial. However, no plans have ever been made,” other than a single phone call. After waiting many months, the local state government of Oyo stepped in and paid for the funeral. It is set to occur soon, although no further news has been written since September 3. 

In 1920, the official flag of the Olympic games went missing. 80 years later it was revealed that an American Platform Diver by the name of Hal Haig Prieste broke into the building on a bet, climbed the 15-foot flagpole, and kept it in his suitcase for 80 years. In an interview with the BBC, he said "It was no good to me – I won't be able to hang it up in my room." Hal Haig Prieste ran the torch relay in 1996 at 100 years old.