The flag is red-white. White flag with red stripes: which country?

All sorts of combinations of white and red are extremely popular in state symbols. Flags of European countries and the state of other continents often use them in different combinations. What can be the layout options for these colors? And what is the meaning of such a flag? Red and white stripes or other drawings can mean completely different things. It is necessary to understand this in order to understand the history and culture of the countries of the world.

Turkey

The red flag with a white star and a crescent is used by the country on the border of Europe and Asia for more than a decade, or rather, for many centuries in a row. For the first time, this symbolism appeared here after the country adopted a new religion - Islam. The original detail is the absence of a green color, which often marks the symbolism of Islamic states and is present on almost all Arab cloths. On the flag of the Ottoman Empire, three crescents were depicted. A symbol with one crescent and a star began to be used after the sixteenth century. But before the flag was white and green, and only later colors changed. Only in the eighteenth century the flag acquired the familiar features. According to legend, Sultan Selim fought with Egypt and after a victorious battle saw in a pool of spilled blood the gleam of an evening star with a silver crescent. The combination so impressed the ruler that he decided to choose it for the national standard. However, then the star was seven- or eight-pointed and only in 1844 it acquired a familiar form with five rays.

Monaco

The official symbolism of a small European principality is used since April 4, 1881. The panel has a rectangular shape. The ratio of its length and width is 5: 4. The flag is red-white. It shows two horizontal bars of the same width. The princely family has its own standard - a white cloth with the emblem of the country in the center. It is used in the palace of the prince and on his yacht. In addition, they have a standard on both state and government agencies. Red and white flags of the countries of the world are not uncommon, but the Monaco state symbol is identical to only one standard, accepted in Indonesia. The eastern country officially adopted it in 1945, but the origin of the symbolism was extremely ancient, so the protest of Monaco was rejected. In Europe, the flag was created at the time of Charles III, he reformed the country's economy and created a casino in Monte Carlo. White and red were chosen as the colors of Grimaldi - a kind that has been leading a pedigree since the ninth century and has ruled the kingdom for more than a century.

Indonesia

Identical Monaco, the Asian symbol is also a two-color flag. The red and white standard consists of two horizontal equal-sized strips. The country, located on thirteen thousand islands and archipelagoes, has been using it as a state symbol since the middle of the twentieth century. The red strip is treated by the Indonesians as the color of human blood and the corporeal world, and white denotes the spirituality of man. The meaning of a combination of physical and spiritual is considered one of the oldest. The ratio of the width and length of the panel is strictly regulated and is two to three. At the heart of the modern standard is the imperial flag. The red and white Majapahit standard was used from the thirteenth century on the island of Java. Then the strip depicted nine bands, which were located horizontally. In 1922 a group of Indonesian students who lived in the Netherlands created their flag of two halves, red and white, and they housed a bullhead image. A few years later, he was formally accepted by the National Party of Indonesia. In August 1945, the country gained sovereignty and began to use such a flag. Red and white standard, however, "deprived" the image of the bull. Monaco protested about the identity of the flags, but the conflict in this regard was short, and as a result, both states remained under their symbols.

Poland

One of the European countries has a flag, the photo of which can be distinguished from the pictures of Monaco or Indonesian only under certain foreshortenings. It's about Poland. Its standard features two horizontal stripes: the upper white and the lower red. These colors are traditional for the state. The white flag with a red stripe symbolizes the feathers of the eagle, which Poles revere, against the background of the rays of the crimson sunset. In the state version in the upper part is a bird image. A red-and-white flag with an eagle is connected with the Poles with an ancient legend about Prince Lakha. He saw the majestic white eagle in the nest and decided to found the first capital of the Polish state there, calling it Gniezno. It is necessary to distinguish the national flag of Poland. Unlike the state, it does not have an image of the emblem of the country with an eagle. Despite the fact that the latter version was used more in history and serves as a banner for the world-famous Grunwald battle, red-and-white ribbons were used in national uprisings. Therefore, the Sejm, when Poland acquired sovereignty, decided to choose the white and red cloth as the national symbol.

Latvia

Many flags of European countries use a combination of shades of white and red. Latvia was no exception. On its panel combines red and white stripes, located horizontally. The territory, which is the modern Republic of Latvia, formerly belonged to Sweden, and then to Russia, but with the acquisition of sovereignty, the country began to use its own national symbolism. Latvia has a white flag with red stripes on top and bottom. The sides of the panel belong to each other as one to two, and the bands along the edges are twice as wide as the central one. Officially, the standard was approved in June 1921. In 1940, it was canceled, and in 1990 they returned again. According to legend, in the Middle Ages the banner was used as a symbol of knights from the guard of Cesis. Since 1870, they were also used by students and participants of national festivals, it was also used by Latvian units in the Russian army during the First World War. There is an opinion that the dark red color is a symbol of the victory of Latvian soldiers over the detachments of German knights. According to legend, the blood of the dead was poured into one pot, after which they dipped a white cloth thrown over the shaft. At the edges it was painted and only the band in the center remained bright. In 1917, a meeting was held, which determined the exact ratio of the bands and the absence on the standard of images of the emblem or other symbols.

Austria

There is another country with a state symbol, which resembles the Latvian flag. The red and white standard is used by close neighbors - the Austrians. The flag of this state includes three horizontal stripes: red at the edges and central white. Their size is the same. That is why the flag (the photo of which can be seen in our article) is still different from the Latvian one: the seaside country uses two broad bands and one narrow strip, and the Austrians use the same stripes of the same size. The colors of the standard have a special meaning. In addition to the meaning of red as a symbol of the blood of patriots, spilled in the battles for independence, and white as a sign of freedom after the overthrow of the monarchical regime, there is another option for deciphering. According to him, the central strip embodies the Danube River, which flows through Austria from west to east. According to an old legend, the canvas was invented by the Austrian Duke Leopold Fifth, while on a crusade. After a fierce battle, his white form was completely covered in blood, but as soon as he removed his belt, he found a white strip on his clothes. The duke really liked the combination of colors, and he began to use them on his standard.

Japan

Discussing the red and white flags of the world, it is worth mentioning this one. Japanese symbols have long been known in other countries and are not similar to any of the existing ones. The national flag is red-white, with a light background and a purple circle exactly in the middle. Such an image is the embodiment of the rising sun. According to legend, the standard was created during the Mongol invasion of Japan. He was offered to the emperor, who is considered a descendant of the sun goddess Buddhist monks. As a state standard, it was used after restoration in 1868. The aspect ratio is two to three. The flag is used both as a state and as a national flag. He also has a name - "Nisski", which translates as a "solar flag". There is also a variant of "Hinomaru". This means "solar disk". There is no exact history of the origin of the cloth. According to one of the legends, it was created by the Buddhist monk Nitiren, who handed it to the shogun during the Mongol invasion. In 1870, it was officially used as a commercial flag. On it the image of the sun was slightly closer to the shaft, and on the national cloth, approved by the law of 1999, the red disk is located exactly in the middle.

Hong Kong

A piece of cloth can be created not only from strips or circles. The original is a red flag with a white flower, owned by Hong Kong. On the panel there is a stylized flower called Bauchinia, depicted with five petals. At a distance from the center there are red five-pointed stars. The length of the flag in the standard version is ninety centimeters, and the width is sixty. Such a standard serves as a symbol of the country's cultural, regional and political significance. Red color and five stars on the petals show a connection with China and its national sign. The combination of colors denotes the political principle of "one country - two systems", which is applied in Hong Kong. The stylized Bauchinia flower, growing in the region, symbolizes the harmony of this dichotomy. A modern version of the flag, photos and images of which can be seen in the country everywhere, was adopted in February 1990. For the first time it was officially used in July 1997, when the territory received sovereignty. Rules for the use of the standard were agreed with the state council in Beijing. The description is governed by the Basic Law of Hong Kong, which determines the size and proportion of the parties constitutionally. A flower with red stars on each petal, connected to the center by curved lines resembling stamens, is inscribed in a circle three-fifths in diameter from the width of the canvas. The reverse side mirrors the front one. The length refers to the width of the flag as three to two.

Denmark

Another standard with red and white flowers belongs to the Danes. They call their cloth "Dannebrog". The flag with a white Scandinavian cross, slightly offset to the shaft and located on a red background, exists since the thirteenth century, making it the oldest existing state symbols. Once the scarlet cloth was used as a military banner of the German emperor. In addition, the state flags of Malta and Switzerland have similar symbols, as well as many coats of arms of cities and provinces in Europe. In the Danish standard, changes were made only once. In 1397, Queen Margaret of the First Kalmar Union unified the country with Sweden and Norway. Then in the upper left corner were three crowns. Sweden gained sovereignty in 1523, and Norway - in 1814. After this, Dannebrog was deprived of the image of the three crowns and acquired the former form, in which, according to an old legend, he descended to the Danes straight from heaven.

United States

The American flag also uses a combination of red and white. Such colors depict horizontal equal-sized stripes covering the standard along the entire length. To the left of the shaft is a blue rectangle half the breadth wide, on which fifty five-pointed stars are depicted, the color of which is white. Thirteen bands serve as a symbol of the same number of colonies that once formed an independent American state. They were Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and North Carolina. The blue rectangle is a symbol of the union. The number of stars on it represents the number of states. It changed with the course of development of the state. At the moment on the panel depicts fifty stars. Red color on the American flag becomes a symbol of valor and endurance, white is associated with purity and innocence, and dark blue personifies diligence, vigilance and justice. The width of the standard refers to its length as ten to nineteen. The rules for the use of the flag are determined by the US Flag Code, according to which it must never touch the ground. If the edges are worn, they should be restored or destroyed properly, most often it is burned. Hanging the flag at night, it must be illuminated. You can not use his image to advertise or decorate any one-off items. The flag can not be used for making clothes, drapes or bedding. It is not omitted as a sign of respect. You can decorate the US flag with a gold fringe. The angle with the blue rectangle should always be on top. The flag should be placed freely and waving in the wind - an exception was made only for American astronauts on the Moon. The standard is hung on holidays - on the New Year, on the day of Martin Luther King, in honor of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (February 12), on the days of the presidents, the armed forces and the memory of the dead soldiers. In addition, it is used during other national celebrations. For example, on Labor Day, constitution or independence.