This is a list of sovereign states by the date in which they adopted their current national flag.

For most of these states, the date of flag adoption is clear, but for others the exact date of flag adoption is unknown or disputed because of design changes. This list defines the year of flag adoption as the year since when the current flag has been used continuously to represent a nation, autonomous region or occupied state. Only countries which are currently sovereign states are listed, although the flag may have been adopted before the countries gained independence. The listed countries may have undergone fundamental regime changes, great geographical changes or even temporarily lost autonomy, or undergone political unions or secessions. If the flag remained in use during such events, its original adoption date is listed. Changes that do not alter the basic design of the flag, like the changes in ratio or color shade, restyling of emblems or inscriptions or the addition or removal of stars, are listed in the last column. The current flag design often evolved over the years (e.g. the flag of the United States) or can be a re-adoption of an earlier, historic flag (e.g. the flag of Libya). The year the current flag design first came into use is listed in the third column.

List

CountryAdoption of current flag designFirst use of current flag designLast change to current flag design
 Denmark15 June 1219[1]12191893 (proportions formalized)
 Netherlands1660[2]1409–14101937 (colours formalized)
 United Kingdom1 January 180118011801 (merged with Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)
 Argentina27 February 181218122011 (proportions standardized)
 Chile18 October 181718171854 (the national coat of arms disappeared and the star was kept completely upright)
 Peru182518221950
 Uruguay182818281830 (sun of may modified, number of stripes reduced and colour changed)
 France18301794 (naval ensign)[note 1]1976 (colours standardized); current design reintroduced in 1830;[3] current design becoming the default in 2020[4]
 Tunisia18311827 (naval ensign)1999 (proportions formalized)
 Belgium183118311831
 Paraguay184218422013 (coat of arms modified)
 Turkey184417931936 (proportions standardized)
 Liberia184718471847
 Bolivia185118512004 (coat of arms modified)
 Ecuador186018102009 (modernized)
 Colombia186118101949 (official pattern issued, all flags with arms modified)[5]
 San Marino18621797[6]2011 (proportions standardized)
 Honduras186618232022[7] (change of colours)
 Japan18707011999 (exact colours specified, sun disc is perfectly centered, and proportions fixed)
 Guatemala187118681968[8]
 Tonga18751674 (as English Red Ensign)1875
 Monaco188118811881
 South Korea18831882[note 1] (designed by King Gojong or Pak Yeong-hyo)2011 (when the exact color shades were last changed from their previous colors [set in 1997]).
In 1948 the South Korean national assembly readopted this as the national flag with a modification of the taegeuk.
The trigrams were moved into their current place in 1949.
The exact dimensions were specified in 1984.
 Switzerland188914701841
 Philippines12 February 189818981998 (present definitive shades of blue and red)
 Norway189918211899 (removal of Union mark of Norway and Sweden)
 Australia3 September 190119011934 (dimensions officially gazetted)
 Cuba19021868 (naval jack of Cuba)1902
 New Zealand190218691902 (dimensions defined)
 Sweden19061562 (or earlier)1906 (removal of Union mark of Norway and Sweden)
 Costa Rica184818481998 (changes to coat of arms)
 Dominican Republic1908[9]18441908
 Portugal191119101910
 Albania19121444[10]22 July 2002 (colours standardized)
 El Salvador17 May 19121822 (as provincial flag within Federal Republic of Central America)17 May 1912 (colours specified, and replaced with its own coat of arms)
 Morocco191519151915 (the Seal of Solomon is replaced by a green pentagram)
 Thailand1917191730 September 2017 (colours standardized)[11]
 Austria191812301918
 Estonia191818842006 (colors standardized)[12]
 Finland191818611920 (colors changed)
 Germany19181848 (by the Frankfurt Parliament)[note 1]1999 (when the exact colours were specified)[13]
 Ireland191918481848
 Poland191918311921 (colors formalized)
 Jordan192819171928 (star introduced)
 Latvia192112791923 (proportions formalized)
 Republic of China19281921 (by the Guangzhou government)1921
 Panama192519031925 (upper left star and lower left quadrant changed to dark blue)
 Vatican City192918082023 (Papal tiara and keys modified)
 Liechtenstein193717641937 (addition of crown)
 Lebanon194319431943
 Iceland194419181944 (when the exact colours were changed)
 Indonesia194518811881
 Vietnam194519401955 (star edges made sharper)
 India24 July 194719231947 (Gandhian spinning wheel changed to Ashoka Chakra; colours formalized)
 Pakistan11 August 194714 August 19471947
 Italy19431796 (with Napoleon I)2006 (when exact colours were specified).
In 1948 the monarch's banner was removed, and the Italian Republic was proclaimed.
 North KoreaJuly 1948[14]1948[14]1992 (standardization, star and disc sizes changed)
 Israel194818911897
 Samoa194919481948
 People's Republic of China1 October 194927 September 19491 January 2021 (standardization of the colours)
 Somalia196019541954
 Hungary19571848 (1681)1956 (removing the Rákosi-coat of arms)
 Madagascar195819581958
 Guinea195819581958
 Central African Republic195819581958
 Chad195919591959
 Brunei195919061959 (crest added)
 Benin195919591959
 Niger195919581958
 Ivory Coast195919591959
 Singapore195919591959
 United States4 July 19601777[note 1]1960 (addition of a star after Hawaii became a state)
 Togo196019601960
 Gabon196019591960
 Cyprus1960196024 April 2006 (modification)
 Senegal196019591960
 Nigeria196019591959
 Mali196119591961 (removal of central stick figure)
 Sierra Leone196119601960
 Kuwait196119611961
 Algeria196219341962
 Jamaica196219621962
 Trinidad and Tobago196219621962
 Uganda196219621962
 Nepal16 December 196217431962 (modernized; the faces disappeared from the sun and moon)
 Malaysia195019501963 (14-point star and 14 stripes after Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the federation, remains unchanged in 1965 after Singapore was expelled and the addition of Putrajaya and Labuan in the flag)
 Kenya196319631963
 Tanzania196419641964 (merged with Tanganyika and Zanzibar)
 Malta196419431964 (background of George Cross changed to white)
 Zambia196419641996 (green field changed to a lighter shade)
 Maldives196519261965 (removal of striped hoist after Independence)
 Canada15 February 196519651965
 Gambia196519651965
 Ghana196619571966 (white stripe changed back to original yellow)
 Botswana196619661966
 Barbados196619661966
 Guyana196619661966
 Burundi196719621982 (ratio changed from 2:3 to 3:5)
 Antigua and Barbuda27 February 196719671967
 Nauru196819681968
 Mauritius196819681968
 Mexico19681821 (First Mexican Empire flag)1968 (coat of arms modified)
 Eswatini196819682011 (feathers changed to gray)
 Bhutan196919471969 (colour of the lower half changed from red to orange)
 Sudan197019701970
 Fiji197019241970 (emblem on flag changed)
 Qatar197119491971 (proportion modified)
 Andorra197118661971 (coat of arms modified)
 Nicaragua19081823 (as provincial flag within United States of Central America)1971 (coat of arms modified)
 United Arab Emirates197119711971
 Bangladesh197219711972 (removal of country's map)
 Sri Lanka197219481972 (four leaves of the Bo tree were added to the corners of the flag) [lower-alpha 1]
 Luxembourg19721845[15]1845
 Saudi Arabia197319321973
 Bahamas197319732006 (colours changed to turquoise)
 Guinea-Bissau197319731973
 Grenada197419741974
 Cameroon20 May 197519571975 (a yellow star added in the middle)
 Papua New Guinea197519711971
 São Tomé and Príncipe197519751975
 Angola197519751975
 Suriname197519751975
 Laos19751945 (by the Lao Issara government)1975 (communist takeover)
 Djibouti197719771977
 Solomon Islands197719771977
 Dominica199019781990 (yellow side of green stars removed, but old design seldom use today)
 Greece19781822 (naval ensign)[note 1]1978 (land flag abolished)
 Saint Lucia197919672002
 Marshall Islands197919791979
 Kiribati197919791979
 Equatorial Guinea197919721979 (re-adoption of coat of arms due to the collapse of Francisco Nguema regime)
 Federated States of Micronesia19791965 (as Flag of the TTPI which had 6 stars above)1979 (two stars removed due to reorganization of the Territory)
 Vanuatu198019801980
 Syria19801958[note 1]1958
 Zimbabwe18 April 198019801980
 Iran198019801980 (national emblem added to center of flag and religious script added due to the Islamic Revolution)
 Spain19811785[note 1]1981 (coat of arms replaced)
 Palau198119811981
 Belize1981198121 September 2019 (standardized)
 Mozambique19831975[16][note 1]1983 (change of emblem on the left side of flag)
 Saint Kitts and Nevis198319831983
 Burkina Faso198419841984
 Egypt198423 July 1952 (as Arab Liberation Flag)1984
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines198519851985
 Haiti18591806[note 1]1986 (re-adoption due to the collapse of Duvalier regime)
 Palestine198819881988
 Lithuania192219182004 (ratio changed)
 Romania198918671989 (removed emblem)
 Namibia199019901990
 Yemen199019521990
 Moldova199019902010 (emblem copied to reverse side)
 Armenia199019181990 (ratio changed)
 Azerbaijan199019182013 (when the exact colour shades were last changed from their previous colours set in 2004)
 Croatia19901848[note 1]1990 (redesign of the coat of arms)
 Russia1991[17]1696[note 1]1993 (ratio and colours changed)
 Bulgaria199118791991 (removal of the state emblem)
 Republic of the Congo10 June 199119591959
 Slovenia25 June 199118481991 (red star was replaced with coat of arms)
 Uzbekistan18 November 199119911991
 Mongolia12 January 199219402011 (colours standardized)
 Ukraine28 January 199218481918
 Turkmenistan19 February 199219922001 (ratio changed, carpet altered)
 Brazil11 May 199218891992 (addition of four stars after Amapá, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins became states)
 Kazakhstan4 June 1992[18]19921992
 Slovakia3 September 199218481992
 Cape Verde22 September 199219921992
 Tajikistan24 November 199219921992
 Czech Republic1 January 199319201920
 Eritrea24 May 1993[19]19931995 (ratio changed)
 CambodiaJune 199319481993 (re-adoption)
 South Africa27 April 199419941994
 Oman25 April 199519701995 (middle band to equal size)
 Belarus7 June 19951951[note 1]2019 (colours standardized)[20]
 North Macedonia5 October 199519951995
 Seychelles8 January 199619961996
 Ethiopia6 February 199619962009 (larger central disc)
 Tuvalu11 April 199719781997 (restoration of 1978 flag)
 Afghanistan27 October 1997199715 August 2021 (restoration of 1997 flag) [note 2]
 Bosnia and Herzegovina4 February 1998199810 August 2001
 Rwanda25 October 200120012001
 Comoros23 December 200120022021 (colours standardized)
 Bahrain14 February 200219322002 (white points reduced to 5)
 East Timor20 May 2002[21]19751975
 Georgia14 January 20041008[note 1] (approx. and disputed)2018 (minor change to geometry of the Bolnisi crosses)[22]
 Serbia20041835 (by the Principality of Serbia without coat of arms)[23][24][note 1]2010 (redesign of the coat of arms, exact colours defined)
 Montenegro13 July 200420042004 (first publication)
 Democratic Republic of the Congo20 February 2006[25]1963[note 1]2006 (return to 1966 design, colours changed to a lighter shade of blue)
 Venezuela12 March 2006181012 March 2006 (addition of a star)
 Lesotho4 October 20064 October 20064 October 2006
 Iraq22 January 2008196322 January 2008 (removal of stars, slight change to script)
 Kosovo17 February 200817 February 200817 February 2008
 Myanmar10 October 201010 October 201010 October 2010
 Libya17 February 201124 December 1951[note 1]2011 (readoption of the 1951 flag)
 South Sudan9 July 20119 July 2005[26]2023 (colours standardized by the media) [27][28]
 Malawi28 May 2012[29][30]6 July 1964[note 1]2012[29][30] (readoption of the 1964 flag)
 Mauritania15 August 201715 August 201715 August 2017 (addition of red bands)
 Kyrgyzstan26 December 2023202322 December 2023[31] (redesign of sun symbol)

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 The flag has not been in continuous use.
  2. ↑ de facto flag used by the unrecognized Taliban government.
  1. ↑ The flag originated as the flag of the Kingdom of Kandy (1592–1815), but was discontinued during British colonial rule, and was readopted in 1948 after Independence with few alterations.

References

  1. ↑ Bartholdy, Nils G.; Leksikon, Gyldendal (n.d.). "National Flag – The official Website of Denmark". Denmark.dk. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Poels, Jos (1–5 August 2011). "The Orange Pennant: The Dutch Response to a Flag Dilemma" (PDF). The Washington Flag Congress: 882–898. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  3. ↑ sache, ivan (15 June 2022). "France: Index of all pages". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. § Historical flags. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Macron switches to using navy blue on France's flag - reports". BBC News. 14 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  5. ↑ schneider, klaus-michael (26 August 2021). "Colombia - Historical Flags (1910-1949)". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. § 1949 Flags. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Breschi, Roberto (n.d.). "Sanmarino" [SAN MARINO]. www.rbvex.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. ↑ raeside, rob (25 August 2021). "Honduras - Historical Flags". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "Flags, Symbols, & Currencies Of Guatemala". WorldAtlas. n.d. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  9. ↑ "Dominican Republic Flag". That's Dominican. n.d. Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Elsie 2010, "Flag, Albanian", p. 140: "The eagle was a common heraldic symbol for many Albanian dynasties in the Late Middle Ages and came to be a symbol of the Albanians in general. It is also said to have been the flag of Skanderbeg...As a symbol of modern Albania, the flag began to be seen during the years of the national awakening and was in common use during the uprisings of 1909-1912. It was this flag that Ismail Qemal bey Vlora raised in Vlora on 28 November 1912 in proclaiming Albanian independence."
  11. ↑ สำนักงานพัฒนาวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยีแห่งชาติ (National Science and Technology Development Agency) (16 October 2017). "มาตรฐานแถบสีธงชาติไทย" [Thai flag colour standard]. มาตรฐานแถบสีธงชาติไทย (in Thai). National Science and Technology Development Agency. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Estonian Flag Act". Riigi Teataja. Riigikantselei, Justiitsministeerium. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2019. This Act enters into force on 1 January 2006.
  13. ↑ Federal Government of Germany (n.d.). "Primärfarben". Corporate Design Documentation (in German). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  14. 1 2 Tertitskiy, Fyodor (20 June 2014). "Kim Tu Bong and the Flag of Great Extremes". Daily NK. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  15. ↑ sache, ivan (9 August 2017). "Luxembourg". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Sitee. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  16. ↑ berry, bruce (5 February 2022). "Mozambique". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  17. ↑ poposki, valentin (24 July 2021). "Russia". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  18. ↑ lomantsov, victor (12 December 2020). "Kazakhstan". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  19. ↑ berry, bruce (31 December 2021). "Eritrea". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  20. ↑ harden, zachary (17 July 2021). "Belarus". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  21. ↑ harden, zachary (4 December 2021). "East Timor". FOTW "Flags Of The World" Web Site. Archived from the original on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  22. ↑ The parliament of Georgia (14 November 2018). "საქართველოს სახელმწიფო სიმბოლოების შესახებ" [Organic law of Georgia - About the state symbols of Georgia]. Სსიპ "საქართველოს საკანონმდებლო მაცნე" (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  23. ↑ D. Matic, Javno pravo Knjazevstva Srbije, Beograd, 1851, 33
  24. ↑ Српска државна застава у обновљеној Србији Archived 15 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine ("Политика", 1-4. мај 1937)
  25. ↑ Stadler, Paul (21 March 2011). "Zaire / Congo-Kinshasa". Encyclopedia of Christianity Online. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "Flag of South Sudan". Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  27. ↑ https://www.eyeradio.org/media-authority-warns-against-use-of-wrong-national-flag/
  28. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/www.motps.goss.org/posts/pfbid025pULB8KBPtbfJTJiRSpKYsRE4bzt3rxmzPr9D6x62Ecpu8HFjkBhswyUYckNkyLEl
  29. 1 2 Gwede, Wanga (28 May 2012). "Malawi Parliament approves to revert to original flag". Nyasa Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Malawi reverts to old flag". Sunday Times. 29 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  31. ↑ "Kyrgyz President Signs Bill Amending National Flag". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.

Works cited

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