The Coolest Flags Around the World, 2022
I’m no vexillology professor — or, the study of flags — but I bet I could win big on a flag-guessing game show or something like that. That’s because throughout my life I have spent more time than I care to admit admiring flags. Since 2019 I’ve been writing about the national flags that I like the most, and for this fourth iteration I realized it was time to start giving each year’s honorees their own posts so that they all get more time to shine. Much like the sun chilling in the Uruguayan flag (more on that later).
In 2022, I’ve got ten more cool* flags and their history to unfurl for you. We’ll be spending some time looking respectfully at a variety of island nations’ banners, with some stops across Europe and South America along the way.
*Like, they nailed a clean design, or they just have a good vibe, you know?
Saint Lucia
Now, I could tell you that the only reason that Saint Lucia’s flag is on this list is because it has some wonderful symbolism behind it: the blue is for the sky and the seas that surround this Caribbean island; the black and white for harmony between black and white folks; the yellow for sunshine. That’s just lovely. But I would be remiss to not also say that part of the reason it’s on here is because it looks like the closest thing we’ve got to a real-life Starfleet emblem. I mean, come on, the yellow’s secondary interpretation is that it represents “prosperity.” Live long and prosper, Saint Lucia.
Vatican City
Although the Holy See has existed for thousands of years, it’s only been recognized as a separate legal entity from Italy since 1929, when the “Roman question” was finally settled. The answer was agreed-upon by King Victor Emmanuel III and Pope Pius XI, granting popes rights to govern Vatican City independently of the Italian government in Rome which surrounds it. That year its flag came into being too, which is inspired by the former Papal States’ flag from 1808. The yellow and white represent gold and silver, materials that make up the keys of Saint Peter, which are also featured on the flag, beneath the Papal Tiara.
The Bahamas
When The Bahamas gained independence from the UK in 1972, Bahamians wanted to demonstrate their “vigour and force,” represented in the flag by the color black, which is in the shape of a triangle to show their peoples’ “enterprising and determined” nature. The gold is for the shining sun and the land beneath, while the aquamarine is for all the water that surrounds it. Flags often have water and land symbolically depicted on them, but the hue of the aquamarine here is a distinct, and truly enterprising choice. There’s no other flag out there with this pleasing combination.
Ukraine
Another banner with distinctive shades of yellow and blue is the Ukrainian flag. Here, the colors were inspired by the fire and water deployed in the Cossacks’ traditional ceremonies, with their use harking back to as early as 1410. Since the first unfurling of the bicolor in 1848’s Spring of Nations — when many revolutions took place in Europe, resulting in a burst of newly independent states — it has been a symbol for Ukraine’s support of republicanism. Though Ukraine and the flag itself have faced dark moments, such as when its use was outlawed during the Soviet era, they both always come roaring back, because Ukraine is not weak.
Nauru
This flag doesn’t only depict the geographic location of Nauru itself, but the entire design naturally evokes this Pacific island nation’s aesthetic: a feeling like you’re staring out at an infinite, beautiful sunset and miles of blue ocean. Maybe that’s just me. Officially, the gold stripe represents the Equator, and the star beneath it specifies that the country is one degree south of it. The star has 12 points to pay tribute to the island’s 12 tribes. Another fun fact is that at just 8.1 square miles, Nauru is the smallest island nation, republic, and second-smallest in terms of population (~10,000), behind only the aforementioned Vatican City.
Cape Verde
It would have felt like a disservice to give Nauru’s flag the honors of being on this list without also welcoming Cape Verde’s. It’s like the evolved form of Nauru’s style. Similarly too, the blue here represents the ocean and the sky, while the white and red band depicts “the road toward construction of the nation,” with white being peace and red for effort. But, instead of representing people, the stars arranged in a circle here represent the ten main islands that make up this archipelago off the coast of West Africa. Plus, again, it’s just a slick combo.
Dominican Republic
Do you love liberty? Do you love salvation? What about the blood spilled by heroes? Well, the last one is a little tricky, but the Dominican Republic’s national flag represents all three of these mostly good things, plus the national coat of arms which bears the phrase “Dios, Patria, Libertad,” aka “God, Homeland, Liberty.” Regardless of how much you like that stuff, it’s a design that brings in a lot of classic vexillological elements like a cross, crest, and bicolors, but tastefully combines them.
Uruguay
I’ve covered a variety of flags that get some style points for simply having good vibes, and one that is decidedly within that category is Uruguay’s banner. Sorry, multiple banners. Uruguay has three official flags. You’re looking at the national flag, the “National Pavilion,” which features the Sun of May chilling dead-center (representing the Incan god of the sun, Inti). Inti shares co-official national flag status with the “Flag of Artigas,” which is another stunner. It was designed by José Gervasio Artigas, who is Uruguay’s national hero for his role in its independence movement, as founder of Uruguay’s Liga Federal (Federal League) with what became Argentina and Brazil. His flag is often flown alongside the National Pavilion and its prominent diagonal red stripe symbolizes federalism (very on-brand).
Tonga
As you might expect for a chain of 169 islands located more than a thousand miles northeast of New Zealand, Western religion didn’t really take off there. That is, until the early 19th century, when an English missionary made it his whole, uh, mission, to convert all of those islands to Christianity. And boy, did he: by the time he was finished in 1845, the country’s highest-ranking chief ascended to the throne as King George Tupou I, and a devout Christian. He had the nation’s first flag designed to honor Tongans’ newfound religiosity. Thus, the red in the flag represents the Blood of Christ, the white represents purity, and of course, there’s a big old cross. He loved it so much — and to be fair, 97% of the country is still Christian — that he codified it in the constitution that the national flag cannot be changed. Accordingly, the Kingdom of Tonga remains one of just 28 countries whose flag has “overtly Christian symbols” on it. But even as a non-religious guy, I gotta say that it is one clean design. Aside from all the blood.
Estonia
For our final honoree this year, we’ll keep it simple: the Estonian flag makes elegant use of the common tricolor style by bringing together three that you rarely see together — and again, another interesting blue hue that makes it pop. Estonia’s “blue-black-white,” as it’s known there, had its symbolism given to it by one of its most famous 19th century poets, Martin Lipp. His “The Estonian Flag” (literally) poem prescribed that the blue is for the sky above the black of the soil and the fate of the Estonians who subsist upon it — “for centuries black with worry” — while the white beneath provides the foundation of hard work, commitment, and like Tonga’s, purity. I’ll also add an honorable mention that their naval jack is like a remixed Union Jack and all the crosses use the same shades of blue, black, and white and it looks rad.
That about wraps it up (so to speak) for 2022’s coolest flags around the world. I hope I’ve done a little to inspire you to consider also becoming an amateur vexillologist, or have at least provided you with some pretty interesting Wikipedia rabbit holes to fall down. Happy Flag Day.
