DK - WOW! The Visual Encyclopedia of Everything

207

INDIA

At the centre of the

tricolour (three colours) is the

ashoka chakra, meaning “wheel

of law”. This symbolizes the hope

that the country will continue to

move forward peacefully.

MEXICO

Traditionally, these

colours had religious and military

connotations, but the new

meanings are defined as hope

(green), unity (white), and

the blood of heroes (red). The

central image is a symbol from

an earlier Aztec heritage.

IRELAND

This has been the flag

of Ireland since 1919. The orange

stands for Protestants, the green

for Catholics, and the white for

the peace between them.

SOUTH KOREA

A red and blue Yin Yang

symbol on the South Korean flag

represents the Chinese philosophy

that everything in the Universe has

an opposite. The four surrounding

trigrams (groups of three lines)

represent the ideals of balance,

circulation, harmony, and symmetry.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Spain

St Lucia

Guyana

China

Co

lom

bia

Uruguay

Sweden

Be

liz

e

Sou

th^ Africa

New^ Ze

aland

Antigua and Barbuda

Jamaica

9

10

United Kingdom

France

Ne

th

erla

nds

Brazil

Russia

AUSTRALIA

The flag features

a combination of the United

Kingdom’s flag, the Commonwealth

Star (with its points symbolizing the

original states of Australia), and the

Southern Cross constellation (only

visible in the Southern Hemisphere).

USA

This flag is nicknamed

the “Stars and Stripes”. The 50 stars

represent the states of the Union,

while the red and white stripes

are the 13 original colonies to

join the Union.

KENYA

Since 1963, Kenya’s flag

has been dominated by a shield

and spears, used by the country’s

Masai people. This symbol shows

how the nation is determined to

defend its freedom.

GERMANY

During the Napoleonic

wars of the 19th century, German

soldiers wore black uniforms

with red braid and gold buttons.

These became the country’s

official colours, appearing on

the national flag. Public buildings

often fly the flag vertically.

SPAIN

This young flag was

established in 1981. On the left-

hand side, where the flag gets

hoisted, is the Spanish coat-of-

arms, which includes the royal seal.

JAMAICA

The flag of this

Caribbean country shows a gold

diagonal cross, which embodies

the shining sun, green, for the

fertile land, and black, which

represents strength and creativity.

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