Flags of the World Quiz
Maple leaves, dragons, rifles and a flag that isn't a rectangle: 15 questions on world flags.
Which country's flag features a maple leaf?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Canada
Canada adopted its red and white flag with a stylized 11-point maple leaf on 15 February 1965, replacing the Red Ensign that carried the Union Jack.
The maple leaf on the flag has 11 points for design reasons only; it was chosen because the shape stayed crisp when the flag flapped in the wind.
What is the only country with a non-rectangular flag?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nepal
Nepal's flag is two stacked crimson triangles with a blue border, bearing a moon and a sun, and it is the only national flag that is not a quadrilateral.
The two pennants are said to represent the Himalaya and the country's two main religions, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Which flag combines the Union Jack, the Southern Cross and a large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Australia
Australia's flag has the Union Jack in the canton, a large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star beneath it and the Southern Cross in white on the fly.
The star's seven points stand for the six original states plus one for all of Australia's territories, and the flag's design dates from a 1901 competition.
The flag of Japan features what symbol on a white background?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Red circle (sun disc)
Japan's Hinomaru, or circle of the sun, is a crimson disc centered on a white field, reflecting the country's name, which means origin of the sun.
The sun disc was only made the official national flag by law in 1999, even though it had been used on Japanese ships since 1870.
Which African country's flag features a green, yellow, and red tricolor with a blue circle and star?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia's horizontal green, yellow and red stripes carry a blue disc with a yellow star, an emblem added in 1996 to represent unity and equality.
Ethiopia's colors inspired the Pan-African palette adopted by Ghana, Guinea, Mali and many other nations after independence, because Ethiopia was never colonized.
Which two countries have nearly identical flags of blue, yellow, and red vertical stripes?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Chad and Romania
Chad and Romania both fly blue, yellow and red vertical stripes; Chad's blue is officially a darker shade, but the two are almost indistinguishable in practice.
Chad asked the United Nations in 2004 to look at the clash, and Romania's president replied that the tricolor was Romania's and would not be changed.
Which country's flag has a dragon on it?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bhutan
Bhutan's flag shows a white dragon, the Druk, stretched across a diagonal of yellow and orange, and the jewels in its claws stand for the nation's wealth.
Bhutan calls itself Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, and its kings hold the title Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King.
The crescent moon and star appear on the flags of many nations. Which of these does NOT feature them?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's green flag carries the Islamic declaration of faith in white Arabic script above a sword, with no crescent or star at all.
Because the flag bears sacred text, it is never flown at half-mast and is made with the inscription readable on both sides.
Which country's flag features the temple of Angkor Wat at its center?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Cambodia
Cambodia's flag shows a white image of Angkor Wat, the 12th-century Khmer temple, on a red band between two blue stripes, and the temple has appeared on its flags since the 1850s.
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument on Earth, covering about 400 acres, and it began as a Hindu temple to Vishnu before becoming Buddhist.
What color is NOT found on the flag of South Africa?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Purple
South Africa's flag uses six colors, black, gold, green, white, red and blue, in a sideways Y shape, and purple is not among them.
Purple is the rarest color on national flags; Dominica and Nicaragua are the only two that use it, both in small details of their coats of arms.
Which Scandinavian country has a red background with a white cross?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Denmark
Denmark's Dannebrog is a white Nordic cross on red, with the crossbar set toward the hoist, a layout later copied by every other Nordic flag.
Legend says the flag fell from the sky during a battle at Lyndanisse in Estonia in 1219, and Denmark still marks Valdemar's Day each June 15 in its honor.
Which country's flag features an AK-47 rifle?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mozambique
Mozambique's flag shows an AK-47 crossed with a hoe over an open book, all set on a yellow star, symbolizing defense, labor and education after independence in 1975.
Parliament has held competitions to replace the rifle with something more peaceful, but every proposal has stalled and the AK-47 remains.
The flag of Brazil features a dark blue globe with what inscription?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
"Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress)
A white band across Brazil's blue globe reads Ordem e Progresso, a motto adapted from the French philosopher Auguste Comte's positivist creed.
The 27 stars on the globe show the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, the day Brazil became a republic, one star per state.
Which European country has a square-shaped flag (not counting Switzerland)?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Vatican City
Vatican City's flag is square, split into yellow and white halves, with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal tiara on the white side.
Switzerland and Vatican City are the only two sovereign states with square flags, and the Olympics fly a rectangular version of the Swiss cross instead.
Which country's flag, adopted in 1994, uses a sideways Y shape to bring together six different colors?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
South Africa
South Africa's flag was unveiled for the 1994 election that ended apartheid, and its Y shape merging into a single band symbolizes different groups converging in unity.
It was designed in a matter of days by state herald Frederick Brownell as an interim flag, but it proved so popular that it was made permanent in 1996.
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All Geography quizzes →About the Flags of the World Quiz
Every national flag is a puzzle in cloth. Nepal flies the only one that is not a rectangle, Mozambique puts an AK-47 on its banner, and Chad and Romania have argued for decades about whose blue, yellow and red stripes came first. Vexillologists, the people who study flags, can read a country's history from a few colors: Pan-African green, gold and red, Nordic crosses, and the crescents that spread across the Muslim world.
These 15 questions cover the symbols, colors and shapes of national flags on every continent, from the maple leaf and the rising sun to Bhutan's dragon and Brazil's starry globe. It suits geography fans, quiz-night regulars and anyone who has stared at an Olympic opening ceremony wondering which flag was which. Each answer comes with an explanation of what the design means and an extra fact worth remembering.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
What is vexillology?
Vexillology is the study of flags, their history, symbolism and design. The word comes from the Latin vexillum, a square banner carried by Roman legions.
Which country has the only non-rectangular flag?
Nepal. Its flag is made of two stacked triangular pennants bearing a moon and a sun, and the constitution sets out the exact geometry for drawing it.
Which is the oldest national flag still in use?
Denmark's Dannebrog, a white cross on red, is traditionally dated to 1219 and is widely regarded as the oldest continuously used national flag.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which country's flag features a maple leaf?
Canada Canada adopted its red and white flag with a stylized 11-point maple leaf on 15 February 1965, replacing the Red Ensign that carried the Union Jack. The maple leaf on the flag has 11 points for design reasons only; it was chosen because the shape stayed crisp when the flag flapped in the wind. - What is the only country with a non-rectangular flag?
Nepal Nepal's flag is two stacked crimson triangles with a blue border, bearing a moon and a sun, and it is the only national flag that is not a quadrilateral. The two pennants are said to represent the Himalaya and the country's two main religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. - Which flag combines the Union Jack, the Southern Cross and a large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star?
Australia Australia's flag has the Union Jack in the canton, a large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star beneath it and the Southern Cross in white on the fly. The star's seven points stand for the six original states plus one for all of Australia's territories, and the flag's design dates from a 1901 competition. - The flag of Japan features what symbol on a white background?
Red circle (sun disc) Japan's Hinomaru, or circle of the sun, is a crimson disc centered on a white field, reflecting the country's name, which means origin of the sun. The sun disc was only made the official national flag by law in 1999, even though it had been used on Japanese ships since 1870. - Which African country's flag features a green, yellow, and red tricolor with a blue circle and star?
Ethiopia Ethiopia's horizontal green, yellow and red stripes carry a blue disc with a yellow star, an emblem added in 1996 to represent unity and equality. Ethiopia's colors inspired the Pan-African palette adopted by Ghana, Guinea, Mali and many other nations after independence, because Ethiopia was never colonized. - Which two countries have nearly identical flags of blue, yellow, and red vertical stripes?
Chad and Romania Chad and Romania both fly blue, yellow and red vertical stripes; Chad's blue is officially a darker shade, but the two are almost indistinguishable in practice. Chad asked the United Nations in 2004 to look at the clash, and Romania's president replied that the tricolor was Romania's and would not be changed. - Which country's flag has a dragon on it?
Bhutan Bhutan's flag shows a white dragon, the Druk, stretched across a diagonal of yellow and orange, and the jewels in its claws stand for the nation's wealth. Bhutan calls itself Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, and its kings hold the title Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King. - The crescent moon and star appear on the flags of many nations. Which of these does NOT feature them?
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia's green flag carries the Islamic declaration of faith in white Arabic script above a sword, with no crescent or star at all. Because the flag bears sacred text, it is never flown at half-mast and is made with the inscription readable on both sides. - Which country's flag features the temple of Angkor Wat at its center?
Cambodia Cambodia's flag shows a white image of Angkor Wat, the 12th-century Khmer temple, on a red band between two blue stripes, and the temple has appeared on its flags since the 1850s. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument on Earth, covering about 400 acres, and it began as a Hindu temple to Vishnu before becoming Buddhist. - What color is NOT found on the flag of South Africa?
Purple South Africa's flag uses six colors, black, gold, green, white, red and blue, in a sideways Y shape, and purple is not among them. Purple is the rarest color on national flags; Dominica and Nicaragua are the only two that use it, both in small details of their coats of arms. - Which Scandinavian country has a red background with a white cross?
Denmark Denmark's Dannebrog is a white Nordic cross on red, with the crossbar set toward the hoist, a layout later copied by every other Nordic flag. Legend says the flag fell from the sky during a battle at Lyndanisse in Estonia in 1219, and Denmark still marks Valdemar's Day each June 15 in its honor. - Which country's flag features an AK-47 rifle?
Mozambique Mozambique's flag shows an AK-47 crossed with a hoe over an open book, all set on a yellow star, symbolizing defense, labor and education after independence in 1975. Parliament has held competitions to replace the rifle with something more peaceful, but every proposal has stalled and the AK-47 remains. - The flag of Brazil features a dark blue globe with what inscription?
"Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress) A white band across Brazil's blue globe reads Ordem e Progresso, a motto adapted from the French philosopher Auguste Comte's positivist creed. The 27 stars on the globe show the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, the day Brazil became a republic, one star per state. - Which European country has a square-shaped flag (not counting Switzerland)?
Vatican City Vatican City's flag is square, split into yellow and white halves, with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal tiara on the white side. Switzerland and Vatican City are the only two sovereign states with square flags, and the Olympics fly a rectangular version of the Swiss cross instead. - Which country's flag, adopted in 1994, uses a sideways Y shape to bring together six different colors?
South Africa South Africa's flag was unveiled for the 1994 election that ended apartheid, and its Y shape merging into a single band symbolizes different groups converging in unity. It was designed in a matter of days by state herald Frederick Brownell as an interim flag, but it proved so popular that it was made permanent in 1996.
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