Some Unusual Flags of the World Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The blue, yellow and red tricolor is the national flag of both Chad and Romania, but which country, one of the world's smallest, uses the same flag with addition of the coat of arms shown in the photograph?

Answer: Andorra

The Principality of Andorra (also known as the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra) is located in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. One of Europe's smallest nations, with an area of just 181 square miles, Andorra is about three-quarters the size of Singapore. Its capital city, Andorra la Vella, is 3,356 feet above sea level, making it Europe's highest capital.

2. The offset cross is a design common to the flags of numerous Scandinavian countries and their territories. To which of these does the red and blue cross on a white background shown in the photograph belong?

Answer: Faroe Islands

The use of the Nordic cross by the Scandinavian countries dates back to the very first flag adopted by any nation, Denmark's 'Dannebrog' in the 13th Century. This particular variation on the theme belongs to the Faroe Islands, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Located in the northern Atlantic Ocean, the Faroe Islands cover 540 square miles, which is about 25% larger than Hong Kong. Despite a population of less than 50,000 (less than 1/36th that of Vienna), the Faroe Islands Football Association is a full members of FIFA and therefore their team competes biannually in either the European Championship or the World Cup qualification competition. Usually the whipping boys of their group, the islanders won their first ever competitive match in 1990 when they defeated the might of Austria 1-0 in a Euro qualifying match.

3. Two countries have a map of their country on their flag, Cyprus and Kosovo. Which Australian territory, whose flag is pictured here, also depicts its outline?

Answer: Christmas Island

English captain William Mynors named Christmas Island when he became the first European to sail past it on December 25, 1643. The island itself is the summit of a volcanic mountain rising almost 15,000 feet. The area that rises above the Indian Ocean is less than 12 miles from end to end at its longest point, with a total area of just 54 square miles, which is slightly more than British dependency of Jersey in the Channel Islands.

Although located some 1,600 miles northwest of Perth in Western Australia and only 300 miles south of Indonesia, the island has been an Australian territory since 1957.

It is home to around 2,000 humans as well as numerous species of rare animals and plants. Almost two-thirds (63%) of Christmas Island is designated as a National Park.

4. The flags of Ecuador and that pictured here share the record as the world's most colorful national flags, each containing twelve different colors. To which Central American country does the pictured flag belong?

Answer: Belize

Independent since 1981, Belize is the former territory of British Honduras and is the only officially English-speaking country on the mainland of Central America. Bordered by Mexico to the north and by Guatemala to the south and west, Belize has its coastline on the Caribbean Sea. Belize covers 8,867 square miles (slightly larger than Israel) but is home to a population of less than 350,000, making it the least-densely populated country in Central America.
Dry cleaners everywhere are, presumably, thankful to Belize -- it is the birthplace of chewing gum!

5. The designs of the flags of Japan, Laos, India, Tunisia, Brazil, South Korea and Niger all feature a centrally-located circle. The flag of the eighth member of that elite club is pictured here. To which European country does this unusual design belong?

Answer: Macedonia

Independent since 1991, the Republic of Macedonia is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia. A landlocked country, Macedonia is surrounded by Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania. With an area of 9,779 square miles, it is only slightly smaller than the disputed Ukraine/Russian territory of Crimea. Macedonia lies in the center of a seismically-active region -- the last major eruption, in 1963, killed more than 1,000 people in the country's capital, Skopje.

6. Variations of the triskelion design (a motif of three interlocked spirals) feature on the flag of the Isle of Man and on the coat of arms of the Bavarian city of Fussen. The flag of which Mediterranean island, pictured here, also contains a triskelion?

Answer: Sicily

Adopted in 1282, making it one of the world's oldest, Sicily's flag features a triskelion character sporting the winged head of Medusa with three wheat ears. The background design of the flag represent the two major cities on the island -- red for Palermo and yellow for Corleone.
With an area of 9,927 square miles (almost three times that of Cyprus), Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Sicily is home to only slightly less than 10% of Italy's 60 million people.
Plans for a bridge to link Sicily to the mainland across the Strait of Messina have been discussed since 1865. In 2009, the Italian government pledged almost one-quarter of the estimated 6 billion euro cost of the building the world's longest suspension bridge.

7. Modern flag designs are often steeped in symbolism. Which Canadian province adopted the unique flag pictured here in 1980?

Answer: Newfoundland & Labrador

Newfoundland used the green, white and pink tricolor as its flag prior to amalgamation with Labrador.
There is much symbolism in the design of the new provincial flag: blue represents the sea, white is for snow and ice, red for the efforts of the people, and gold symbolizes confidence in the future. The blue triangles are a tribute to the Union Jack and the province's British heritage. The red triangles represent the province's two diverse areas (the mainland and the island) and the gold arrow points towards a brighter future.
The black spruce (the most abundant tree in Labrador) is the provincial tree; and the Atlantic Puffin is the provincial bird, with about 95% of the world's population breeding on the province's coasts.

8. Numerous flags feature animals on them, some of them mythical. The flag of Wales depicts a red dragon. The flag (pictured here) of which Asian country also uses a dragon?

Answer: Bhutan

Animals can be found on numerous flags, from the bears of California and Berlin, to the lions of Sri Lanka, Bermuda and Fiji, the sheep of the Falkland Islands and the turtle of the Cayman Islands. Flags depicting dragons, though, belong exclusively to the Principality of Wales and the Kingdom of Bhutan. A landlocked state located in the Himalayas, Bhutan is bordered by China to the north and by India on the other three sides. With an area of 14,824 square miles, it is marginally smaller than Switzerland but with less than 10% of the population (750,000 compared to 8 million). Formerly an absolute monarchy, Bhutan held its first elections in 2008.

The national sport is archery.

9. Buildings are an unusual feature, with only Cambodia (depicting Angkor Wat) and Gibraltar using such designs on their national flags. Over which Spanish island might you see the pictured flag flying while you soak up the summer Sun?

Answer: Majorca

The largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, Majorca is one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations. The largest island in the group with an area of 1,405 square miles, Majorca is almost one and a half times the size of Luxembourg. Tennis ace Rafael Nadal is a native of Majorca.

10. The British Empire was built on the back of the nation's seafaring capacity. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to find numerous ports within the UK with proud traditions related to the shipping and ship-building. Which city trumpets that tradition with the pictured flag?

Answer: Belfast

The name Belfast comes from the Irish "B�al Feirste", meaning 'mouth of the sandbanks'. Standing on the River Lagan, the capital and largest city in Northern Ireland in known for its linen industry, tobacco production and rope-making, but it probably best remembered as the home of Harland & Wolff, who built the R.M.S. Titanic there.

Indeed, in the early part of the 20th Century, Belfast was recognized as the world's largest and most productive shipyard. Famous sons of Belfast include soccer legend George Best (after whom the city's airport is named), actor/director/screenwriter Sir Kenneth Branagh, snooker great Alex Higgins, Nania creator C.S. Lewis and singer Van Morrison, who was nicknamed 'The Belfast Cowboy'.

Source: Author EnglishJedi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

No Union Jacks or Stars and Stripes here, but can you identify some of the less well known flags from around the world?

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