Flag Facts and Terminology Trivia Quiz

Answer: Canton

Canton can refer to any quarter section of a flag but typically it refers to the upper corner next to the staff or flagpole. The canton often contains a special design; for example, the canton of the American flag contains 50 stars representing the 50 states.

Many countries that are, or were, British territories have the Union (U.K.) flag as a canton; for example, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tuvalu, as well as the US state of Hawaii, and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario.

Answer: when mounted on a warship which is not in harbour

The flag of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is correctly called the Union flag. Traditionally the term Union Jack was only used to refer to the flag when it was mounted on a warship and the ship was not in harbour. Some purists still adhere to this definition but it is generally accepted nowadays that Union flag can be referred to as the Union Jack no matter what the circumstances.

Answer: A signal flag used by sailors

The "Blue Peter" is not the flag of a country but a signal flag used to indicate the letter P or the meaning "outward bound". It is the flag that is hoisted by a ship in harbour when it is about to set sail. According to the International Code of Signals, it may also be used at sea by a fishing vessel to convey the message that "my nets have come fast upon an obstruction".

Answer: Person overboard

According to the International Code of Signals, if a ship flies the red and yellow "O" or Oscar flag, it is signalling that there is a person overboard. On a passenger ship, staff may be alerted to a situation where a person has gone overboard by the announcement, "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar", a coded message which most of the passengers would not understand.

In the case of fire, the "J" flag is flown. The "V" flag means "I require assistance" and the "W" flag means "I require medical assistance". The "A" flag means "diver down; keep well clear at slow speed".

Answer: an emblem appearing in the field of the flag

A charge is any emblem, symbol or figure appearing on the field of a flag or added to the basic design of the flag. Examples include the maple leaf on the Canadian flag and the cedar tree on the Lebanese flag. Common charges include celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon and stars, and animals such as lions or eagles.

Answer: A flag indicating a merchant ship

A "Red Ensign" typically refers to the flag flown by merchant or passenger ships, particularly those of the United Kingdom and British territories such as Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, and Gibraltar. The Red Ensign is also known by the nickname "Red Duster".

Answer: Burning

In 1968, the U.S. Congress passed the Flag Protection Act which prohibits "mutilating, defacing, defiling or burning the flag" and, in 1998, passed the United States Flag Code, which established guidelines for the display and care of the U.S. flag. However, despite being law, they are regarded as guidelines only. The U.S. Flag Code is not mandatory and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Flag Protection Act as unenforceable.

These guidelines state that when a U.S. flag is tattered and no longer fit to be displayed, the proper method of disposal is burning. (Burning a usable flag signifies political protest).

The ideal way to dispose of the flag is to take it to a flag disposal location (typically a local government office or police station). Organisations such as the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), the American Legion and the Scouts, will collect them and dispose of them with a respectful flag-burning ceremony. Such ceremonies are often held on Flag Day (June 14th).

Recycling is also a possible option. Some flag companies will re-use the fabric from old flags to make new ones.

Answer: Switzerland and Vatican City

There are only two countries in the world which have square flags - Switzerland and Vatican City. All other countries, except for Nepal, have rectangular flags where the length is longer than the width (i.e. the horizontal edges are longer than the vertical edges). Nepal's flag is an odd shape - two triangular pennants, one on top of the other.

The square flag of the Vatican City, smallest country in the world, consists of two equal-width vertical bands of yellow and white. The yellow band is on the left side of the flag, or the hoist side (the side nearest the flagpole) and the white band in on the right, or the fly side (the side furthest from the flagpole). A pair of crossed keys (the keys of St Peter, or the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven) and the Papal Tiara are depicted on the white band.

The Swiss flag consists of a white cross on a red field. The emblem of the Red Cross is the reverse; as the name implies, it is a red cross on a white field.

Answer: Nepal

The flag of Nepal is the only national flag which is not rectangular or square. It consists of two triangular pennants, one above the other. The two triangles represent both the Himalaya mountains and the two main religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

The Nepalese flag colours are crimson red, white and dark blue. Some sources say that the crimson red stands for bravery; others that it is the colour of the rhododendron, Nepal's national flower. The dark blue symbolises peace and harmony. The white designs in the centres of the two pennants represent the crescent moon (upper pennant) and the sun (lower pennant). According to "The World Encyclopedia of Flags" by Alfred Znamierowski, "the moon and sun originally symbolised the families of the king and prime minister and the wish that the nation might live as long as those celestial bodies".

Answer: France and the Netherlands

The French and Dutch flags consist of three equal-sized stripes of red, white and blue. The stripes of the Dutch flag are horizontal and coloured red, white and blue from top to bottom. The stripes of the French flag are vertical and coloured blue, white and red from left to right.

The Libyan and Kenyan flags are similar, both based on a pattern of green, red and black horizontal stripes. Turkey and Japan both have red and white flags, but neither feature stripes. The Liberian flag is very similar to the U.S. flag in design. Both feature horizontal red and white stripes but where the U.S. flag has 50 stars, the Liberian flag has only one.