Flags From the Past Trivia Quiz

Answer: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

This flag was also known as the Soviet flag, or hammer and sickle flag. Unusually, officially the reverse (or back) of the flag was solid red with no adornments. It last officially flew in 1991, after which date the USSR broke up.

Answer: Heligoland

The British annexed this small North Sea island after the Napoleonic wars in 1814. It became a popular resort island for Germans and Austrians. This flag last flew in 1890 when Britain exchanged it with the newly-unified Germany for Zanzibar.

Answer: Rhodesia

The original flag of Rhodesia was a light blue British ensign with the coat of arms. But three years after it unilaterally declared independence from the UK, Rhodesia adopted the green and white flag. The U.K. only recognised the original light blue ensign as the legitimate flag. It last flew in 1979 when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.

Answer: Sikkim

The small Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim originally had a very colourful and very complex flag up until 1967. It was then greatly simplified and this new flag flew until 1975 when the king was deposed and this small country was annexed by India.

Answer: South Vietnam

The red stripes on the flag represent the three different parts of Vietnam; north, central and south. With the fall of Saigon in 1975 this flag was no longer the national flag of a unified Vietnam, being replaced by the then North Vietnam flag.

Answer: Sarawak

Sarawak was ruled for over a hundred years by the White Rajas. First ruled by Sir James Brookes who had been ceded the land by the sultan of Brunei, it had grown in size by various mean by first, Sir James Brookes and later by his nephew Sir Charles Brookes.

The flag was designed by the first White Raja, Sir James in 1848. The second Raja, Sir Charles changed the colour of the cross from red and blue to red and black in 1870. This flag flew as a national flag until 1946 when the Kingdom of Sarawak became a British crown colony.

Answer: Confederate States of America

The first flag of the CSA lasted two years before being replaced by the 'Stainless Banner' and then again by the third incarnation of the national flag, the 'Blood-Stained Banner'.

Answer: South Africa

This South African flag was first flown in 1928 and has the smaller flags of the United Kingdom, the Orange Free State and the South African Republic centred in the middle. Considered by some as symbol of apartheid it was last flown officially in 1994.

Answer: Libya

Chosen by Maummar Gaddafi, the then leader of the country, its colour represents his philosophy written down in his Little Green Book. It also symbolises Islam.

Answer: 15

With the inclusion of Vermont and Kentucky into the union as states in 1795 two extra stars and stripes were add to the American flag to represent these states. As more states were admitted in 1818 it became impractical to add more stripes for these states, so an extra star was added for every new state and the number of stripes reverted to the original 13 that represent the original 13 states.