A flag is something that most people are aware of as symbolization of the country it belongs to. Other than its patriotic value, not much more thought is given to this. However, flags do have an interesting history.
Learning More About Flags
Flags are an important part of our heritage and it is worth encouraging our kids to learn more about them. The way that kids can learn today has become much more of an adventure for them. For example, there are some great apps with flags as their topic, which can help kids to learn more about this.
The History of Flags
What some consider to be crude flags date back many centuries. These are about what was referred to as field flags that were often used during the many different types of wars. These are assumed to date back to ancient Egypt.
The flags that are recognized as such today are used for representation. It is believed that they evolved from the Chinese Zhou dynasty as well as the Indian subcontinent.
Types of Flags
There are different types of flags that are used for different representations.
National Flag
These are the flags that people recognise the most. Their main purpose is for the symbolisation of the country that they are being used for. Each of these flags has its own history as to how it originated and the design itself, among other aspects.
Civil Flags
These are another version of the national flag that the civilians of a country will use. For example, a version of a national flag can be used as a civil flag to identify a specific ship. Every flag is considered to be important because it has a purpose.
War Flags
It is not uncommon for several countries to have distinct flags that are used to represent their armed forces.
International Flags
These are often flags that are used to represent a specific group or organisation that includes several countries. Examples of these are the United Nations Flag or the Olympic Flag.
All flags have some level of importance. For countries, it is their symbol of recognition. A whole new category that encompasses the importance of flags is when they are used at sea. The flying of flags in the open waters comes with strict rules and regulations.
All of the flags mentioned are those that are most commonly thought of when it comes to flags. There are many different types that are used to depict specific circumstances such as swimming flags, vehicle flags and many more.