MEPX
Chapter 1 of 10All chapters
  1. 1The vocabulary
  2. 2Design principles
  3. 3Colours and their families
  4. 4Symbols
  5. 5Flags of Europe
  6. 6Flags of Asia
  7. 7Flags of Africa
  8. 8Flags of the Americas
  9. 9Flags of Oceania
  10. 10Beyond national flags

Chapter 1 of 10

The vocabulary

Naming the parts.

Anatomy

The hoist is the edge at the pole and the fly is the far edge. The canton is the upper hoist corner, and the field is the background.

  • A saltire is a diagonal cross; a pale is a vertical band.
  • Ratios such as 2:3 and 1:2 vary by country.

Types

Triband, bicolour, cross, saltire, canton, and flags carrying a central emblem or coat of arms. Most national flags fall into a handful of these patterns.