This list exclusively includes the official flags of administrative bodies or territorial jurisdictions, representing current or former territories, states, counties, and provinces.
Flag | Entity | Dates used | Religious characteristics |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 1895–present | A crimson cross of St. Andrew [1] | |
Åland | 1954–present | Nordic Cross Flag | |
Alberta | 1968–present | Saint George's Cross | |
Andorra | 1866–present | Includes a bishop's mitre, representing the Bishop of Urgell [2] | |
Armenia | 1990–present | The color red emblematizes the maintenance of the Christian faith [3] | |
Asturias | 1990–present | Alpha and Omega and the Victory Cross [4] | |
Australia | 1903–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick [5] | |
Bermuda | 1999–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
British Ceylon | 1875–1948 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
British Columbia | 1960–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
British Honduras | 1919–1981 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
British Hong Kong | 1871–1997 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
British Indian Ocean Territory | 1990–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
British Weihaiwei | 1903–1930 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Calabria | 1992–present | Teutonic and Byzantine crosses | |
City of London | 1381–present | Saint George's Cross | |
Colonial Nigera | 1954–1960 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Cook Islands | 1979–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Denmark | 1219–present | Nordic Cross Flag [6] | |
Dominica | 1978–present | The cross represents the Trinity [7] | |
Dominican Republic | 1863–present | A Bible, a cross and the color white stands for salvation [8] | |
East Africa Protectorate | 1895–1921 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
El Salvador | 1912–present | Dios, Unión, Libertad (God, Union, Liberty) [9] | |
England | –present | Saint George's Cross | |
Falkland Islands | 1999–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Faroe Islands | 1940–present | Nordic Cross Flag | |
Fiji | 1970–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick and a dove | |
Finland | 1918–present | Nordic Cross Flag [6] | |
Florida | 1900–present | St. Andrews cross and Motto (In God We Trust) [10] | |
Galicia | 1984–present | A chalice joined to a silver host [11] | |
Georgia | 2004–present | Jerusalem cross | |
Greece | 1978–present | Greek cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy | |
Guernsey | 1985–present | Saint George's Cross, Norman cross | |
Hawaii | 1845–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Iceland | 1944–present | Nordic Cross Flag [6] | |
Ireland | 1922–present | The green signifies the Catholic majority. The orange signifies the Protestant minority [12] | |
Ingria | 1919–present | Nordic Cross Flag [13] | |
Kingdom of Italy | 1861–1946 | Christian cross | |
Jersey | 1981–present | Saltire | |
Kingdom of Jerusalem | 1162–1291 | Jerusalem cross [14] | |
Liechtenstein | 1982–present | Christian cross [15] | |
Liguria | 1997–present | Saint George's Cross | |
Malta | 1964–present | George Cross | |
Manitoba | 1965–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Mississippi | 2021–present | Motto (In God We Trust) | |
Moldova | 1990–present | Orthodox Cross | |
Montenegro | 2004–present | Orthodox Cross. [15] | |
Montserrat | 1960–present | Irish figure Erin holding a Christian cross | |
Moscow Oblast | –present | Orthodox Cross | |
New South Wales | 1876–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
New Zealand | 1902–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick [15] | |
Niue | 1902–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Norway | 1821–present | Nordic Cross Flag [6] | |
Nova Scotia | 1929–present | Saint Andrew's Cross [16] | |
Ontario | 1965–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Orenburg Oblast | 1996–present | Orthodox Cross [17] | |
Orkney | 2007–present | Nordic Cross Flag | |
Pärnu | 1934–present | Nordic Cross Flag [18] | |
Piedmont | 1995–present | Christian cross | |
Portugal | 1911–present | Compound cross of five quinas, each one charged with five saltire-arranged bezants, representing the five wounds of Christ | |
Quebec | 1948–present | Christian cross, fleurs-de-lys stand for the Virgin Mary [19] | |
Queensland | 1876–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick, Maltese cross | |
Saint Helena | 1984–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
San Marino | 2011–present | Christian cross [15] | |
Sardinia | 1999–present | Saint George's Cross | |
Scania | 1902–present | Nordic Cross Flag [20] | |
Scotland | 1542–present | Saint Andrew's Cross | |
Serbia | 2004–present | Serbian cross symbolizes Serbian Orthodoxy [21] | |
Shetland | 2005–present | Nordic Cross Flag | |
Slovakia | 1992–present | Patriarchal cross [22] | |
South Australia | 1904–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Spain | 1981–present | Christian cross [15] | |
Sweden | 1906–present | Nordic Cross Flag [6] | |
Switzerland | 1841–present | Greek cross [23] | |
Tasmania | 1876–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Tonga | 1875–present | The red field symbolizes the Blood of Christ, while the white canton symbolizes the purity of Jesus and contains a Greek cross, representing Christianity itself. [24] [25] [26] | |
Tristan da Cunha | 2002–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick and motto (Our faith is our strength) | |
Tuvalu | 1997–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Uganda Protectorate | 1914–1962 | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
United Kingdom | 1707–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick [27] | |
Vatican City | 1929–present | Crossed keys of Saint Peter and the Papal Tiara centered in the white band [28] | |
Victoria | 1877–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Western Australia | 1953–present | Crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick | |
Wilmington | 1963–present | Nordic Cross Flag [29] |
The flag of Denmark is red with a white Nordic cross, which means that the cross extends to the edges of the flag and that the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side.
The national flag of Finland, also known in Finnish as the Siniristilippu, dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity.
The national flag of the Principality of Liechtenstein consists of two horizontal bands, one blue and one red, charged with a gold crown in the canton. In use since 1764 and officially enshrined into the nation's constitution in 1921, it has been the flag of the principality since that year. The crown was added to the flag in 1937, after the country discovered at the Summer Olympics held the previous year that their flag was identical to the Haitian civil flag.
The flag of Gabon is a tricolour consisting of three horizontal green, yellow, and blue bands. Adopted in 1960 to replace the previous colonial flag containing the French Tricolour at the canton, it has been the flag of the Gabonese Republic since the country gained independence that year. The design of the present flag entailed the removal the Tricolour and the widening of the yellow stripe at the centre.
The flag of Iceland was officially described in Law No. 34, set out on 17 June 1944, the day Iceland became a republic. The law is entitled "The Law of the National Flag of Icelanders and the State Arms" and describes the Icelandic flag as follows:
The national flag of Tonga consists of a red field with a white canton charged with a red couped cross. Adopted in 1875 after being officially enshrined into the nation's constitution, it has been the flag of the Kingdom of Tonga since that year. The constitution stipulates that the national flag can never be changed.
The flag of the British Virgin Islands was adopted by Royal Warrant on 15 November 1960 after the islands were made into a separate British colony. Previously, the territory was administered as part of the British Leeward Islands.
The flag of the United States Virgin Islands was adopted on May 17, 1921. It consists of a simplified version of the coat of arms of the United States between the letters V and I. The yellow-colored eagle holds a sprig of laurel in one talon, which symbolizes victory, and three blue arrows in the other, which represent the three major islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands: Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, and Saint John. When the Virgin Islands were owned by Denmark, the flag was a blue ensign with the Danish flag, or Dannebrog, in the canton.
The flag of the Cayman Islands consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1959 to supplement the Union Jack and to replace the flag of the Colony of Jamaica, it has been the flag of the Cayman Islands since the territory was granted self-government that year. The design of the present flag entailed removing the white disc and outlining the coat of arms with a white trim, although the previous version is often used in an official capacity. The Cayman Islands' flag is similar to the flags of eight other British Overseas Territories, which are also Blue Ensigns with their respective coats of arms.
The flag of The Gambia is the national flag of The Gambia. It consists of three horizontal red, blue and green bands separated by two thin white lines. Adopted in 1965 to replace the British Blue Ensign defaced with the arms of the Gambia Colony and Protectorate, it has been the flag of the Republic of the Gambia since the country gained independence that year. It remained unchanged throughout the Gambia's seven-year confederation with Senegal.
The coat of arms of the Falkland Islands is the heraldic device consisting of a shield charged with a ram on tussock grass in a blue field at the top and a sailing ship on white and blue wavy lines underneath. Adopted in 1948, it has been the coat of arms of the Falkland Islands since 29 September of that year, except for the two-month occupation of the territory during the Falklands War in 1982. The escutcheon is featured on the flag of the territory. The ram represents the territory's past primary industry of sheep farming, while the ship symbolises the Desire which reportedly first sighted the islands at the end of the 16th century. The grass indicates the vegetation of the Falklands.
A Nordic cross flag is a flag bearing the design of the Nordic or Scandinavian cross, a cross symbol in a rectangular field, with the centre of the cross shifted towards the hoist.
A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on nongovernmental installations or craft. The use of civil flags was more common in the past to denote buildings or ships not crewed by the military.
The coat of arms of Fiji is the heraldic device consisting of a shield divided quarterly by Cross of St. George and charged with a gold lion at the top, supported by two Fijian warriors, one on each side, and topped with a canoe as the crest. Adopted in 1908 by a Royal Warrant, it has been the coat of arms of Fiji since that year, having been retained after independence in 1970. The escutcheon from the arms is featured on the flag of Fiji.
The coat of arms of Montserrat consists of an escutcheon (shield) charged with a woman in a green dress holding a golden harp and a black cross. In use since at least 1909, it has been the official coat of arms of the Caribbean island of Montserrat since the island became a British Crown colony in 1962. The escutcheon is featured on the flag of the territory.
Religion in national symbols can often be found in national anthems or flags. This has led to controversy in some secular states in regard to the separation of church and state, when the national symbol is officially sanctioned by a government.
The emblem of Mali is a national emblem consisting of a circle charged with a bird at the top, a mosque in the centre flanked by two bows and arrows, and the rising sun at the bottom. Adopted thirteen years after the country gained independence, it has been the seal of the Republic of Mali since 1973. It is utilized on official documents as a coat of arms.
The flag of Sint Maarten consists of a white triangle situated at the hoist charged with the constituent country's coat of arms, along with two horizontal bands of cherry red and navy blue. Adopted in 1985 shortly after the territory was granted a coat of arms, it has been the flag of Sint Maarten since 13 June of that year. Since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, it has been the sole flag used in the constituent country.
The coat of arms of Senegal is the heraldic device consisting of a shield charged with a lion on the left half and a baobab tree on the right, flanked by palm branches and topped with a five-pointed green star at the top.
The state flag was to be a crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white.
Many predominantly Christian states show a cross, symbolising Christianity, on their national flag. Scandinavian crosses or Nordic crosses on the flags of the Nordic countries–Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden–also represent Christianity.
The current design of Florida's state flag was adopted in 1900. In that year, Florida voters ratified a constitutional amendment based on an 1899 joint resolution of the state legislature to add diagonal red bars, in the form of a St. Andrew's cross, to the flag.
It is a Nordic cross flag with a yellow background and a red scandinavian cross with an inserted narrow blue cross.
The flag of Pärnu is blue, with a white cross.
The cross on the flag of Dominica represents Christianity while the three colours of which the cross consists stand for the Trinity. The coat of arms depicted on the flag of Slovakia shows a double cross. The flag of the Dominican Republic represents Christianity while the three colours of which the cross consists stand for the Trinity. The coat of arms depicted on the flag of Slovakia shows a double cross. The flag of the Dominican Republic shows the words "God, Fatherland, Liberty", an opened bible and a cross (depicted in the coat of arms which is represented in the centre). The 'five-cross-flag' of George shows four small crosses and a large St. George's Cross, referring to the patron saint of Georgia (the national flag of England shows the St. George's Cross as well). The white cross on the flag of Greece symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy. The flag of Moldova shows its coat of arms in the centre: an eagle with a Christian Orthodox cross in its beak. The coat of arms of Serbia, as depicted on the national flag, also shows an Orthodox cross.
The Christian cross, for instance, is one of the oldest and most widely used symbols in the world, and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greece and Switzerland, adopted and currently retain the Christian cross on their national flags.