Explore Flags by Primary Symbol

Geometric charges—such as five-pointed stars, off-center Nordic crosses, centered discs, and equilateral hoist triangles—form the visual vocabulary of modern vexillology.

Symbol reference hubs

Flags with Stars (12)

Five-pointed and six-pointed stars appear as lone emblems of independence (Chile, Texas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Senegal), circular constellations of unity (European Union, Venezuela), or state grids (United States, Chicago).

Geometry note: Most national flags use regular five-pointed mullets with one point oriented vertically upward, whereas municipal flags like Chicago use six-pointed stars with custom ray angles.

Flags with Crosses (9)

Includes both hoist-shifted Nordic crosses (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland) and centered couped Greek crosses (Switzerland, Red Cross).

Geometry note: Cross geometry is defined by the exact ratio of arm thickness to field height and whether the arms extend to the flag edges (throughout) or stop short as a couped cross.

Flags with Circles & Discs (7)

Circular solar, lunar, and polar emblems placed on solid or bicolor fields, including Japan, Bangladesh, Palau, Greenland, and the 1870 Meiji merchant flag.

Geometry note: Vexillologists compare disc flags by diameter-to-hoist ratio (usually 3/5 or 2/3 of the height) and whether the center is strictly bisected or shifted toward the hoist.

Flags with Triangles & Chevrons (3)

Equilateral or isosceles triangles extending from the hoist edge over horizontal stripes, led by the revolutionary twin flags of Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Geometry note: An equilateral triangle on a 3:5 flag reaches 51.96% of the hoist height along the horizontal axis, while on a 1:2 flag it reaches 43.3% of the total fly length.

Flags with Saltires (Diagonal Crosses) (2)

Diagonal corner-to-corner crosses derived from St Andrew's and St Patrick's heraldic traditions, featured prominently in the British Union Jack.

Geometry note: When two saltires share the same diagonals, counterchanging places each cross half-above and half-below the other around the center point.