Editing Flag (section)

==Shapes and designs==
[[File:Flag of Nepal.svg|thumb|The [[flag of Nepal]], a non-rectangular flag that is a [[Pennon|double-pennon]]]]
[[File:Flag of Ohio.svg|thumb|The Ohio flag, a [[pennon]]]]
[[File:Flag of Mauritania.svg|thumb|The [[flag of Mauritania]], a yellow crescent and star on a green field between two red stripes.]]

Flags are usually rectangular in shape (often in the ratio 2:3, 1:2, or 3:5), but may be of any shape or size that is practical for flying, including square, triangular, or swallow tailed. A more unusual flag shape is that of the [[flag of Nepal]], which is in the shape of two stacked triangles. Other unusually shaped flags include the civil flags of [[Flag of Ohio|Ohio]] (a [[Swallowtail (flag)|swallowtail]]); [[Flag of Tampa, Florida|Tampa, Florida]]; and [[Pike County, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Pike|work=County Flags|publisher=[[Ohio Statehouse]] Museum|location=Columbus, Ohio|access-date=July 20, 2019|url=http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/county-flags/pike}}</ref>

Many flags are dyed through and through to be inexpensive to manufacture, such that the reverse side is the [[mirror image]] of the [[obverse]] (front) side, generally the side displayed when, from the observer's point of view, the flag flies from pole-side left to right. This presents two possibilities:

# If the design is [[symmetric]]al in an axis parallel to the flag pole, obverse and reverse will be identical despite the mirror-reversal, such as the [[flag of India|Indian Flag]] or [[Flag of Canada|Canadian Flag]]
# If not, the obverse and reverse will present two variants of the same design, one with the [[Flag terminology#Description of standard flag parts and terms|hoist]] on the left (usually considered the obverse side), the other with the hoist on the right (usually considered the reverse side of the flag). This is very common and usually not disturbing if there is no text in the design.

Some complex flag designs are not intended to be shown on both sides, requiring separate obverse and reverse sides if made correctly. In these cases there is a design element (usually text) which is not symmetric and should be read in the same direction, regardless of whether the hoist is to the viewer's left or right. These cases can be divided into two types:

# The same (asymmetric) design may be duplicated on both sides. Such flags can be manufactured by creating two identical through and through flags and then sewing them back to back, though this can affect the resulting combination's responsiveness to the wind. Depictions of such flags may be marked with the symbol [[File:IFIS Equal.svg]], indicating the reverse is congruent to (rather than a mirror image of) the obverse.
# Rarely, the reverse design may differ, in whole or in part, from that of the obverse. Examples of [[flags whose reverse differs from the obverse]] include the [[flag of Paraguay]], the [[flag of Oregon]], and the historical [[flag of the Soviet Union]]. Depictions of such flags may be marked with the symbol [[File:IFIS Two-sided.svg]].

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[[File:Flag of Kiribati.svg|thumb|The [[flag of Kiribati]], a [[banner of arms]] ]]

Common designs on flags include crosses, stripes, and divisions of the surface, or ''field'', into bands or quarters—patterns and principles mainly derived from [[heraldry]]. A heraldic coat of arms may also be flown as a [[Banner#Heraldic banners|banner of arms]], as is done on both the state [[flag of Maryland]] and the [[flag of Kiribati]].

The ''de jure'' [[flag of Libya]] under [[Muammar Gaddafi]], which consisted of a rectangular field of green, was for a long period the only national flag using a single colour and no design or insignia. However, other historical states have also used flags without designs or insignia, such as the short-lived [[Hungarian Soviet Republic|Soviet Republic of Hungary]] and the more recent [[Muscat and Oman|Sultanate of Muscat and Oman]], whose flags were both a plain field of red.

Colours are normally described with common names, such as "red", but may be further specified using [[colorimetry|colourimetry]].

The largest flag flown from a flagpole worldwide, according to Guinness World Records, is the [[flag of the United Arab Emirates]] flown in [[Sharjah]]. This flag was {{convert|2448.56|m2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web | title=Largest flag flown |date=28 March 2022 |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/3000/largest-flag-flown}}</ref> The largest flag ever made was the [[flag of Qatar]]; the flag, which measures at {{convert|101,978|m2|abbr=on}}, was completed in December 2013 in [[Doha]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25414490|publisher=BBC|title=Qatar breaks record for world's largest flag|date=December 17, 2013|access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref>

===Parts of a flag===
{{Main|Glossary of vexillology}}

The general parts of a flag are: canton (the upper inner section of the flag), field or ground (the entire flag except the canton), the hoist (the edge used to attach the flag to the hoist), and the fly (the furthest edge from the hoist end).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/flag_terminology.htm|website=Flag Terminology|title=The Parts of a Flag|publisher=NSTATE|access-date=2019-08-02}}</ref>

===Vertical flags===
Vertical flags are sometimes used in lieu of the standard horizontal flag in central and eastern Europe, particularly in the German-speaking countries. This practice came about because the relatively brisk wind needed to display horizontal flags is not common in these countries.<ref name=DGF>{{cite web|publisher=German Vexillological Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde e. V., DGF)|url=http://www.flaggenkunde.de/deutscheflaggen/d-typ.htm|title=Flaggentypen|access-date=20 February 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Flag Types.svg|frameless|center|upright=1.25]]

The standard '''horizontal flag''' (no. 1 in the preceding illustration) is nonetheless the form most often used even in these countries.<ref>[[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)|German Federal Ministry of the Interior]]: ''[http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Hissflagge/hissflagge_node.html Hissflagge] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120908125818/http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Hissflagge/hissflagge_node.html |date=2012-09-08 }}'', accessed 20 February 2012</ref>

[[File:NTB-Buchs-Campus with national and international flags.jpg|thumb|Vertical flags seen in Switzerland]]

The '''vertical flag''' (German: ''Hochformatflagge'' or ''Knatterflagge''; no. 2) is a vertical form of the standard flag. The flag's design may remain unchanged (No. 2a) or it may change, e.g. by changing horizontal stripes to vertical ones (no. 2b). If the flag carries an emblem, it may remain centred or may be shifted slightly upwards.<ref name=DGF /><ref>[[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)|German Federal Ministry of the Interior]]: ''[http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Hochformatflagge/hochformatflagge_node.html Hochformatflagge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803075053/http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Hochformatflagge/hochformatflagge_node.html |date=2012-08-03 }}'', accessed 20 February 2012</ref>

The '''vertical flag for hoisting from a beam''' (German: ''Auslegerflagge'' or ''Galgenflagge''; no. 3) is additionally attached to a horizontal beam, ensuring that it is fully displayed even if there is no wind.<ref name=DGF /><ref>[[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)|German Federal Ministry of the Interior]]: ''[http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Auslegerflagge/auslegerflagge_node.html Auslegerflagge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803085923/http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Auslegerflagge/auslegerflagge_node.html |date=2012-08-03 }}'', accessed 20 February 2012</ref>

The '''vertical flag for hoisting from a horizontal pole''' (German: ''Hängeflagge''; no. 4) is hoisted from a horizontal pole, normally attached to a building. The topmost stripe on the horizontal version of the flag faces away from the building.<ref name=DGF /><ref>[[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)|German Federal Ministry of the Interior]]:  ''[http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Haengeflagge/haengeflagge_node.html Hängeflagge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803082212/http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Haengeflagge/haengeflagge_node.html |date=2012-08-03 }}'', accessed 20 February 2012</ref>

The '''vertical flag for hoisting from a crossbar''' or [[banner]] (German: ''Bannerflagge''; no. 5) is firmly attached to a horizontal crossbar from which it is hoisted, either by a vertical pole (no. 5a) or a horizontal one (no. 5b). The topmost stripe on the horizontal version of the flag normally faces to the left.<ref name=DGF /><ref>[[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)|German Federal Ministry of the Interior]]: ''[http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Haengeflagge/haengeflagge_node.html Hängeflagge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803082212/http://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/Beflaggung/Allgemeines/Haengeflagge/haengeflagge_node.html |date=2012-08-03 }}'', accessed 20 February 2012</ref>