Discover the 11 Oldest Country Flags Still Flying Today (#1 Is More Than 1,300 Years Old!)

History is a fascinating subject to study. Most high school students are bored to death by the mere word “history,” but in reality, it’s just soap opera drama in real life. The bloody conquests, the needless wars, the changing of monarchs — all of them stem from personal feelings. In world history, countries usually have a flag to identify who they are, so they can take pride in what they have accomplished. Countries have come and gone and so have flags.

But some flags have stood the test of time. There are flags that no matter what has happened, are still flying proudly. Let’s explore the 11 oldest country flags still flying today. We’ll take a look more in detail at each country and provide some fun facts, too.

Japan

Known as the “Hinomaru,” the Japanese flag has been around for more than 1,300 years, since 701. Japan is known as the “Land of the Rising Sun” since the legend goes that the Imperial family in the 600s were descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Official documents date the flag with a red sun back to 701. However, another theory is that during the Genpei War, the Taira Clan used a red flag with a gold circle. Their enemies, the Genji, had a white flag with a red circle. The Genji won and established the use of a Hinomaru flag. Whatever theory is true, the Japanese flag wasn’t formally adopted until 1870.

Denmark

The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Denmark as the world’s oldest flag that is still in continuous use. It has been said that the Danish flag has been in use since 1219 and it’s a legend. Apparently, during the Battle of Lyndanisse against the Estonians, the flag fell from the sky. The King took the Dannebrog and the troops had a surge of courage needed to win the battle. The flag is a white cross on a red background and has been in use since the 14th century. It was officially recognized as the national flag of Denmark in 1625.

Austria

The Austrian flag originated in 1230 and legend has it that the flag was an invention of Duke Leopold V of Austria. He fought in the Siege of Acre, and his white coat got drenched in blood. Removing his belt, the cloth underneath had not stained and therefore revealed a red, white, red coat. The flag has origins dating back to the Babenberg dynasty, as well. The current flag was officially recognized on May 1, 1945, in the immediate aftermath of World War II.

Latvia

The Latvian flag was officially adopted in 1921 and was used when Latvia was independent from 1918 to 1940 until the Soviet Union started to occupy the country. However, the Latvian flag was used since the 13th century in the aftermath of a battle and it is said that the colors represent how the people of Latvia will give their blood for freedom. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Latvia adopted the tricolor flag again.

Netherlands

It is said that the Dutch flag was first used around 1409-1410, however, the Prince’s flag was originally orange (for the House of Orange), white, and blue. The flag then changed from orange to dark red. It is said that the change in color of the tricolor flag means a change in the form of government from monarchy to republic. The flag’s current colors and shape were officially declared as the national flag on February 19, 1937.

Albania

Albania’s flag contains a unique emblem that was popular for many flags back in the day. Albanians under the leadership of Skanderbeg rebelled against the Ottoman Empire and ensured a victory with Albania’s independence from 1443 to 1479. The flag that was adopted was a double-headed eagle that was used by nobility at the time with a red background. The Ottoman Empire regained control of Albania and the flag disappeared from official use. When Albania regained independence in 1912, the Albanian flag was re-adopted. Throughout the 20th century, the Albanian flag changed depending on who controlled the country. The current flag has been officially in use since 1992.

Switzerland

There are competing accounts on when the current Swiss flag started being used. Some legends link the date back to 1289, some to 1339, and other accounts to 1470. The Lucerne Chronicles was an illustrated manuscript published in 1513 on the history of the Swiss Confederation and it shows the white cross on a red background. The flag was officially adopted as the national flag in 1841.

Sweden

Officially, the origin and first use of the Swedish flag is unknown. Records point to 1562 and other accounts claim that the blue and yellow flag was used earlier. There is a legend that King Eric IX saw a golden cross in the sky during the First Swedish Crusade in Finland in 1157. That is when it was decided that his banner should be a golden cross on a blue background. Other historians point to the theory that King Charles VIII adopted the flag from the coat of arms in 1442. Whatever the correct theory is, the first time the flag was recorded with such colors was when King Gustav I was monarch in 1562 in a royal warrant. The Swedish flag was officially adopted on June 22, 1906.

Russia

The Russian flag was adopted in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, before the rise of the USSR in 1917, the current flag was the official flag. The flag was first in use in 1696 as an ensign for Russian merchant ships. There was a brief period when the colors changed to black, gold, and white in 1858, but they were changed back by Tsar Nicholas II in 1896. It has been the official flag used since 1993.

Nepal

It is said the current flag of Nepal first started being used in 1743. The color red represents Nepalese bravery and the color of Nepal’s flower, the rhododendron. The blue border around the interestingly shaped flag represents peace. The current flag was officially adopted in 1962 and before that, there were human faces on the sun and moon.

Liechtenstein

The Holy Roman Empire was in control of Liechtenstein until 1719 when the country became a principality. The colors of the flag were chosen to differ from the coat of arms used before. The first time the flag with the new colors of red and blue was used was in 1764 by Prince Joseph Wenzel I. In 1937, a crown was added to the flag in the upper left corner because Liechtenstein found out that the flag was identical to the flag of Haiti during the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Conclusion

And there you have it, these are the 11 oldest country flags still flying today. Many of them have been in use since the beginning. Some of these flags were discontinued for a while, but they came roaring back as the country’s original symbol. And that is what a flag is, it’s a quintessential symbol that means so much to so many people in that particular country. Even though the United States flag is not there, its national anthem is dedicated to the flag as a symbol of valor, courage, and loyalty.