Now Reading: Historical Flags Quiz
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Historical Flags Quiz
Historical Flags Quiz
Flags can tell us a lot about history. They often reflect empires, revolutions, political changes, national identity, and the way countries wanted to present themselves at a particular moment in time. Some historical flags are still easy to recognise today, while others belonged to states, dynasties, or governments that no longer exist.
This Historical Flags Quiz challenges you to identify nations from flags used in the past. The quiz includes a range of countries and former states from different parts of the world. Some flags may look familiar because they influenced modern designs while others may be harder to place.
For each question, you will be shown a historical flag and given several possible answers. Your task is to choose which nation, empire, republic, or former state used it. Look closely at the colours, symbols, layout, and any clues in the design!
1. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: Syrian Republic
This flag was used by the Syrian Republic from 1930 until 1958, and then again from 1961 until 1963. In the first constitution of Syria it describes the flag: "The Syrian flag shall be composed as follows, the length shall be double the height. It shall contain three bands of equal dimensions, the upper band being green, the middle band white, and the lower band black. The white portion shall bear three red stars in line, having five points each."
2. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: Russian Empire
This was used as the Russian Empire's first official flag decreed by Alexander II and remained in use until 1896 when it was replaced by a white, blue and red tricolor flag.
3. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: Kingdom of Yugoslavia
This blue, white and red horizontal triband flag was used by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 (it was called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1918 until 1929) until 1941 when it was occupied by the Axis forces.
4. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: China under the Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty adopted the 'Yellow Dragon flag' in the late 19th century, originally as a triangular flag in 1862, and then rectangular from 1889 until 1912.
5. Which nation once used this flag?
Correct Answer: United States of America
Known as the 'Betsy Ross flag', the United States of America used this flag or similar from 1777 until 1795 when it was updated to include 2 more stars. The Flag Resolution of 1777 did not specify a particular arrangement for the stars so between 1777 and 1795 there were many variations in use featuring different positioning of the stars.
6. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: Empire of Brazil
The Empire of Brazil used this flag from 1822 (first with 19 stars in the center and then with 20) until 1889 when it became a republic.
7. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: German Empire
Originally the flag for the North German Confederation, the German Empire adopted this flag when they unified in 1871 and continued to use it until the end of the First World War and the founding of the Weimar Republic in 1918.
8. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: South Africa
South Africa adopted this flag in 1928 and was used until 1982. A near-identical flag was used from 1982 until 1994 with the shade of blue slightly brighter. The flag was known as 'Oranje-Blanje-Blou.'
9. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: Federal Republic of Cameroon
The Federal Republic of Cameroon (made up of two states: East Cameroon and West Cameroon) used this flag from 1961 until 1975 when the flag was changed to represent Cameroon becoming a unitary state.
10. Which nation used this flag?
Correct Answer: Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic used this flag, known as la tricolor, from 1931 until 1939 with the victory of the Nationalist faction in the Spanish Civil War. It remained the flag of the Spanish Republican government in exile until 1977 when parliamentary democracy was restored and the exiled government recognized the new government as the legitimate government of Spain.
