Flag

A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design, often flown from a pole and used for symbolic, signalling, or decorative purposes. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed on such pieces of fabric. The study of flags is known as "vexillology" from the Latin vexillum, meaning "flag" or "banner".

The first flags were used to aid military coordination on the battlefield, and flags have since evolved into a common tool for basic signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is challenging (such as maritime environments where semaphore is used). The national flag is a common patriotic symbol of a country, and many national or other flags may be assigned to flag families based on similarities in their designs that demonstrate a shared history, culture, or influence. Flags are also used in messages, advertising, or for other decorative purposes.

History

The origin of the flag is unknown and it remains unclear when the first flag was raised.

Ships with vexilloids were represented on predynastic Egyptian pottery c. 3500 BC. In antiquity, field signs that can be categorised as vexilloid or "flag-like" were used in warfare, originating in ancient Egypt or Assyria. Examples include the Sassanid battle standard Derafsh Kaviani, and the standards of the Roman legions such as the eagle of Augustus Caesar's Xth legion and the dragon standard of the Sarmatians; the latter was allowed to fly freely in the wind, carried by a horseman, but depictions suggest that it bore more similarity to an elongated dragon kite than to a simple flag.

While the origin of the flag remains a mystery, the oldest flag discovered is made of bronze: a Derafsh or 'flag-like' Shahdad, which was found in Shahdad in Iran, and dates back to c. 2400 BC. It features a seated man and a kneeling woman facing each other, with a star in between.