Oddly Shaped Flags

The flags of every country represent their culture, beliefs, power and wealth. Throughout history, these flags were placed on the ships and the reason behind using a rectangle shape apart from any other shape since it is easier to catch winds better. Over the years, the norm of rectangular flags was normalised and was displayed on the 193 sovereign flags. Three flags apart from the 193 sovereign flags are shaped in triangles and squares. These represent the ancient culture and traditions of these countries, particularly Nepal.

List of the Flags That Defy the Norm of the Rectangular Flag 

1. Old Nepal Flag

Nepal is one of the only three sovereign nations that does not have a rectangle flag, and it is the only one which still has a triangular shape. 

The Old Nepal flag is crimson red, representing the rhododendron, Nepal’s national flower. The blue border symbolises peace.

The Old Nepal flag features the shapes of the sun and moon. There lies a significance underneath it, and it is said that human faces lay inside them until 1962.

As the modern era began, it was removed in the later years, and so was the ancient belief discarded. In honour of the dynasty “Rana Family” that ruled until 1951, they are symbolised as the sun. In comparison, the Royal house was depicted by the crescent moon.

2. Vatican Flag

The Vatican City flag and Switzerland flag follow a square flag structure that defies the norm of the rectangular flag. The Vatican City flag resulted from a treaty signed between Italy and Pope Pius XI. This Lateran treaty governed by the Holy See was to represent the creation of a new independent state.

The Vatican flag is modelled from the flag of the earlier papal states, and they are almost identical. The White Mountains of Lebanon refer to the white colour of the flag.

Yellow and red were the prominent colours used by the papal states, and the Roman empire’s colours were also similar to this. In 1808, Pius VII replaced the red with white to distinguish the Vatican’s guards from the troops incorporated into Napoleon’s army. 

The flag used by the early papal states from 754 to 1803 was a red and yellow square. The present flag contains the coat of arms of the previous Vatican flag but is reversed and devoid of the red colour.

The two keys connected by a red chord are situated in the cored centre of the flag. These keys of haven were given to Saint Peter by Jesus himself. Thus, they symbolise the Papal tiara, worldly and spiritual powers.

3. The Switzerland Flag 

The Switzerland flag is the last flag apart from the 193 sovereign flags to defy the norm of a rectangular flag. The Old Nepal flag is triangular, while the Switzerland flag, similar to the Vatican flag, is square.

There is a similarity between these flags since the Pope’s guards are usually known as Swiss guards. The Swiss flag has a white cross with a field of red, and it is officially square. However, the civil entities, non-governmental bodies and ships use a rectangular variety. The flag was adopted in 1889, but its history goes way back. 

The white cross on the red background has been used since the 12th century to identify the combined troops of the old Swiss Confederacy. Its first flag was also triangular. The flag is said to be a generalisation of the coat of arms as one of Switzerland’s Cantons played a leading role in the region’s early days.

Conclusion:

 There are only three flags apart from the 193 sovereign flags, which are non-rectangular in shape: the Old Nepal flag, the Vatican flag, and the Switzerland flag. There are a lot of local exceptions to the norm of the rectangular flag. For example, the American State of Ohio’s flag is the only one that is not rectangular, presenting a strange shape that sort of looks like a triangle with its tip folded inwards. 

The flag of the city of Tampa in Florida and the flag of Zamora in Spain also present a very strange shape. They are simply a group of red and green stripes, and the flag of Italy consists of a square flag with stripes on its right side. 

Triangular shaped flags are harder to produce when compared to rectangular ones. These flags represent a certain monarch in Asia, so they weren’t for public use and didn’t require easy manufacturing. A good example of this from history is the flag of the Qing dynasty, Nishan Sahib etc. Nepal also followed this tradition.