Badposter rates every country flag

[badposter]

Flag of Malaysia

Ratio: 1:2 (normal)
Adopted: 26 May 1950 (as flag of the Malayan Federation, which would become independent on 31 August 1957). Current number of stripes and points in the star adopted on 16 September 1963 (Malaysia established).
Part 1
Rule 1: A child may not be able to draw the exact number of stripes or points in the star, but they can draw the rest of the flag from memory.
Rule 2: This may get complex. If you get confused, refer to this chart
In 1826 the British Strait Settlements were founded. They were Penang, Dinding (now known as Manjung), Malacca, and Singapore. Intitially, the Straits Settlements were under the rule of the British East India Company. (all of those territories, excluding Singapore, are now in Peninsular Malaysia).
In 1838 James Brooke, a British man, would come to Sarawak (a region of the island of Borneo), which was facing a rebellion against the Sultan of Brunei, which at that time ruled the area. Brooke would help to crush the rebellion, and to fight piracy, which in 1841 made the Sultan of Brunei grant him the title of Rajah of Sarawak and to cede Sarawak to him. Thus, after 1841 "White Rajahs" of the Brooke dynasty would rule the independent Kingdom of Sarawak.
In 1846 Labuan, a territory made up of the island of Lebuan and six other islands off the coast of Borneo, part of Brunei since the 15th century, was ceded to to the UK after the signing of the Treaty of Labuan. In 1848 Labuan would become a British Crown Colony.
In 1867 the rule of the British East India Company over the Straits Settlements would end, and the Strait Settlements would become a British Crown Colony. The British East India Company woul be dissolved in 1874.
In 1874 a British Residents System was established in Selangor. In the system, a British Resident General would hold the real power in Selangor, while the Sultan would remain as a figurehead. That year, the System would be established in Perak (a Sultanate) and Negeri Sembilan (a monarchy, whose monarch, the Yantuam Besar, is elected by a council of chiefs).
In 1882 Sabah, a region of Borneo, which was ruled by the Sultanate of Sulu, began to be ruled by the British North Borneo Company.
In 1885 Johor (a sultanate) would fall under the British Residents System.
In 1888 Sabah became the British Protectorate of North Borneo, Sarawak (which had annexed quite a lot of land from from Brunei, which was reduced to its current borders) became a British protectorate, and Pahang (yet another sultanate) fell to the British Residency System.
In 1890 Labuan would become part of the North Borneo Protectorate.
In 1895 Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang would be united to form the Federated Malay States, ruled from 1896 to 1911 by Residents General, from 1911 to 1936 by Chief Secreataries to the Government, and from 1936 to 1946 by Federal Secretaries.
The Federated Malay States had a flag with four horizontal stripes, which from top to bottom were white, red, yellow, and black. On the center, the flag had a white circle with a Malayan tiger leaping to left on it.
Red and yellow were used in Selangor's flag, white, yellow, and black were used in Perak's, Black, red, and yellow were used in Negeri Sembilan's, and black and white were used in Pahang's.
In 1904 Labuan was separated from the Protectorate of North Borneo, and in 1906 it became part of the Strait Settlements.
In 1909 the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 was signed. It gave parts of southern Siam (Siam was the name of Thailand before 1939, and from 1945 to 1949) to the United Kingdom. The UK gained the protectorates of Kelantan (a sultanate), Terengganu (a sultanate), Kedah (a sultanate), and Perlis (not a sultanate, but a kingdom). The protectorates gained after the treat, along with Johor, were known as the Unfederated Malay States, because they were the parts of British Malaya that were not in the Federated Malay States or in the Strait Settlements.
In 1912 Labuan was separated from the Straits Settlements. This would be the last territorial change in what is now Malaysia... until 1941, when the Japanese Empire occupied Malaya and British Borneo. After the war ended, and Japan was defeated, Malaya and British Borneo would be under British military administrations. On 1 April 1946 the Federated Malay States, the Unfederated Malay States, and the Strait Settlements (except for Singapore, which would become a separate colony) were united to form the Malayan Union, a colony whose flag was the same as that of the Federated Malay States. On 1 July 1946 Sarawak became a crown colony, and on 15 July 1946 Labuan became part of North Borneo, which would become a crown colony.
The Malayan Union was unpopular with the Malays in the colony, due to it giving the Sultans less powers than they had before, and due to its easy granting of citizenships to immigrants. Malays would wear white bands around their heads, symbolizing the loss of their Sultan's political rights. Due to the unpopularity of the union, on 1 February 1948 the Federation of Malaya was founded. I t would be a confederation of nine states plus Penang and Malacca, which were colonies. The Federation of Malaya, at first, had the same flag as that of the Federated Malay States and of the Malayan Union. But in 1950 there was a competition for a new flag for the Federation of Malaya. Three flags were put forwards, and a flag with eleven aternating red and white stripes (with the topmost stripe being red) and a blue canton with a crescent and a five-pointed star (both yellow) on it, designed by Mohammed Hanzah, an 29-year old architect, was adopted, but with one alteration: the star was changed to have eleven points, since the five-pointed star was associated with communists, with which Malaya was fighting against at the time. In the flag, the blue symbolizes the unity of the Malaysian people, the crescent symbolizes Islam (Islam is Malaysia's state religion. 61.3% of Malaysians are Muslims), and the yellow symbolizes the royal colors of the Malaysian rulers. The eleven stripes symbolized the nine protectorates and two colonies of Malaysia, and the 11 points of the star the unity between them. The flag was based on that of the East India Company, which as you may remember ruled the Straits Settlements from 1826 to 1867.
The Federation of Malaya became indepedent on 31 August 1957, and what were once the protectorates and colonies in the Federation of Malaya became states (interestingly, after independence an elective monarchy was established).
On 22 July 1963 Sarawak became self-governing. On 31 August of that year, Singapore became independent and North Borneo would become self-governing. After the Malaysia Agreement came into effect on 16 September 1963, the Malayan Federation, Singapore, Sarawak, and North Borneo would unite to become Malaysia.
Malaysia's flag would be like the Federation of Malaya's, but with 14 stripes and a star with 14 points to represent the three new states in Malaysia.
Singapore and Malaysia did not have a good relation. After economic and political disagreements, and race riots, there was a vote in the Malaysian Parliament (in which no Singaporean delegates were present) on whether Singapore should be expelled from Malaysia. Expulsion was voted for 126 to 0. Even though Singapore was expelled, the number of stripes in the flag remained the same, making it so that the Malaysian flag had a meaningless stripe. However, in 1974 Kuala Lumpur, formerly part of Selangor, became a Federal Territory, and the number of stripes on Malaysian stripes made sense. Even though Labuan and Putrayaja have also become Federal territories, the 14th stripes doesn't symbolize a federal territory: it symbolizes the federal government.
Rule 3: Blue, yellow, red, and white. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: The crescent and star is a simple emblem.
Rule 5: This flag is, interistingly, similar to that of the United States. The flags may be related: Malaysia's flag comes from the East India Company's, while the United States' first flag is either based on the East India Company's or on the Red Ensign.In any case, the emblems on the two flag's cantons are different enough for me to consider them distinctive.
Part 2
Federated Malay States (1895-1946) Malayan Union (1946-1948), Federation of Malaya (1948-1950)

Spoiler

I'd like the flag if it didn't have the tiger.
Part 3
It's a good flag.

 

[badposter]

Flag of the Maldives

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 25 July 1965 (one day before the Maldives became independent)
Part 1
Rule 1: This flag is pretty simple.
Rule 2: The very first flag used in the Sultanate of the Maldives was a plain red flag (the Maldives had been a sultanate since 1153, when King Dhovemi converted to Islam. Before then, the Maldives was a Buddhist Kingdom, and before that it was an Hindu kingdom). Some time after that, a series of diagonal white and black stripes were added to the hoist side. (this was the Maldives' flag when it was made a British protectorate in 1887). Sometime between 1926 and 1932 two new flags were created for the Maldives: the first was a national flag which was like the previous, but which had a white crescent pointed towards the hoist on the center, while the second, a state flag, was like the national flag, except the crescent was on a green rectangle.
In 1952 Abdul Majeed Didi, sultan of the Maldives, died. After his death, the Maldivian parliament elected Mohamed Amin Didi as sultan. But Didi declared that he would not accept the crown or the throne. After a referendum, the Maldives would become a republic with Didi as its president. The new republic would have one flag, which was like the state flag, but with the crescent oriented towards the fly side.
The new republic did not last long. While Mohamed Amin Didi was in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known by then) for medical treatment, a revolt broke out in Malé and the monarchy was brought back, after a referendum in which, officially, 98% of Maldivians voted to bring back the monarchy.
On 25 July 1965 the stripes on the hoist side were removed for the flag, and the next day the Maldives became fully independent.
In the flag, the red symbolizes the willingness of the country's heroes to shed blood for their country, the green symbolizes peace and prosperity, and the crescent symbolizes Islam, the country's main religion (98.2% of Maldivians are Muslim)
On 15 November 1967 there was in a vote in parliament on whether the Maldives should become a republic or remain a constitutional monarchy. Members of parliament voted for the republic forty votes to four. On 15 March 1968 a referendum on whether the Maldives should be a republic or a constitutional monarchy ended with the republican side winning with 81.23% of the vote. The monarchy was abolishes on 11 November 1968, and the Maldives have become a republic since.
Rule 3: Red, green, and white. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: The crescent is a simple emblem.
Rule 5: This flag is different from other stars with crescents. It's distinctive. (also, this flag notably has a crescent but not star.
Part 3
First flag of the Sultanate of the Maldives.

Spoiler

Plain red flags have been surprisingly common in history.
Second flag of the Sultanate of the Maldives.

Spoiler

I like the stripes on the hoist, but I'm okay with them not being on the current.
National flag (somewhere betweem 1926 to 1932-1953)

Spoiler

I like this flag with or without the crescent.
Protectorate of the Maldives (somewhere between 1926 to 1932-1953)

Spoiler

See what I said about the second flag of the Maldives.
The 1953-1965 flag is nearly identical to that of the Protectorate of the Maldives from somewhere between 1926 to 1932-1953, the only difference being that the crescent of the 1953-1965 flag was oriented towards the fly side instead of the hoist side.
Part 3
A nice, simple flag with good colors.

 

[Natalie J.]

The second flag in Part 3 is broken, fyi.

 

[badposter]

The second flag in Part 3 is broken, fyi.

Fixed, thanks for telling.
.
Flag of Mali

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 1 March 1961.
Part 1
Rule 1: This flag is a simple tricolor.
Rule 2: From 1880 to 1958 Mali was a French colony, part of the federation of French West Africa, known as French Sudan (technically, it was only known as French Sudan from 1890 to 1900 and from 1921 to 1958, but the changes don't interest me that much). In 1958, there were constitutional referendums in France and almost all of its colonies. In French Sudan, the referendum ended with 97.54% of the colony's population choosing to become part of the new French Community. On 24 November 1958 French Sudan became the Sudanese Republic, an autonomous part of the French Community. The flag of the Sudanese Republic was a French tricolor with a kanaga, a black stick figure of a person whose arms were raised towards the sky.
In 1959, there were plans for a federation between the Sudanese Republic, Senegal, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), and Dahomey (now Benin). However, the legislatures of Upper Volta and Dahomey did not ratify the federation. On 4 April 1959 the Mali Federation, made up of Senegal and the Sudanese Republic, was founded. On 20 April 1960 the federation became fully independent. The Mali Federation's flag was a green, gold, an red vertical tricolor with a kanaga on the yellow. The green symbolized the fertility of the land (as you can see on this satellite image of Mali, southern Mali is green, but northern Mali is in the Sahara desert), gold symbolized purity and mineral wealth (except for South Africa and Ghana, Mali is the country which produces the most gold in Africa) and red the blood shed for Mali's independence agaimst the French.
The Mali Federation did not last long, being dissolved after a series of event I will copypaste given I'm not interested enough to write about them:

Tensions quickly arose within the Mali Federation as planning for the implementation of the federation began in 1959 and early 1960. Unlike some other areas of French West Africa, French Sudan and Senegal did not have significant amounts of migration or intercultural movement during the colonial period (although they were linked together in French economic policy and linked by a key railway).[17] More serious than ethnic or linguistic differences though were some of the results of the design of the federation. While the parity principle allowed both countries to join together without fears of losing their sovereignty, it also resulted in political spillover as political disputes moved from one arena to another throughout the organization.[18] Similarly, the PFA tried to combine two political parties which were in very different situations with the French Sudan political party having achieved political dominance while the Senegal party needed an elaborate and complex arrangement of alliances in order to maintain authority.[19] In addition, some of the aspects left vague in the first discussions became key issues of debate between the political leaders of Senegal and French Sudan as their articulation became more important: including armed forces, development of an indigenous bureaucracy, the strength of the federal government, and the precise relationship with France.[12][20] Finally, different visions for the colony between Senghor and Keïta proved very difficult to mediate: Keïta, after the dissolution of the federation, claimed that he pursued socialism while Senghor pushed a bourgeoisie agenda.[1]

The disagreements remained manageable until April 1960 after negotiations with France for recognition of independence had finished. French Sudan began to push for a single executive in the federation with significant independent authority, Senegal preferred to maintain the parity principle as it had been developed in 1959 and restrain the power of any President.[21] When a PFA congress to decide the issue ended in a deadlock, the PFA members from outside the federation were called in to mediate and they recommended the creation of a single executive to be appointed by an equal number of representatives from Senegal and French Sudan, but also that the taxation would no longer be widely shared between the two colonies (a key Senegal position).[22] Although that issue was resolved to the agreement of both parties, a series of misunderstandings quickly followed. When French Sudan attempted to remove a single military base within its territories, this was interpreted as an attempt to eject the French from the entire territory, which was viewed with suspicion by both Senegal and France.[23]

The tensions hit their high point in August 1960 in preparation for the election of the President of the Mali Federation. Cheikh Tidjane Sy, who had been released from prison and became a member of Senghor's political party, approached Senghor and said that he had been approached by representatives from Sudan who had expressed a preference for a Muslim president of the Mali Federation (like Sy) rather than a Catholic president (like Senghor).[24] An investigation by Senghor's political allies found evidence that French Sudan emissaries had visited Sy's uncle, himself a Muslim political leader.[25] At about the same time, Keïta as Premier of the Mali Federation began meeting formally with many of the Muslim political leaders of Senegal, although there is no evidence of discussion of undermining Senghor's leadership.[25] On 15 August, Senghor, Dia, and other political leaders of Senegal began to work on how to get Senegal out of the Federation.[25] Mamadou Dia, as the vice-Premier and person in charge of national defense, began surveying the readiness of various military units in case the political situation were to become hostile. These questions to the various military units resulted in panic by Keïta and the French Sudan politicians. On 19 August, with reports of Senegalese peasants arming in Dakar, Keïta dismissed Dia as the defense minister, declared a state of emergency, and mobilized the armed forces. Senghor and Dia were able to get a political ally in the military to demobilize the military and then had the national gendarmerie which surrounded Keïta's house and the government offices.[12][26][27]

Senegal declared independence from the Mali Federation at a midnight session on the 20th of August. There was little violence and the French Sudan officials were sent on a sealed train back to Bamako on 22 August.[28] The federation may have been salvageable in spite of the crisis but by sending Keïta and the others back on a hot, sealed train during August, rather than a plane, led Keïta to declare that the railroad be destroyed at the border after the trip.[29] Independent nations of Senegal and the Republic of Mali were recognized by most countries by mid-September and accepted into the United Nations in late September 1960.[28]

Though Senegal left the federation on 20 August 1960, the Sudanese Republic officially kept being part of the federation until 22 September 1960, when it changed its name to the Republic of Mali. The Republic of Mali, at first, had the flag of the Mali Federation as its flag. However, Islamic fundamentalists believed that the kanaga, as a depiction of an human, was idolatrous, and so on 1 March 1961 the kanaga was rempved from the flag.
Rule 3: Green, gold, and red. I like the Pan-African colors, even if they're overused.
Rule 4: This flag has no text or emblems.
Rule 5: This flag is very similar to Guinea's, the only difference being that the positions of the red and green on Mali's flag are swapped in Guinea's flag, and vice versa.
Part 2
Sudanese Republic (1958-1959)

Spoiler

French colonial flags are mostly bad, but sometimes they're good, like this one.
Mali Federation (1959-1960), Republic of Mali (1960-1961)

Spoiler

I like this flag. The kanaga is a simple emblem which makes this flag distinctive.
Part 3
A bland tricolor whose flag is too similar to Guinea's. Bad flag.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Malta

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 21 September 1974 (Maltese independence)
Part 1
Rule 1: A child could not draw the Cross from memory.
Rule 2: From 870 to 1091, Malta was part of the Emirate of Sicily. (before then, it was part of Phoenicia, Carthage, the Roman Empire, and the Eastern Roman Empire). In 1091 Malta was conquered by Roger I of Sicily, a Norman count who had previously conquered Sicily. This is the time when, according to legend, Malta's flag originated. It is said that when Roger's fleet entered Malta, the Christians living there volunteered to fight the Muslims along with the count. In response, Roger I would rip off his checkered red and white flag and the pieces to the Christians so he could tell them apart from the Muslims. However, the legend originated in the 19th century, and is most likely, false.
After being conquered by Roger I, Malta would become part of the Kingdom of Sicily. It would be ruled by the Normans until 1194, when it would pass to the House of Hohenstaufen. In 1266 the kingdom was conquered by the Capetian House of Anjou, The Angevins imposed heavy taxes in Sicily, which they spent on foreign wars, which made them rather unpopular, which led to the Sicilian Vespers, after which the House of Anjou was overthrown and replaced with the House of Barcelona. The legitimate members of the House of Barcelona became extinct in 1410, and the Kingdom of Sicily became part of the Crown of Aragon, which would in 1516 pass to Charles V of the House of Habsburg (who would become Holy Roman Emperor in 1519). who gave Malta to the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in 1530. The Knights Hospitalier would rule Malta until 1798, during the French Revolutionary Wars, when Napoleon captured Malta. Malta would be occupied by the French, who would take over church property and loot it to fund the war. This led to the French occupation being unpopular in Malta.
After the Siege of Malta, Malta would become a British protectorate. After the 1814 Treaty of Paris Malta became a British colony.
During WWII, Malta was sieged and heavily bombed by the Axis powers. Malta's heroism caused King George VI of the United Kingdom to award the George Cross to Malta in 1942 (Malta was the only collective receiver of the award until 1999, when the award was given to the Royal Ulster Constabulary). After that, Malta's official flag was like most British colonial flags (though there was a George Cross in the flag's coat of arms), but it also had an unofficial which was a red and vertical bicolor with a blue canton which had the George Cross on it. When Malta became independent on 21 Septembver 1964 a version of the unofficial flag without the blue was adopted as Malta's flag.
Rule 3: Red and white. Some flags with this combination are good, but some are boring.
Rule 4: The George Cross has is pretty complex, and it has text. It's also pretty small, which is bad for something so complex.
Rule 5: The George Cross makes the flag distinctive imo.
Part 2
Malta has been ruled by a lot of countries (plus the Knights Hospitalier), and Malta has always had the flag of the county that ruled, except for when it was a British colony, but I don't like writing British colonial flags (for the curious, Malata as a British colony had 4 flags, the first was used from 1875 to 1898, the second was used from 1898 to 1923, the third was used from 1923 to 1943, and the last, which had the George Cross, was used from 1943 to 1964. You can look at them in Wikipedia's List of Flags of Malta, in the "historical flags" section).
part 3
The George Cross is pretty complex, and I think the rest of the flag is boring. I prefer Malta's civil ensign, which is simple and distinctive.

 

[badposter]

Flag of the Marshall Islands

Ratio: 10:19 (a strange ratio which the flags of Liberia, the Federated of Micronesia, and the United States also have. You may notice that the flags with this ratio are that of the US, and the flag of a few countries which have been influenced by the United States during their history).
Adopted: 1 May 1979 (Marshallese autonomy).
Part 1
Rule 1: A child may not be able to draw the exact number of points in the star of the flag, but recognizability is more important than perfection.
Rule 2: In 1885, the Marshall Islands became a German protectorate, after the chiefs of the islands signed a treaty with Germany. Previously, the islands were a Spanish colony, part of the Spanish East Indies. While Spain protected its claims in the Caroline Islands, it made no attempt to defend it. From 1887 to 1905 the islands would be administered by the Jaluit Gesellschaft, a trading company. In 1906 the islands would become part of German New Guinea, a protectorate. During WWI Japan occupied the islands, and after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Germany gave its claims to its Pacific possesions. In 1920 the South Pacific Mandate, a mandate consisting of all former German colonies north of the Equator and in the Pacific, was given to the Japanese Empire by the League of Nations.
During WWII the islands were occupied by the United States. The islands formally began to be administered by the United States in 1947, when UN Security Council Resolution 21 was passed, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
On 1 May 1979 the government of the Marshall Islands was established, and the islands became self-governing. That same date, the current flag of the Marshall Islands, designed by Emlain Kabua, the country's First Lady, was adopted.
In the flag, the blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, the diagonal stripes symbolize the Equator, and the star symbolizes the Marshall Islands and its position in the Northern Hemispere. The white stripe symbolizes the eastern Ratak ("sunrise") Chain and peace, while the orange stripe symbolizes the western Ralik ("sunset") chain, and courage. The 24 points of the star symbolize the country's electoral districts, while the 4 longer rays symbolize Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje, and Ebeye.
On 21 October 1986 the Compact of Free Association, under which the United States would give aid and military defense to the Marshall Islands in exchange for the US being allowed to do missile test in the Kwajalein Atoll, came into effect. In 1991 the Marshall Islands joined the United Nations.
Rule 3: Blue, orange, and white. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: The star in the flag is different than most other stars on flag, but it's still simple.
Rule 5: This flag is distinctive.
Part 2
Ralik Islands (according to flagspot, the flag of an independent polity influenced by Germany) (1878-1885, also according to flagspot)

Spoiler

I like this flag, but I prefere the current, and besides the Marshall Islands are no longer influenced by Germany.
Part 3
I like this flag. It has a nice shade of orange.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Mauritania

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 1 April 1959 (more than a year before Mauritanian independence on 28 November 1960)
Part 1
Rule 1: A child can draw this flag from memory.
Rule 2: From 1904 to 1958 Mauritania was a French, part of French West Africa. During that time, Mauritania's flag was the French tricolor.
Like in the other French colonies in Africa, Mauritania had a referendum on whether it should become independent or a part of the new French Community in 1958. Mauritania becoming part of the French Community won with 94.04% of the vote, and Mauritania became an autonomus part of the French Community. In 1959 Mauritania's current flag was adopted.
In Mauritania's flag, the green and the crescent symbolize Islam, the religion of 99% of Mauritania's population (the country is officially named the Islamic Republic of Mauritania) and the gold symbolizes the Sahara Desert, which covers most of the country.
On 28 Novermber 1960 Mauritania became fully independent.
Rule 3: Green and yellow. Along with Jamaica's flag, this os the only flag withouth red, white, or blue. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: The crescent and star is a simple emblem.
Rule 5: Many other flags have crescent and stars, but none can be confused with Mauritania's, which has a distinctive horizontal crescent.
Part 2
Mauritania has never changed its flag after becoming independent, and before that its flag was the French tricolor.
Part 3
A simple and distinctive flag with good colors.

 

[LN1]

Is that flag legit a starface smiley?

 

[badposter]

Flag of Mauritius

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 12 March 1968 (Mauritian independence).
Part 1
Rule 1: A child can draw this flag from memory. It's a simple flag with just four bands.
Rule 2: Mauritius was first discovered by the Arabs during the Middle Ages. The islands were then visited by the Portuguese somewhere between 1507 and 1513. However, neither the Arabs nor the Portuguese considered Mauritius important, and thus didn't settle it.
In 1598, a Dutch expedition of eight ships led by Jacob Corneliszoon van Neck. Due to bad weather while passing the Cape of Good Hope, the expedition split. Three ships came to Northeastern Madagascar, while the remaining five ships, still led by Van Neck, landed in Mauritius on 20 September 1598. The members of the expedition decided to name the island "Prins Mauritz van Nassaueiland", after Prince Maurits, the stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. The expedition would leave the islands on 2 October, and afterwards the islands would be used as a stop by the Dutch during long sea trips, but they would only begin to be colonizes in 1638, when Cornelius Grooyer began to establish the first Dutch settlement on the island, bringing 55 other people, attemping to develop the island's commercial potential. Grooyer failed at that, so he was replaced by Adriaan van der Stel, who became economically developing the island by selling ebony wood and bringing 105 slaves to Madagascar (of which sixty escaped to the forest). During that time, Mauritius used the flag of the Dutch East India Company.
Colonization of Mauritius would be hard. The Dutch would face cyclones, droughts, pest infestations, lack of food, and illnesses during their colonization attempt. Finally, the Dutch would abandon the island in 1710 (but not before causing the extinction of the dodo).
In 1712, the island would be colonized and settled by France, who called the island "Isle de France". The islands would be economically agricultural and slave-based. It is duing this time that Port-Louis became the administrative center of Mauritius. The French East India Company would rule the island until 1767, when Isle de France became directly colonized by France (the company would be dissolved in 1769). While Mauritius was a French colony, it had the same flag as France, which means Mauritius' flag became the French tricolor after 1794.
During the Napoleonic Wars the islands were used by the French as a base to raid British ships. This led to the British capturing the island in 1810. The islands becoming a British colony would be confirmed by the Treaty of Paris (1814). The British would rename the islands Mauritius and allow those who lived in the islands to keep their languages and institutions.
In 1835 slavery was banned in Mauritius, and the slave would be replaced by indentured servants. Some servants came from China, Malaya, Madagascar, or Africa, but the majority came from India.
In 1967 general elections were held in Mauritius. The Independence Party would win a majority in the Legislative Assembly. On 12 March 1968 Mauritius declared independence as a Commonwealth realm (meaning it had the same monarch as the UK), and adopted a new constitution and a new flag.
In the flag of Mauritius, the red symbolizes the blood shed during slavery and colonization, the blue symbolizes the Indian Ocean, the yellow symbolizes the light of independence shining over Mauritius, and the green symbolizes the country's lush vegatation.
Mauritius became a republic on 12 March 1992.
Rule 3: Red, blue, yellow, and green. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: This flag has no text or emblems.
Rule 5: This flag is similar to Armenia's or those of the countries that were part of Gran Colombia, but I think he green stripe makes the flag distinctive.
Part 2
Mauritius has always had the same flag since independence. Before that, it had British colonial flags, and before that it had the flag of France. Before even that it had the flag of the Dutch East India Company.
Part 3
A simple flag with good colors. I like it.

 

[Hobbes]

Looks like Mexico is next :D

 

[EctoBiologist]

Call me when they show the Venezuelan flag. I can't wait to see their opinion on it.

 

[KoopartolBB]

Call me when they show the Venezuelan flag. I can't wait to see their opinion on it.

Is that flag legit a starface smiley?

Mauritaniaball cannot into sad.

Venezuelaball cannot into happy.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Mexico

Ratio: 4:7 (a rather odd ratio. Iran is the only other national flag with it, assuming you don't use the construction sheet that gives Iran's flag a 1:75/28 ⋅ (7√5 − 15) aspect ratio)
Adopted: 2 November 1821 (current coat of arms adopted on 16 September 1968)
Part 1
Rule 1: A child could not draw the rather complex coat of arms from memory.
Rule 2: For most of the Mexican War of Independence, Mexico (which had been since the first half of the 16th century the main part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, a Spanish colony) had no official flag. The rebels, however, still flew unofficial flags. While uttering the Cry of Dolores (which began the Mexican War of Independence) in 1810, Miguel Hidalgo (a priest and a leader of Mexican independence) carried a banner with the Virgin of Guadalupe on it. Another priest and leader of Mexico's independence, José María Morelos, flew a blue and white flag with a crowned eagle on a cactus over a bridge with three arches. Under each arch was a letter, the letters being V, V and M, which stands for Viva la Virgen María (long live the Virgin Mary).
However, the very first flag used by rebels with Mexico's current colors was the Bandera Siera, used by rebels in the mountains near the town of Zongolica, which was a vertical green, white, and red tricolor with a quiver, a bow,a machete, and the word Siera on the white.
The first official flag of Mexico was adopted 0n 24 February 1821, when the war was ending and the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_of_Iguala]Plan of Iguala was written. The plan called for the establishment of Catholicism as Mexico's state religion, full independence for Mexico (which would be a monarchy), and equality of all ethnic and social classes in Mexico. These would be known as the "the Three Guarantees", summarized as religion, freedom, and union. That same day, the Army of the Three Guarantees was created, and Mexico adopted a white, green, and red diagonal tricolor in which all colors had a yellow eight-pointed star on them. The white symbolized religion, the green freedom, and the red, union.
On 24 August 1821 the Treaty of Cordoba was signed by Juan O'Donojú (representing the Spanish Government) and Agustín de Iturbide (who was previously opposed to the rebels but switched sides after the Spanish Constitution of 1812 (a liberal constitution) was readopted in Spain in 1820. He was the leader of the Army of the Three Guarantees). That same date, Mexico's flag was changed: the star on the center was changed to be on the upper fly side, the colors of the stars were changed (the one on the white became green, the one on the green became red, and the one on the red became white) and in the center a crown with the phrase "Union Relygion Yndependencia" (union, religion, independence, though it's "Unión, Religión, Independencia" if it were written how Spanish is currently written) around it was added.
On 27 September 1821 the Army of the Three Guarantees entered Mexico City, and the war was over. The next day the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire was signed (though Spain didn't recognize Mexican independence until 1836, and made unsuccessful attempts to reconquer Mexico. The Mexican Empire was established, though initially it had no emperor, just a regency. On 2 November, 1821, Mexico adopted a vertical red, white, and green, tricolor with a crowned eagle on a cactus in the center.
On 18 May 1822 a crowd gathered outside Agustín de Iturbide's residence, shouting "Viva Iturbide!" (long live Iturbide), and demanding he become Emperor of Mexico. Thus, the next day Mexico's congress declared Agustín de Iturbide was Mexico's first emperor, Agustín I. Agustín I would be opposed by republicans and monarchists who wanted an European ruler, which led to the emperor dissolving Congress and replacing it with a junta loyal to him, which led to the emperor being overthrown and exiled, and congress being restored on 19 March 1823. On 31 March 1823 the monarchy was abolished and replaced with a triumvirate, which would rule Mexico provisionally until it would get a constitution. Mexico got a constitution on 4 October 1824. The new constitution would establish the country's name as the United Mexican States. On 10 October 1824 the triumvirate was dissolved and Guadalupe Victoria became Mexico's first president.
After the monarchy was abolished, Mexico's flag would be changed so that the crown on the eagle would be removed, an oak and laurel branch would be added added under the cactus, and the eagle would be holding a snake in its talon, intending to eat it. The eagle and snake originate from an Aztec legend: while the Aztecs were looking for somewhere to settle, Huitzilopochtli told to look for an eagle eating a snake on a cactus. Where they found the eagle, they founded Tenochtitlan (which was in what is now a Mexico City).
However, the legend wasn't quite like that:

The coat of arms recalls the founding of Mexico City, then called Tenochtitlan. The legend of Tenochtitlan as shown in the original Mexica codices, paintings, and post-Cortesian codices, does not include a snake. While the Fejérváry-Mayer codex depicts an eagle attacking a snake, other Mexica illustrations, such as the Codex Mendoza, show only an eagle; in the text of the Ramírez Codex, however, Huitzilopochtli asked the Tenochtitlan people to look for an eagle devouring a snake, perched on an prickly pear cactus. In the text by Chimalpahin Cuauhtlehuanitzin, the eagle is devouring something, but it is not mentioned what it is. Still other versions (such as the backside of the Teocalli of the Sacred War) show the eagle clutching the Aztec symbol of war, the Atl-Tlachinolli glyph, or "burning water".

Moreover, the original meanings of the symbols were different in numerous aspects. The eagle was a representation of the sun god Huitzilopochtli, who was very important, as the Mexicas referred to themselves as the "People of the Sun". The cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), full of its fruits, called "nochtli" in Nahuatl, represent the island of Tenochtitlan. To the Mexicas, the snake represented wisdom, and it had strong connotations with the god Quetzalcoatl. The story of the snake was derived from an incorrect translation of the Crónica mexicáyotl by Fernando Alvarado Tezozómoc.[citation needed] In the story, the Nahuatl text ihuan cohuatl izomocayan, "the snake hisses", was mistranslated as "the snake is torn". Based on this, Father Diego Durán reinterpreted the legend so that the eagle represents all that is good and right, while the snake represents evil and sin. Despite its inaccuracy, the new legend was adopted because it conformed with European heraldic tradition. To the Europeans it would represent the struggle between good and evil. Although this interpretation does not conform to pre-Columbian traditions, it was an element that could be used by the first missionaries for the purposes of evangelism and the conversion of the native peoples.[1]

Either way, after Mexico adopted its first flag with an eagle and snake, the exact design of the flag wasn't defined, leading to there being many different Mexican flags. When the Second Mexican Empire was founded in 1864 (it's a long story, but basically Mexico was indebted to France, which also wanted an ally in the Western Hemisphere and took advantage of the United States being busy with the Civil War by establishing a puppet state in Mexico and installing Maximilian, an Austrian prince, as Emperor of Mexico), a new flag with a rather complex coat of arms and 4:7 ratio (previous Mexican flags had a 1:2 ratio). After the American Civil War ended, the United States could support the rebels against the empire, and on Maximilian I was overthrown and executed, the monarchy was abolished, the old flag was restored, and Benito Juárez, who had been President of Mexico from 1858 to the establishment of the Empire, became president. Juárez was a liberal who favored secularism, and during his presidency the meaning of the stripes were changed so that red would symbolizes hope, white would symbolize union, and the red would symbolize the blood of heroes who fought for Mexican independence.
Mexico finally got an standardized coat of arms in 1880 (though there was another coat of arms designed in 1898 which was rather popular despite being unofficial). Mexico would adopt a new coat of arms in 1916 and in 1934. On 16 September 1968 the current coat of arms and the current flag were adopted. In 1984 the Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem was passed. It regulates the use of the flag and, notably, gives no meaning to the stripes.
Rule 3: Red, white, and green, not including the coat of arms' colors. Good colors (counting the coat of arms, this flag has 16 colors. That is not good).
Rule 4: This flag has a complex coat of arms, but no text.
Rule 5: This flag is distincive. If the coat of arms were removed, it'd be nearly identical to Italy's (though with a different ratio and a darker shade of green and red)
Part 2
Flag of the Three Guarantees. (1821)

Spoiler

A simple and distinctive flag. I like it.
1821

Spoiler

This flag, on the other hand, is bad, having text and a complex crown.
I won't include the other Mexican historical flags, since they're similar enough to the current for me not to care about them, except for...
Second Mexican Empire (1864-1867)

Spoiler

I'd like to meet a child who could draw this flag perfectly from memory.
Part 3
The coat of arms is still complex, but I still like. If I could change, I'd remove most of the coat of arms excluding the eagle and snake or re-establish the Flag of the Three Guarantees.
(Tucayo, sorry if this was shit, I learned most of this today. Correct if I made any mistakes).

 

[Hobbes]

Don't be sorry, it was a good read! I actually didn't know we didn't have a standardized coat of arms until 1880.

I'll share some trivia: schools are allowed to make customized flags with their names on it, as long as they don't interfere with the coat of arms.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Moldova

Ratio: 1:2 (normal)
Adopted: 27 April 1990 (more than a year before Moldovan independence on 27 August 1991)
Part 1
Rule 1: A child could not draw that coat of arms from memory.
Rule 2: From 1346 to 1812 what is now Moldova was part of Principality of Moldavia (which also included what is now part of Romania and Ukraine). The principality's flag was red with a yellow auroch's head on it. To the left of the auroch's head was a risette , to its right was a moon, and above it was a star (all were yellow). The origin of the auroch's head is unkown, but there's a legend about its origin: Dragoș, the first voivode (ruler) of Moldavia came from Maramureș to Moldavia while chasing aurochs. When he came to Moldavia, he dismounted.
After the 1787-1792 Russo-Turkish War ended the Treaty of Jassy, which gave parts of what is now Moldova to the Russian Empire, was signed. After the 1806-1812 Russo-Turkish War ended, the Treaty of Bucharest was signed. It gave what is now Moldova to Russia (the principality would exist until 1859, when it united with Wallachia to form the United Principalities, though Wallachia and Moldavia would only be united in having the same prince until 1862, when the principalities formally united to become the Romanian United Principalities).
From 1812 to 1871 the part of the Principality of Moldavia which was annexed by the Russian Empire was known as the Oblast of Bessarabia. In 1871 Bessarabia became a guberniya (governorate)
In 1917, during WWI and after the October Revolution, Bessarabia declared independence as the Moldavian Democratic Republic, which lasted until 9 April 1918, when the Sfatul Țării (national council) voted to unify with Romania. In 1924, in the town of Tatarbunary in Bessarabia, there was a Bolshevik-inspired peasant uprising. The peasants considered themselves as Moldovan and distinct from Romanians. That same year, in the Soviet Union the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created. It was part of the Ukrainian SSR.
On 26 June 1940, after the beginning of WWII and the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Romania in which Romania would cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina (a region which was once part of the Principality of Moldavia, before being annexed by the Habsburg monarchy in 1774 and becoming part of Romania in 1918) to the Soviet Union. Romania accepted and in 28 June the regions were occupied. On 2 August 1940 the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was created. It had all of Moldava's current territory.
After Operation Barbarossa Bessarabia once again became part of Romania, but in 1944 the Soviets took the region again and re-established the Moldavian SSR.
While the Moldavian SSR existed, Moldovan was officially a separate language from Romanian, despite the two languages being extremely similar. Moldavian was written in the Cyrillic aplhabet, while Romanian was written in the Latin.
In 1989, during glasnost and perestroika, the Popular Front of Moldova was established. On 27 August it led a demostration attended by 300000 people called the "Grand National Assembly", which led to the Moldavian SSR to declare Moldovan written in the Latin script as the official language of the SSR and establishing Moldovan's identity with Romanian.
In November 1989 there were riots in Moldova
In 1990 elections to the Supreme Soviet took place in Moldova, resulting in a victory for the Popular Front of Moldova. On 27 April 1990 Moldova adopted its current flag. The flag has Romania's colors, representing Moldova's shared history and cultural similarity to Moldova. On it is the coat of arms of Moldova, which is similar to Romania's (Wikipedia doesn't tell what the parts of the coat of arms symbolize)
On 23 June 1990 the Moldovian SSR renamed itself "Socialist Republic of Moldova", and the Declaration of Sovereignty of the "Soviet Socialist Republic Moldova" was passed. It declared that Moldova would be sovereign, and that Moldovan law would take precedence over Soviet law.
After the August Coup Moldova declared independence as the Republic of Moldova on 27 August 1991. It would join the UN on 2 March 1992.
From 1990 to 2010 the reverse (back, as opposed to the observe, the front) side of Moldova's flag officially had no coat of arms, but many flags which had the Moldovan flag on the reverse were made. In 2010 a law was passed stating that the coat of arms would be on the reverse side and establishing the exact shade of the flag's colors.
Rule 3: Not counting the colors of the coat of arms, blue, yellow, and red. Good colors, but I think this combination is a little overused.
Rule 4: This flag has a complex coat of arms. Bad.
Rule 5: This flag is distinctive due to the coat of arms. If the coat of arms were removed, the flag ould be nearly identical to Romania's, the only differences being that Moldova's flag has a ligther shade of blue and 1:2 ratio instead of Romania's 2:3.
Part 2
Principality of Moldavia (1346-1859)

Spoiler

The auroch head is somewhat complex, but the other emblems and the flag is distinctive. However, Moldova only covers part of what was once Moldavia, so I don't think Moldova should use this flag.
Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917-1918)

Spoiler

That's a lot of text.
Moldovan SSR (1940-1941, 1944-1952)

Spoiler

Early Soviet flags were pretty undistinctive.
Moldovan SSR (1952-1990)

Spoiler

The flags of the Byelorussian, Lithuanian, and Tajik SSRs also had green stripes (along with the flag of the Karelo-Finnish SSR, which was short lived, existing from 1940 to 1956)
Part 3
A flag with a complex coat of arms, and which is otherwise undistinvctive. Bad flag.

 

[Smg2daisy]

Spoiler: Malaysia

I suffered when drawing the star
I suffered so much back then

The colours of the flag have each of its meaning, red means the spirit, white means pure and politeness, yellow means loyalty since the colour represents the royals, and blue represents unity

 

[badposter]

Flag of Monaco

Ratio: 4:5 (though the flag is commonly shown as 2:3)
Adopted: 4 April 1881
Part 1
Part 1: This flag is pretty simple.
Part 2: In 1191 Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor gave Monaco to the Republic of Genoa. In 1215 Genoese Ghibelines began to build a fortress atop the Rock of Monaco.
In 1297 François Grimaldi, who was from a Genoese Guelph family captured Monaco's palace along with Rainier I, disguised as a monk. This is the origin of Monaco's coat of arms.
During the 14th century Monaco would change hands between the Ghibellines and the House of Grimaldi multiple times. During that time Monaco gained Menton and Roquebrune.
In 1419 the Grimaldis bought Monaco, thus becoming the indisputed Lords of it. In 1525 Augustine Grimaldi, Regent of Monaco (Lord Honoré I was three years old at the time) made Monaco a Spanish protectorate.
In 1612 Honoré II declared himself Prince of Monaco. In 1641 he and King Louis XIII signed the Treaty of Péronne, after which Monaco became a French protectorate. Monaco would be a French protectorate and a principate until 1793, during the French Revolutionary Wars, when France occupied and annexed Monaco.
The annexation would last until 1814, when Monaco became independent. After the 1815 Congress of Vienna Monaco became a Sardinian protectorate.
In 1848 Menton and Roquebrune protested against heavy taxation on lemon exports and declared themselves free cities fow tow years before becoming Sardinian protectorates.
After the signing of the 1860 Trteaty of Turin between Sardinia and France, the counties of Savoy and Nice were ceded by Sardinian to France. Monaco once again became a French protectorate.
The Franco-Moneqasque Treaties made France end its protectorate over Monaco. At the same time, Monaco would give up its claims to Menton and Roquebrone, which it would sell to France for 4,100,000 francs.
On 4 April 1881 Monaco adopted a red and white horizontal bicolor. Red and white have been the colors of House of Grimaldi since at least 1339. Before then, according to Wikipedia, Monaco used a white flag with Monaco's coat of arms at the time on it. That flag, with the current version of the coat of arms, is still used in government offices, the Prince's palace, in the presence of government officials, and the Prince's yacht.
Another flag which has been somewhat popular in Monaco's history (and is still appears in some royal photographs), despite never being official, is a white flag with many red lozenges (diamonds) all over it.
Rule 3: Red and white. Not inherently bad colors, but there are many boring flags with that combination.
Rule 4: This flag has no text or coats of arms.
Rule 5: This flag is older than Indonesia's, but it's still not very distinctive.
Part 2
I know Monaco's had flags before 1881, but I haven't been able to find them
Part 3
It's very simple, but also boring and undistinctive. I prefer the flag with the lozenges, which, which definitely has too many lozenges for a child to draw perfectly from memory, is at least distinctive, and (in my opinion) good-looking.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Mongolia

Ratio: 1:2 (normal)
Adopted : 1940 (star removed on 12 February 1992)
Part 1
Rule 1: Although all the elements on the flags are simple, there are a lot of them, so I don't think could draw the flag from memory.
Rule 2: Mongolia was part of China from the 17h century to 1911. (Inner Mongolia is still part of China). During the 1911-1912 Xinhai Revolution (which ended imperial rule in China and made it a republic) and made there was a revolution in Mongolia. On 1 December 1911 Mongolia declared independence from China. Thus began the Bogd Khanate, which was a theocratic absolute monarchy ruled by the Bogd Khan (Holy Ruler). The first and only Bogd Khan was the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, an important title in Mongolian Buddhism.
The Bogd Khanate's flag was red with a yellow border. In its center was a Soyombo (wich was yellow), a special character of the Soyombo script used to write Mongolian. The Soyombo, from top to bottom, has a fire, the sun, the moon, a triangle (pointing downwards), an horizontal rectangle, a yin-yang, another horizontal rectangle, and another triangle pointing downwards. Everything from the first triangle to the second had a wall to its left and right.
In 1919 China occupied Mongolia. The occupation would end in 1921, when White Russian forces led by Baron Roman von Ungern-Stenberg defeated the Chinese and restored the Bogd Khanate. That same year, Soviet-backed Mongolians defeated the White Russians in Mongolia and expelled them. At first, the monarchy would be kept, but its powers would be limited. Mongolia's flag would be changed so that it would be a red flag with the sun and moon of the Soyombo (in yellow) on the upper hoist side.
In 1924 the Bogd Khan died, and the Mongolian People's Republic was established. It would be a Soviet puppet state, ruled by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. During the rule of Khorloogiin Choibalsan (who ruled from the 1930s to his death in 1952) Buddhism was heavily persecuted, along with Buryats, Kazakhs, and political dissidents.
The first flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia was red, with a blue Soyombo in the center.
In WWII Mongolia was one of the only parts of East Asia not succesfully occupied by the Japanese Empire, which was defeated by the Soviets and Mongols in Khalkhin Gol.
In 1940 Mongolia's flag was changed so that it would be a red, blue, and red vertical triband. On the red stripe in the hoist side was a yellow Soyombo, with a yellow star of communism above it.
In 1952 Khorloogiin Choibalsan died an was replaced by Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal, who would rule Mongolia until he was forced into retirement in 1984 by the Soviets, perhaps because of his opposition to Sino-Soviet rapproachment. Afterwards, Jambyn Batmönkh became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Party.
In 1990 pro-democracy protests and hunger strikes happened in Mongolia. While the Mongolian People's Party considered the idea of cracking down on the protests, Jambyn Batmönkh had a policy of not using force, and refused to sign a degree authorizing the use of force. In June 1990 democratic elections were held in Mongolia. The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party won the elections, but on 12 February 1992 a new Mongolian constitution. That same day, the star was removed from the flag.
In Mongolia's flag, the red symbolizes Mongolia's abilty to thrive in its harsh environment, the blue symbolizes the eternal blue sky, and the Soyomboa has many meanings:

Fire is a general symbol of eternal growth, wealth, and success. The three tongues of the flame represent the past, present, and future.
Sun and moon symbolise that the Mongolian nation will exist for eternity as the eternal blue sky. Mongolian symbol of the sun, moon and fire derived from the Xiongnu.
The two triangles allude to the point of an arrow or spear. They point downward to announce the defeat of interior and exterior enemies.
The two horizontal rectangles give stability to the round shape. The rectangular shape represents the honesty and justice of the people of Mongolia, whether they stand at the top or at the bottom of society.
The arga-bilge (Yin-yang) symbol illustrates the mutual complement of man and woman. In socialist times, it was alternatively interpreted as two fish symbolizing vigilance, because fish never close their eyes.
The two vertical rectangles can be interpreted as the walls of a fort. They represent unity and strength, relating to a Mongolian proverb: "The friendship of two is stronger than stone walls."[1]

Rule 3: Red, yellow, and blue. They're okay imo.
Rule 4: The Soyombo has many emblems, all simple.
Rule 5: This flag is distinctive. I think that even without the Soyombo there's no flag it's too similar to.
Bogd Khanate (1911-1919)

Spoiler

This flag is a non-quadrilateral, which I like.
Bogd Khanate (1921-1924)

Spoiler

A flag with obvious influence. I like its simplicity and distinctiveness.
People's Republic of Mongolia (1924-1940)

Spoiler

I'm okay with most violations of the rule of tincture, but this one's pretty ugly.
People's Republic of Mongolia (1940-1992)

Spoiler

With or without the star, Mongolia's flag still has many elements.
Part 3
A child couldn't draw it from memory, but aside from that I like it.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Montenegro

Ratio: 1:2 (normal)
Adopted: 13 July 2004
Part 1
Rule 1: A child could not draw the coat of arms from memory.
Rule 2: The Crnojević dynasty, which from 1431 to 1498 ruled Zeta, whose territory was roughly what is now that of Montenegro (plus parts of northern Albania), had a coat of arms featuring a double-headed crowned eagle, a symbol of Roman and Byzantine heritage.
In 1498 the Ottoman Empire conquered Montenegro. At first, Montenegro was part of the Sanjak of Scutari. In 1514 the Sanjak of Montengro was founded. It was ruled by Skenderbeg Crnojević, a member of the dynasty who converted to Islam. In 1528 he died, and the Montenegro Vilayet was founded. Though officialy under Ottoman rule, uprisings led by the Eparchy of Cetinje and tribal leaders, sometimes allied with the Republic of Venice, were common.
In 1696, during the Great Turkish War, the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro, a strong Russian ally ruled by the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, was founded. It was ruled by a metropolitan, who was both the bishop of Cetinje and a prince. The throne would pass from uncle to nephew, due to bishops being celibate.
The Prince-Bishopric had a red flag with a white cross pattée. Metropolitan Danilo I (the first Prince-Bishop of Montenegro) had a coat of arms with a double-headed crowned eagle on a red field. Eventually, a lion symolizing episcopal authority was added to the coat of arms.
In 1851 Danilo II became prince-bishop. However, Danilo did not want to be a bishop, and in 1852 Montenegro became a secular principate. That year, Montenegro's coat of arms was changed so that the lion was placed below the eagle while a shield with the current prince's initials on it was added on the eagle's breast. Montenegro's flag became red with Montengro's coat of arms on it. In 1876 the flag was changed so that it would be a red, blue, and white tricolor.
In 1905 Prince Nicholas I, wanting to avoid a revolution like that which happened in Russia in 1905, introduced a constitution for Montenegro, which established a constitutional monarchy. Montenegro's coat of arms was changed so that the shield on the eagle's breast would have a lion on a red field standing on green ground. The eagle, which was golden, would become silver. The eagle once had a sword and sceptre in a claw, but the sword was removed. At the same time the shade of blue on Montenegro's flag (which before then was identical to Serbia's flag at the time). Montenegro's independence would be internationally recognized in 1878.
On 28 August 1910 the Kingdom of Montenegro was proclaimed by Nicholas I, who became a king. In 1916, during WWI, Austria-Hungary began to occupy Montenegro, and the king went into exile in France. The occupation lasted until the end of the war, after which the Podgorica Assembly was established. On 26 November 1918 it voted to depose the king, who would die in 1921. Two days after was deposed, the assembly voted to unite Montenegro with Serbia. On 1 December 1918 Serbia would unite with the unrecognized State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs to form the Kingdom of Serb, Croats and Slovenes, which in 1929 changed its name to the Kindom of Yugoslavia.
In 1941, during WWII, Montenegro was occupied by Italy, before being occupied in 1943 by Nazi Germany. In December 1944 the Yugoslav Partisans managed to defeat Germany in Montenegro. Afterwards, the People's Republic of Montenegro, part of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, was founded. Its flag was like that of Montenegro from 1905 to 1918, but with a red star symbolizing communism on it. In 1963 Yugoslavia's name was changed to "Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia", and Montenegro became a Socialist Republic.
Montenegro and Serbia were the only republics of Yugoslavia to not leave it during the 1990s. In 1992 there was a referendum on whether or not Montenegro should become independent. Muslims, Catholics, Albanians, and pro-independence Montenegrins boycotted the referendum, and remaining in Yugoslavia won with 95.96% of the vote.
On 27 April 1992 a new constitution came into effect in Yugoslavia. It changed the country's name to "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". Montenegro's name was changed to "Republic of Montenegro", which in 1994 changed its flag so that the red star would be removed, the ratio would be changed to 1:3, and the blue would become even lighter.
In 1996 the government of Milo Đukanović broke sharply with the Serbian government. Montenegro would adopt the Deutsche Mark, and later the Euro, and Montenegro would become practically independent in everything except for a few things, like its military.
In 2003 Yugoslavia was replaced by the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. It had a proposed flag and national anthem, but they were never adopted. On 13 July 2004 Montenegro adopted a red flag with a gold border and Montenegro's coat of arms. On 21 May 2006 there was an independence referendum in Montenegro. The pro-independence side won with 55.5% of the vote, and on 3 June 2006 Montenegro became fully independent. On 22 October 2007 it adopted a constitution.
Rule 3: Not counting the colors in the coat of arms, red and gold. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: This flag has a complex coat of arms.
Rule 5: This f;ag is distinctive.
Part 2
Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro (1696-1852)

Spoiler

This flag is simple and distinctive, but Montenegro is no longer a Prince-Bishopric.
Principate of Montenegro (1876-1905)

Spoiler

An undistinctive Pan-Slavic tricolor.
Principate of Montenegro (1905-1910), Kingdom of Montenegro (1910-1918)

Spoiler

The change in 1905 was pretty minor.
People's Republic of Montenegro (1946-1963), Socialist Republic of Montenegro (1963-1992), Republic of Montenegro (1992-1994)

Spoiler

Bosnia and Macedonia were the only republics of Yugoslavia with distinctive flags.
Republic of Montenegro (1994-2004)

Spoiler

That's a pretty long flag. I think that that, combined with the flag's rather light shade of blue, makes this flag distinctive.
Part 3
I think this flag looks nice, but its coat of arms is pretty complex.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Morocco

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 17 November 1915.
Part 1
Rule 1: A child can draw this flag from memory. The star is pretty simple.
Rule 2: In the year 670 AD the Umayyad Caliphate conquered Morocco and brought its language and religion to the country. In 739 the Berbers revolted. The revolt ended in 743, and various (flagless) states, such as the Emirate of Sijilmasa and the Barghawat confederacy. The Umayyads would be replaced by the Abbasids in 750, after the Abbasid Revolution.
In 788 Idris I, whose brothers where killed in the 762-763 Alid Revolt, and who claimed descent from Fatimah, daughter of the prophet Muhammad, took power in Morocco, which began the rule of the rule of the Idrisid dynasty in Morocco. Allegedly, the Idrisid dynasty had a white non-quadrilateral banner.
The Idrisids were overthrown in 974, and replaced by the Maghrawa, a Berber tribe, which was under suzerainty of the Ummayad Caliphs of Córdoba, along with various other Zenata kingdoms.
During the mid-11th century the Almoravid dynasty began to rule Morocco. Their flag was like the Idrisid's, but with the the shahada written on it in the Maghrebi script.
In 1147 the Almoravids were overthrown by the Almohad Caliphate, which had a red flag with a chessboard on it. In the mid-13th century the Almohads were replaced by the Marinids, whose flag was red with a yellow outline of a rectangle near the border and a star in the middle. This flag of Morocco would be kept by the subsequent Wattasid and Saadi dynasties.
In 1666 Mulai al-Rashid of the Alouite dynasty became Sultan of Morocco, and Morocco's flag would be changed to be plain red.
On 30 March 1912 the Treaty of Fez was signed, which made Morocco a French protectorate. On 27 November of that year [urlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Between_France_and_Spain_Regarding_Morocco]the Treaty Between France and Spainregarding Morocco[/url] was signed, which established a Spanish zone of influence in the northermost and southermost parts of Morocco.
On 17 November 1915 a green pentagram representing the seal of Solomon was added to the center of the flag. When Morocco was a protectorate, the flag was only allowed in land, and forbidden from being used at sea.
In 1923 in Tangier, a city in northwestern Morocco disputed by France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, became an international zone, administered by three countries. The zone would eventually also be administered by Portugal, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.
On 8 November 1955 the French protectorate in Morocco ended. On 7 April 1956 Morocco gained the northern part of what was Spanish Morocco. On 29 October 1956 Tangier was returned to Morocco. On 14 August 1957 Mohammed V, previously Sultan of Morocco, became King of Morocco. Morocco has always been a kingdom since.
Morocco regained the southern part of the Spanish protectorate after the Ifni War (1957-1958).
In the flag of Morocco, the red symbolizes the descent of the ruling Alawite from the prophet Muhammad via Fatima, his youngest daughter. The color red was also used by sharifs of Mecca and the imams of Yemen. It also symbolizes hardiness, bravery, strength and valour. The green symbolizes love, joy, and hope, along with Islam, and the star symbolizes the Seal of Solomon, important in Judaism and Islam.
Rule 3: Red and green. I like the colors of the flag.
Rule 4: The star is a pretty simple emblem.
Rule 5: I think this flag is distinctive. I know of no other flag which looks to much like it.
Part 2
Almohad Caliphate (1147-1248)

Spoiler

I think this is the only flag you can play chess on (Croatia's has too few squares). I like it.
Marinid dynasty (1244-1465), Wattasid dynasty (1472-1554), Saadi dynasty (1549-1659)

Spoiler

I also like this flag. It's simple, nice-looking and distinctive.
Alaouite dynasty (1669-1915)

Spoiler

Plain red flags were apparently pretty popular in history.
Part 3
I like this flag, but the green star doesnt't really stand out in the red.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Mozambique

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 1 May 1983
Part 1
Rule 1: A child could not draw an AK-47 from memory.
Rule 2: From 1498 to 1975 Mozambique was a Portuguese colony (though after 1951 it was officially an oversease province of Portugal). In 1964 FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique, Mozambique Liberation Front), a Marxist-Leninist group founded in 1962 which supported Mozmbican independence, began launiching guerrilla attacks. Thus began the Mozambican War of Independence, a quite bloody war in which FRELIMO, supported by the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Tanzania, Zambia, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya, fought against Portugal, supported by South Africa, Rhodesia, and Malawi.
On 25 April 1974 a bloodless military coup, known as the Carnation Revolution, happened in Portugal, which overthrew the Estado Novo dictatorship that had ruled Portugal since 1933. This led to the Lusaka Accord, signed by FRELIMO and Portugal on 7 September 1974, after which it was agreed Mozambique had the right to independence and that a transitional period where both Portugal and FRELIMO would rule would be established. During that transitional period, Mozambique's flag was a green, black, and yellow horizontal tricolor with with white fimbriations between the stripes and a red chevron on the hoist side. The flag had Frelimo's colors.
On 25 June 1975 Mozambique became fully independent as the People's Republic of Mozambique, a Marxist-Leninist one-party state ruled by FRELIMO. The newly independent country's first flag had four diagonal stripes radiating from the upper hoist side. The stripes were, from the hoist side to the fly side, yellow, black, red, and green. All had white fimbriations between them. Also on the flag, on the upper hoist side, was a white cogwheel, with an open book, an AK-47 with a bayonet attached, a hoe, and a red star on it.
In 1975 RENAMO (Resistência Nacional Moçambicana, Mozambican National Resistance), an anti-FRELIMO was founded. In 1977 it carried out guerrilla attacks, which began the Mozambican Civil War, in which FRELIMO (supported by Tanzania, and after 1980, Zimbabwe) fought against RENAMO (supported by Sout Africa, along with Rhodesia before 1980). It was a rather bloody war, in which both sides commited atrocities.
In 1983 Mozambique changed its flag twice. The first new flag was like the 1974-1975 flag, but with a star and the emblem in the 1975-1983 on the red chevron. That flag lasted only from April to 1 May 1983, before being replaced by Mozambique's current flag.
In 1990 Mozambique adopted a new constitution (which doesn't have a Wikipedia article wtf), which established a multi-party system, the abandonment of Marxism-Leninism and the establishment of a market-based economy, and free elections. It also changed Mozambique's name to "Republic of Mozambique". In 1992 the Rome General Peace Accords were signed, after which the civil war ended.
In 1994 general elections were held in Mozambique. They were won by FRELIMO.
In Mozambique's flag green symbolizes the riches of the land, black symbolizes Africa, yellow symbolizes the country's minerals, red represents the struggle for independence (indeed, both the war for independence and the civil war were rather bloody. All Portuguese colonies in mainland Africa won their independence bloodily, and Angola and Mozambique had bloody civil wars afterwards), and white symbolizes peace. The hoe symbolizes agriculture (77% of Mozambique's labor force works in agriculture), the book education, the star Marxism (odd, since Mozambique and FRELIMO abandoned communism in 1990) and internationalism and the AK-47 symbolizes defense and vigilance (note that Mozambique is not the only country with a firearm on its flag: Guatemala's has rifles).
Rule 3: Green, white, black, yellow, and red. I like the tricolor, it has a color combination that isn't used much.
Rule 4: The emblems on this flag are complex.
Rule 5: This flag is distinctive. Even if the emblems were removed, the colors combination of the flag is distinctive.
Part 2
1974-1975

Spoiler

This flag is better than the current imo. It's simpler and still distinctive.
People's Republic of Mozambique (1975-1983)

Spoiler

This is a flag that would have been good if the complex emblem were removed.
People's Republic of Mozambique (1983)

Spoiler

It's even more complex than the current, which is bad.
Part 3
I would like this flag if the emblems were removed (though I think the star could be kept, since it's simple)

 

[badposter]

Flag of Myanmar (also known as Burma)

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 21 October 2010
Part 1
Rule 1: A child cpuld draw tis simple tricolor with a simple emblem from memory.
Rule 2: From 1752 to 1885 Burma was an absolute monarchy ruled by the Konbaung Dynasty, whose territory included parts of what is now Northeast India. Under the Konbaung Dynasty, Burma had a white flag with a peacock on it.
To conquer Burma, the British fought three wars. After the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826), the British gained the parts that were in Burma and are now in Northeast India, plus Arakan and Tenasserim. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852-1853) the British gained Lower Burma. All of Burma became British after the third war (1885).
That parts of Burma which were British after the first two wars were part of British India, administered by the British East India Company before being administered by the British government after 1858. After the third war all of Burma became part of British India. In 1937 Burma became a British colony separate from the Raj.
In 1942, during WWII, the Japanese Empire invaded and occupied Burma. The State of Burma, a Japanese puppet, was created in 1943. Its flag was a yellow, green, tricolor with a peacock in a white circle on it. During the war, the Burmese resistance against Japan flew a red flag with a white star.
After the war, Burma went back to being a British colony, before becoming a fully independent repubic (which didn't even join the Commonwealth of Nations) known as the Union of Burma on 4 January 1948. Its flag was red with a blue canton, which had 6 white stars (with one being bigger and centered, and the other five being smaller and surrounding the bigger star) on it. The bigger star represented, while the five stars representing its main ethnic groups (which currently, according to Wikipedia, are the Bamar (68%), the Shan (9%), the Kayin (7%), the Rakhine (3.5%) and the Chinese (2.5%)).
On 2 March 1962 the government of Prime Minister U Nu, whi was an important figure in Burmese politics after the war, was overthrown in a coup d'état led by the military and Generl Ne Win. The constitution was suspended, and Burma came under martial law. Burma would become a one-party state ruled by the Burma Socialist Programme Party and Ne Win. The "Burmese Way to Socialism", a mix of nationalism, Marxism, and superstition.

In 1987—reportedly on the recommendation of an astrologer that the number nine was auspicious[9]—Ne Win ordered the withdrawal of several large-denomination kyat notes while issuing new denominations of 45 and 90 kyats. Both 45 and 90 are divisible by nine, and their numerals add up to nine. The many Burmese whose saved money in the old large denominations lost their life savings.[9] This crippled the Burmese economy further still.[10] Ne Win was well known for his penchant for numerology and yadaya (cabalistic rituals and spells performed in order to ward off misfortune).[11] When his soothsayer warned him that there might be a bloodbath, he would stand in front of a mirror and trample on meat to simulate the blood then shoot himself in the mirror to avert the possibility of an assassination attempt.[12]

In 1974 a new constitution was adopted in Burma. Burma's name was changed to "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma", and the emblem on Burma's flag was changed to a gear and a rice plant with 14 stars around them (all the emblems were white). The gear symbolized agriculture, the rice symbolized agriculture, and the 14 stars symbolized Burma's 14 states at the time.
The government of Burma was pretty unpopular, which led to the 8888 (named after 8 August 1988) uprising in 1988, which led to the State Law and Order Restoration Council, which took power in a bloody military coup, put down the uprising, and established martial law. In 1989 Burma's name was changed to "Union of Myanmar" (a Wikipedia article about the country's name).On 27 May 1990 general elections were held in Myanmar.. Although the opposition National League for Democracy won 392 of 492 seats, the military refused to recognize the results, and Myanmar remained a military dictatorship, which committed human right abuses.
In 2008 Myanmar adopted a new constitution, and its name was changed to "Republic of the Union of Myanmar". On 21 October 2010 Myanmar adopted its current flag. In Myanmar's flag, the yellow symbolizes solidarity, the green symbolizes peace, tranquility and vegetation, red symbolizes courage and determination, and white symbolizes the unity of Myanmar.
On 7 November 2010 general elections were held in Myanmar. The National League for Democracy boycotted, and the Union Solidarity and Development Party, led by Thein Sen. General elections were once again held in 2015, and the National League for Democracy won in a landslide, winning 86% of the seats in the Assembly of the Union .
Part 3: Yellow, white, green, and red. Like Bolivia's and Lithuania's flags, this flag has a tricolor with the Pan-African colors despite not being in Africa. I like the Pan-African colors, though I think they're overused.
Part 4: Stars aren't complex.
Part 5: I think the bigh white star makes the flag distinctive. If it weren't for the star, this flag would be identical to Lithuania's, except for Lithuania's 3:5 ratio and darker shade of green.
Rule 2
Konbaung Dynasty (1752-1885)

Spoiler

I like the peacock, but it's pretty complex.
(When Burma was part of the British Raj it used the Raj's flag)
British Burma (1937-1941, 1945-1948)

Spoiler

I like peacocks, but not British colonial flags.
British Burma (1941-1942)

Spoiler

A British colonial that is actually good, if complex. This is one of the few British flags with no Union Jack.
(From 1942 to 1943 Burma used Japan's flag)
State of Burma (Japanese puppet) (1943-1945)

Spoiler

This may have been the origin of the current flag. Anyway, I dislike the Japanese Empire.
Union of Burma (1948-1974)

Spoiler

It's simple, but I think it's too similar to Samoa and Taiwan's flags.
Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (1974-1988), Union of Myanmar (1988-2010)

Spoiler

I think the emblem in the canton is ugly.
Part 3
It's simple and distinctive. I don't think it's a bad flag.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Namibia

Ratio: 2:3 (normal)
Adopted: 21 March 1990 (Namibian independence)
Part 1
Rule 1: A child can draw this from memory. I don't know if they could draw the exact number of rays in the sun. but recognizability is more important than perfection.
Rule 2: In 1884 German South-West Africa, a German colony in what is now Namibia, was created (Namibia before then was barely explored by Europeans due its unhospitable desert coast, including a part known as the Skeleton Coast). From 1904 to 1907 there was a genocide of the Herero and Namaqua people by the Germans.

After the official end of the conflict, the remaining natives, when finally released from detention, were subject to a policy of dispossession, deportation, forced labour, and racial segregation and discrimination in a system that in many ways anticipated apartheid.

In 1915, during WWI, South-West Africa was occupied by South Africa. It officially became a League of Nations mandate administered by South Africa after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. In 1922 Walvis Bay, previously an exclave of South Africa, became part of the mandate.
After WWII South-West Africa, like all League of Nation Mandates that remained, was supposed to become an United Nations Trust Territories. However, the Trust Territories had to be prepared for majority rule and full independece, which South Africa protested. South-Westa Africa remained a League of Nation manate, despite the dissolution of the organization. South Africa wished to formally incorporate South-Westa Africa as South Africa's fifth province, but the incorporation never happened. In 1948, when apartheid was established in South Africa, it was also established in South-West Africa. In 1949 whites from South-West Africa were allowed representation in the Parliament of South Africa. Most of South-West Africa's seats were held by the National Party, the dominant party in apartheid South Africa.
In 1960 SWAPO (South-West African People's Organization), which supported the independence of South-West Africa, was founded. In 1966 the United Nations General Assembly revoked South Africa's mandate. South Africa refused to recognize this, and kept administering South-West Africa. That same year SWAPO carried out a guerrilla attack against the South African Defence Force at Omugulugwombashe, thus beginning the Namibian War of Independence. In 1971 the International Court of Justice declared that South Africa's presence in Namibia was illegal and that the UN had authority in Namibia. South Africa still administered the territory. After 1966 the UN began to appoint commisioners for Namibia, which South Africa's wouldn't recognize. In 1977 Walvis Bay became an exclave of South Africa once again.
In 1978 legislative elections where all adult Namibians, regardless of race, could vote were held. Officialy, the Deomcratic Turnhalle Alliance would win 41 out of 50 seats. However, SWAPO was excluded (and called for a boycott), there was no UN supervision, and there were claims of voter intimidation. This led to the UN to declare the election "null and void".
In 1988 Angola, Cuba, and South Africa signed Tripartite Accord, in which it was agreed that Namibia would become independent (and that Cuban and South African troops would stop fighting in the Angolan Civil War). In 1989
In November 1989 parliamentary elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in Namibia. They were won by SWAPO, who won 41 out of 72 seats. On 9 February 1990 Namibia adopted a constitution. On 21 March 1990 Namibia became fully independent, and Sam Nujoma (leader of SWAPO) became Namibia's first president. On that same date, Namibia adopted its flag. In 1994 Walvis Bay was returned to Namibia.
Interestingly there's a dispute about the origin of the flag. The flag's colors come from the colors of SWAPO and the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, and the flag was chosen after a contest, but there are two claims abiut the origin of the flag.
Frederick Brownell (who, by the way, was State Herald of South Africa, and designed South Africa's current flag) claims that he designed the flag, which was chosen out of 850 designs by a subcommitee. According to him, the red symbolizes Namibia's people, and their heroism and their wish to build a future of equality for all, the white symbolizes peace (Namibia has had no major wars since independence, though it had a conflict with seccesionists from the Caprivi Strip from 1994 to 1999), the green symbolizes vegetation and agriculture (47% of Namibia's labor force works in agriculture, despite the country mostly being desert or semi-arid), the blue symbolizes the country's sky, the Atlantic ocean, and Namibia's water resources, and the sun symbolizes life and energy.
However, according to Roy Allen (who is British), the flag was chosen in a contest held by Hannes Smith (a Namibian journalist) of the Windhoek Observer, and that he was the designer of Namibia's flag. According to him, the red symbolizes the blood shed during the Namibian War of Independence, the green symbolizes agriculture, and the blue symbolizes the Atlantic. He also clauims that the Sun is an Egyptian pictogram, and symbolizes the hope for good governance in Nambia after independence.
Rule 3: Blue, yellow, white, red, and green. I like the colors of this flag.
Rule 4: The sun on this flag is simple imo.
Rule 5: I don't know of any other flag Namibia's flag can be confused with.
Part 2
When it was a German colony, Namibia used Germany's flag, and from 1915 to 1990 Namibia used South Africa's flag. There was a proposal for a flag for GermanSouth-West Africa in 1912, but the flag was never adopted, and after WWI broke out Germany was busy with more important things.
Part 3
I love this flag. It's simple, distinctive, and has good colors.

 

[NathanBros]

Really a beautiful result for a three color mix.

 

[badposter]

Flag of Nauru

Ratio: 1:2 (normal)
Adopted: 31 January 1968 (Nauruan independence)
Part 1
Rule 1: A child may not be able to draw the exact number of points in the star, but recognizability is more important than perfection.
Rule 2: In 1888 Germany annexed Nauru (which had been in a civil war since 1878, which had caused the death of 500 people. That was one third of Nauru's population. Nauru didn't have a lot of people (and it still doesn't: it has only 10,000 people. Renton, Washington, was ten time Nauru's population.)) and made it part of its Marshall Islands protectorate.
In 1914, after WWI broke out, Australian troops captured Nauru. In 1919, after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, a League of Nations mandate over Nauru (which was south of Equator, meaning it wouldn't administered by Japan), which became officially administered by "His Britannic Majesty" (the king of the United Kingdom) was established. That same year, the Nauru Island Agreement was signed, which made Nauru be administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (who had, and still have, the same monarch), which also prohibited the supply of Nauruan phosphate to any country except the three signatories, unless they all agreed to the sale.
In 1923 the League of Nations gave Australia a trustee mandate, and made New Zealand and the UK co-trustees.
In 1942, during WWII, the Japanese Empire occupied Nauru. In 1943 Japan deported 1,200 Nauruans to the Chuuk Islands (now in the Federated States of Micronesia), in which the Nauruans were laborers.
Nauru was one of the last places were Japanese occupation ended, since the island was a Japanese stronghold. (Nauru was rather isolated, which led to food shortages on the islands). Finally, on 13 September 1945, after Japan had surrendered, Japanese troops in Nauru surrendered the island to Australia.
In 1947 Nauru, like all remaining League of Nation mandates except South-West Africa, became a United Nations Trust Territory, administered by the same countries that administered it when it was a League of Nations mandate. In 1966 Nauru became self-governing, and on 31 January 1968 it gained full independence, and adopted its current flag.
In Nauru's flag, the blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, the yellow stripes symbolizes the Equator, and the star represents Nauru (which is just 42 kilometres (26 miles) south o the Equator). The star has 12 points, which represent Nauru's twelve tribes. The fact the the star is white symbolizes phospate, once Nauru's main export (Nauru's economic history is pretty interesting, I recommend you read an article about it, like this one)
Rule 3: Blue, yellow, and white. This flag has good colors.
Rule 4: Stars are simple.
Rule 5: This flag is pretty similar to Curacao's, though Curacao's flag has two five-pointed stars above the yellow stripe. However, Curacao's flag was designed in 1982, so the two flag being pretty similar is Curacao's fault.
Part 2
When Nauru was German, it used Germany's flag. From 1919 to 1948 it used the Union Jack as its flag, and from 1948 to 1968 it used the Australian Red Ensign.
Part 3
It's a nice and simple with good symbolism. I like it.