From Flag to Roundel

[Editorial Note: There are some instances where FOTW either does not have the roundel or a description on our site. These instances are identified in italics and the link is to the country's main page.  Numbers reported by the correspondent may be modified by the criteria in note 2 below]

Here's my analysis of how flags are represented in roundels

Vertical bi- and tricolours, hoist in centre: 12

• Afghanistan (1937-67)
• Belgium
• Cameroon
• Chad
• France
• Italy ^{see note 1}
• Mali
• Malta
• Mexico ^{see note 2}
• Pakistan
• Portugal (1915-16)
• Qatar
• Romania

Fly in centre: 4

• Côte d'Ivoire
• Guinea
• Ireland (1922-23)
• Italy (1915-22) ^{see note 1}
• Rwanda

Horizontal bi- tri- and quadricolours, lower in centre: 29

• Angola (1975-80)
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska)
• Bulgaria (1946-48) ^{see note 1}
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Estonia ^{see note 2}
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Haiti
• Hungary (1948-51) ^{see note 2}
• India
• Indonesia ^{see note 2}
• Iran
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Libya (1959-78)
• Mauritius
• Biafra (1967-70)
• Paraguay
• Sierra Leone
• Slovenia
• Spain [Republic] (1931-36)
• Sudan
• Syria
• Ukraine [West Ukraine] (1918-19) ^{see note 1}
• United Arab Emirates
• Venezuela ^{see note 2}
• Yemen
• Yugoslavia
  • Kingdom of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, 1918-29
  • Socialist Yugoslavia (1945-92 with star)

Top in Centre: 4

• Bulgaria ^{see note 1}
• Burkino Faso [Upper Volta] (1963-90)
• Manchukuo (1931)
• Gabon
• Russia (1915-17)
• Ukraine ^{see note 1}

In addition, [Republic of the] Congo puts the upper hoist of its diagonal tricolour in the centre, while Katanga (Democratic Republic of Congo 1960-62) put the lower fly in the centre.

Almost every national marking alludes to the national flag; as can be seen above, many use simple circular roundels (including many not listed here), also, a number of nations have simply painted their national flags in a circular shape (Niger, Eritrea, Czech Republic).

The markings which have the least relation to the national flag include Germany, Lithuania, and Iraq. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all adapted the British roundel; at least Australia and New Zealand use their flag colours, while the Canadian roundel was adopted when the country still used the Red Ensign and Union Jack (and since 1965 the leaf on the roundel matches the flag).

¹ reversed design at some point (not included in totals).

² not simple "roundels", but some other shape (triangular, pentagonal, etc.).

Dean McGee