On land and at sea, in the air and on the internet, on public transport, private cars, government buildings, company letterheads, in advertising and on television, flags are almost everywhere - they can even make the news. Whether reviled or revered, flags are clearly part of our modern landscape. But although their application is contemporary, the origins of flags can be traced back to ancient times. The Roman Empire saw the development of a cloth standard which was carried on a wooden staff. The close relationship between vexillology and the medieval art of heraldry can be seen in many modern-day flags.
Heraldic influences are clearly at work in the flags of Quebec, Wales and the state of Maryland.
It was the American and French Revolutions which themselves revolutionised many of the flags we know today. We can't be sure if George Washington really did ask a Philadelphia seamstress called Betsy Ross to create a flag for the new-born United States of America, but we do know that the design has become one of the most influential and familiar designs in history. The Stars and Stripes motif has been adopted by several American states, as well as places further afield, such as Chile in South America and Liberia in West Africa. But the geometric design and colours of the U.S. flag have also been the inspiration for many other flags. Norway, for example, chose red, white and blue as its national colours in deference to the U.S., whose ideals of democracy and freedom the Norwegians wished to emulate.