Flags of the World S

 

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Saarland State and Civil Adopted – 1957
Description
A horizontal tricolour of black, red and gold, defaced by the Coat of arms of Saarland.
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Saba
Description
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Saint Barthelemy
Description
the flag of France is used
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Saint David’s Cross
Description
Yellow cross on a black field
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Saint Eustatius Adopted – 16th November 2004
Description
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Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan De Cunha
Description
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centred on the outer half of the flag; the upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field; the remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag
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Saint Kitts and Nevis Adopted – 19th September 1983
Description
Divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red; green signifies the island's fertility, red symbolizes the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow denotes year-round sunshine, and black represents the African heritage of the people; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism
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Saint Lucia Adopted – 1st March 1967
Description
Cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island
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Saint Martin
Description
The flag of France is used
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Saint Patrick’s Cross
Description
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Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Description
A yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a blue background with scattered, white, wavy lines under the ship; a continuous black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the blue on the main portion of the flag symbolizes the Atlantic Ocean and the stylized ship represents the Grande Hermine in which Jacques Cartier "discovered" the islands in 1536 Note: the flag of France used for official occasions
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Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Adopted – 12th October 1985
Description
Three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as "the Gems of the Antilles" and are set slightly lowered in the gold band to reflect the nation's position in the Antilles; blue conveys the colours of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation
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Salzburg
Description
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Sami Adopted – 15th August 1986
Description
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Samoa Adopted – 24th February 1949 1st January 1962
Description
Red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white, five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity Note: similar to the flag of Taiwan
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San Marino Adopted – 6th April 1862 (standardised on 22nd July 2011)
Description
Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the centre; the main colours derive from the shield of the coat of arms, which features three white towers on three peaks on a blue field; the towers represent three castles built on San Marino's highest feature, Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale; the coat of arms is flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty); the white and blue colours are also said to stand for peace and liberty respectively
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Santa Catarina
Description
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Sao Paulo
Description
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Sao Tome and Principe Adopted – 5th November 1975
Description
Three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the centre of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; green stands for the country's rich vegetation, red recalls the struggle for independence, and yellow represents cocoa, one of the country's main agricultural products; the two stars symbolize the two main islands Note: uses the popular Pan-African colours of Ethiopia
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Sark Adopted – 1938
Description
White with a red St-George cross and a red canton containing two yellow lions.
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Saskatchewan Adopted – 22nd September 1969
Description
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Saudi Arabia Adopted – 15th March 1973
Description
Green, a traditional colour in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family, which established the kingdom in 1932; the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides Note: the only national flag to display an inscription as its principal design; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Paraguay
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Saxony-Anhalt Adopted – 30th January 1991
Description
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Schleswig-Holstein State
Description
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St. Andrew Saltire Adopted – 16th century
Description
A blue field with a white diagonal cross that extends to the corners of the flag.
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Seborga
Description
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Senegal Adopted – 20th August 1960
Description
Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centred in the yellow band; green represents Islam, progress, and hope; yellow signifies natural wealth and progress; red symbolizes sacrifice and determination; the star denotes unity and hope Note: uses the popular Pan-African colours of Ethiopia; the colours from left to right are the same as those of neighbouring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighbouring Guinea
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Serbia Adopted – 1882 (flag of Kingdom of Serbia) 2006 (readoption) 2010 (standardised)
Description
Three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white - the Pan-Slav colours representing freedom and revolutionary ideals; charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the hoist side; the principal field of the coat of arms represents the Serbian state and displays a white two-headed eagle on a red shield; a smaller red shield on the eagle represents the Serbian nation, and is divided into four quarters by a white cross; interpretations vary as to the meaning and origin of the white, curved symbols resembling firesteels (fire strikers) or Cyrillic "C's" in each quarter; a royal crown surmounts the coat of arms Note: the Pan-Slav colours were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia
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Sergipe
Description
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Seychelles Adopted – 18th June 1996
Description
Five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side; the oblique bands are meant to symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future; blue represents sky and sea, yellow the sun giving light and life, red the peoples' determination to work for the future in unity and love, white social justice and harmony, and green the land and natural environment
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Sharjar
Description
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Sierra Leone Adopted – 27th April 1961
Description
Three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbour in Freetown
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Singapore Adopted – 3rd December 1959
Description
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle; red denotes brotherhood and equality; white signifies purity and virtue; the waxing crescent moon symbolizes a young nation on the ascendancy; the five stars represent the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality
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Sint Maarten
Description
Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the centre of the triangle displays the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of an orange-bordered  blue shield prominently displaying the white court house in Philipsburg, as well as a bouquet of yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left,  and the silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield is surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a brown pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto: SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing); the three main colours are identical to those on the Dutch flag Note: the flag somewhat resembles that of the Philippines but with the main red and blue bands reversed; the banner more closely evokes the wartime Philippine flag
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Slovakia
Description
Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red derive from the Pan-Slav colours; the Slovakian coat of arms (consisting of a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white double-barred cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius surmounting three blue hills) is centred over the bands but offset slightly to the hoist side Note: the Pan-Slav colours were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia
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Slovenia Adopted – 25th June 1991
Description
Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, derive from the medieval coat of arms of the Duchy of Carniola; the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the centre; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the prominent Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries) appears in the upper hoist side of the flag centred on the white and blue bands
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Solomon Islands Adopted – 18th November 1977
Description
Divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green; blue represents the ocean, green the land, and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands
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Somalia Adopted – 12th October 1954
Description
Light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the centre; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN but today is said to denote the sky and the neighbouring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the North East Province (Kenya)
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Somaliland Adopted – 14th October 1996
Description
A horizontal tricolour of green, white and red with the Shahada on the green stripe, and a black 5-pointed star charged on the white stripe.
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South Africa Adopted – 27th April 1994
Description
Two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colours do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colours in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era Note: the South African flag is one of only two national flags to display six colours as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's
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South Australia Adopted – 1904
Description
A British blue ensign with the state badge in the fly
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South Carolina Adopted – 26th January 1861
Description
White palmetto tree on an indigo field. The canton contains a white crescent.
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South Dakota Adopted – 9th November 1992
Description
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South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Description
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centred on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion rampant, holding a torch; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a Macaroni penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the crest, and below the shield on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land); the lion with the torch represents the UK and discovery; the background of the shield, blue and white estoiles, are found in the coat of arms of James Cook, discoverer of the islands; all the outer supporting animals represented are native to the islands
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South Sudan Adopted – 9th July 2005
Description
Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side contains a gold, five-pointed star; black represents the people of South Sudan, red the bloodshed in the struggle for freedom, green the verdant land, and blue the waters of the Nile; the gold star represents the unity of the states making up South Sudan Note: resembles the flag of Kenya; one of only two national flags to display six colours as part of its primary design, the other is South Africa's
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Spain Adopted – 15th May 1785 (original version, as naval and coastal fortifications’ ensign) 5th October 1981 (current version, as established in the Spanish Constitution)
Description
Three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the centre stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century Note: the red and yellow colours are related to those of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: Aragon, Castile, Leon, and Navarre
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Sri Lanka Adopted – 22nd May 1972
Description
Yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon rectangular field that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels; the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the sword demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation; the four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its influence on the country - stand for the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils, green Sri Lankan Moors, and maroon the Sinhalese majority; yellow denotes other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion Flag
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Styria
Description
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Sudan Adopted – 20th May 1970
Description
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; colours and design based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I, but the meanings of the colours are expressed as follows: red signifies the struggle for freedom, white is the colour of peace, light, and love, black represents the people of Sudan (in Arabic 'Sudan' means black), green is the colour of Islam, agriculture, and prosperity
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Suriname Adopted – 25th November 1975
Description
Five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); a large, yellow, five-pointed star is centred in the red band; red stands for progress and love, green symbolizes hope and fertility, white signifies peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future
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Svalbard
Description
The flag of Norway is used
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Swaziland Adopted – 6th October 1968
Description
A horizontal triband of blue (top and bottom) and the yellow-edged red (triple width) with the large black and white Nguni shield  covering two spears and the staff decorated with the feather tassels called injobo (tassels-bunches of feathers of the widowbird and the lourie) all centred horizontally of the red band.
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Sweden Adopted – 22nd June 1906
Description
Blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colours reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field
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Switzerland Adopted – 1841
Description
Red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the centre that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339)
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Syria Adopted – 22nd February 1958 abandoned on 28th September 1961; readopted on 30th March 1980
Description
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centred in the white band; the band colours derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980 Note: similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centred in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centred in the white band