Every country in the world has a flag. A flag is a piece of cloth with a picture or pattern on it. The flag is a symbol that stands for the country. It is a custom in many places for people to fly or hang a flag. The flag tells something about the country and its culture. This may be about its land, its history, or the things that the people do there.
Many flags have patterns of stripes (条纹). The flag of Italy has a green stripe, a white stripe and a red stripe. Each stripe tells something about Italy. The white stripe is symbol of Italy's snowy mountains. Some flags show pictures. The flag of Canada has a picture of a red maple (枫叶) leaf, which is a symbol of the maple trees in Canada. The Mexican flag has both a pattern of stripes and a picture. The picture shows an eagle eating a snake. This picture comes from a very old Mexican story.
A flag may also tell about a country's past. The American flag is called the Stars and Stripes. It has pattern of fifty stars and thirteen stripes. The fifty stars are a symbol of the fifty states in the country and the thirteen stripes are a symbol of the country's first thirteen colonies (殖民地).
However, a flag may be a symbol of a group, a school or an event like the Olympics. The flag of the Olympics shows five rings of different colors that connect. Each ring is a symbol for a part of the world that joins in the Olympics. The Red Cross is a group that helps people who are in trouble. If a person sees the Red Cross flag, which has a red cross against a white background, he knows he can ask for help. People may fly a flag as a custom on a holiday. Children's Day in Japan is a holiday when the country wishes for children's happiness. It is a custom on this day to fly a flag with a picture of a fish.
