What's in a Flag?

Why is Nepal's flag the only one on Earth that isn't a rectangle? Why do Kuwait's colors come from a 700-year-old poem? Why does one national flag carry an assault rifle?

Every flag flying over every country on Earth has a story - and most of us have never heard it.

What's in a Flag? is an A-Z field guide to all 197 flags flown by the world's nations - every UN member state, plus Vatican City, Palestine, Kosovo and Taiwan - presented two countries at a time, with full-color flag images and the real history behind each one.

For every country, you'll find:
• Adopted - the exact year (and often the exact law) that made the flag official
• Design & meaning - what the colors, shapes and symbols actually stand for, from official sources
• Origin story - the revolutions, compromises and occasional accidents behind the design
• A fun fact - the one detail that'll make you look twice next time you see that flag

Whether you're a geography nerd, a trivia night regular, a teacher, or someone who's always wondered what's going on with Bhutan's dragon, this book turns 197 pieces of colored cloth into 197 genuinely interesting stories.

Grab a copy and never look at a flag the same way again.