In vexillography, the canton is a rectangular emblem placed at the top left of a flag, usually occupying up to a quarter of a flag's area. The canton of a flag may be a flag in its own right. For instance,

British ensign In British maritime law and custom, an ensign is the identifying flag flown to designate a British ship, either military or civilian. Such flags display the United Kingdom Union Flag in the canton (the upper corner next to the staff), with eith ...

s have the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

as their canton, as do their derivatives such as the national flags of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

. Following the practice of British ensigns, a canton sometimes contains a symbol of national unity, such as the blue field and white stars of the flag of the United States of America. In these cases, the canton may be called simply the union. The American flag's canton derives from Britain's use of the Union Jack in the flags of its possessions (including, historically, the

Thirteen American Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centur ...

). Subsequently, many

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

nations (along with other later countries and regions, such as

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast� ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

) that were inspired by the United States adopted flag elements that were inspired by the American flag. As a result, many extant uses of a prominent canton derive either from British territorial history, or American influence and inspiration.

Current flags using cantons

Sovereign states

File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg, The

flag of Australia The flag of Australia, also known as the Australian Blue Ensign, is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a r ...

features the Union Flag as a canton. File:Flag of Chile.svg, The

flag of Chile A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design em ...

incorporates a blue canton bearing a white five-pointed star. File:Flag of Fiji.svg, The

flag of Fiji The national flag of Fiji ( Fijian: ''kuila ni Viti'') was adopted on 10 October 1970. The state arms have been slightly modified but the flag has remained the same as during Fiji's colonial period. It is a defaced cyan "Blue Ensign" (the act ...

has a canton of the Union Flag. File:Flag of Greece.svg, The

flag of Greece The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the "blue and white one" ( el, Γαλανόλευκη, ) or the "sky blue and white" (, ), is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has nine equal horizontal stri ...

has a blue canton with a white Greek cross. File:Flag of Liberia.svg, The

flag of Liberia The flag of Liberia or the Liberian flag, sometimes called the Lone Star, bears a close resemblance to the flag of the United States, representing Liberia's founding by former black slaves from the United States and the Caribbean. They are both ...

has a blue canton with a white five-pointed star. File:Flag of Malaysia.svg, The

flag of Malaysia The national flag of Malaysia, also known as the Stripes of Glory ( ms, Jalur Gemilang), is composed of a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the ''Bintan ...

has a canton with a crescent and 14-pointed star in yellow on a blue field. File:Flag of New Zealand.svg, The flag of New Zealand has a Union Flag canton. File:Flag of Samoa.svg, The

flag of Samoa The flag of Samoa ( Samoan: ''fu‘a o Sāmoa'') was first adopted from 24 February 1949, for UN Trusteeships, and continuously applied for the state's independence on 1 January 1962. It consists of a red field with a blue rectangle in the cant ...

has a blue canton which bears the

Southern Cross Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...

constellation in white. File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg, The

flag of the Republic of China A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

has a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. (This flag's canton is also used as the Taiwanese naval jack and the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...

's party flag.) File:Flag of Togo.svg, The

flag of Togo The flag of Togo (french: drapeau du Togo) is the national flag, ensign, and naval jack of Togo. It has five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow. There is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the up ...

has a red canton bearing a white five-pointed star. File:Flag of Tonga.svg, The

flag of Tonga The flag of Tonga consists of a red field with a white canton charged with a red couped cross. Adopted in 1875 after being officially enshrined into the nation's constitution, it has been the flag of the Kingdom of Tonga since that year. The ...

has a white canton bearing a red Greek cross couped. File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg, The

flag of Tuvalu The current flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1976. Features Like many former and current British dependencies, the Tuvaluan flag is a blue ensi ...

features the Union Flag in its canton. File:Flag of the United States.svg, The

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the c ...

has 50 white stars on a blue canton, standing for the country's 50 constituent states (This flag's canton is also used as United States Naval Jack/Jack of the United States). File:Flag of Uruguay.svg, The flag of Uruguay has a white canton charged with the

Sun of May The Sun of May () is a national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, and appears on the flags of both countries. __TOC__ History According to Diego Abad de Santillán, the Sun of May represents Inti, the Incan god of the sun. The specificatio ...

Territories, regions, and provinces

File:Flag of Abkhazia.svg, The secessionist flag of Abkhazia features a red canton with a white right hand and seven white stars on it. File:Flag of Adjara.svg, The flag of the autonomous province of

Adjara Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a'' ...

contains the Georgian flag in the canton. File:Bandeira do Amazonas.svg, Amazonas in Brazil File:Bandeira da Bahia.svg,

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-larges ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Azad Kashmir.svg, The flag of

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger K ...

File:Flag of the Balearic Islands.svg, alt=Flag of the The Balearic Islands, Flag of The Balearic Islands, an autonomous community within the

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. File:Flag of Bomi County.svg,

Bomi County Bomi is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. The county was established in 1984. The county's area is . Bomi is one of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nati ...

in Liberia; every county flag of Liberia contains the Liberian national flag in its canton. File:Flag of Bong County.svg,

Bong County Bong is a county in the north-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has twelve districts. Gbarnga serves as the capital. The area of t ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Brittany (Gwenn ha du).svg, Flag of Brittany in France, inspired by the US and Greek flags File:Flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.svg, Flag of the

French Southern and Antarctic Lands The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (french: Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, TAAF) is an Overseas Territory (french: Territoire d'outre-mer or ) of France. It consists of: # Adélie Land (), the French claim on the continen ...

has a rare use of the

Flag of France The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Irela ...

as its canton. File:Flag of Gbarpolu County.svg, Gbarpolu County in Liberia File:Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg, The

flag of Georgia Flag of Georgia may refer to: *Flag of Georgia (country) The flag of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სახელმწიფო დროშა, tr), also known as the five-cross flag ( ka, ხუთჯვრიანი � ...

has the state coat of arms in the canton, surrounded by 13 stars which, like the strips on the US flag, represent the original 13 colonies, of which Georgia was one. The design of the US flag, including its prominent use of the canton (aka union), has inspired similar designs, including cantons, in flags of some US subdivisions. File:Flag of Goiás.svg,

Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiâ ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Grand Bassa County.svg,

Grand Bassa County Grand Bassa is a Counties of Liberia, county in the west-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the Administrative division, first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has eight Distr ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Grand Cape Mount County.svg,

Grand Cape Mount County Grand Cape Mount is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has five districts. Robertsport serves as the capital ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Grand Gedeh County.svg,

Grand Gedeh County Grand Gedeh is a county in the eastern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has three districts. Zwedru (formerly Tchien) serves as the ca ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Grand Kru County.svg, Grand Kru County in Liberia File:Bandera del Departamento Guatemala.svg, Flag of

Guatemala Department Guatemala Department is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. The capital is Guatemala City, which also serves as the national capital. The department consists of Guatemala City and several of its suburbs. The department covers a surface are ...

of Guatemala contains its

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

. File:Flag of Hawaii.svg, The

flag of Hawaii The flag of Hawaii ( Hawaiian: '), in addition to the current state design, previously had been used by the kingdom, protectorate, republic, and territory of Hawaii. It is the only U.S. state flag to include a foreign country's national flag. ...

has the UK's flag in its canton. File:Flag of Johor.svg, Flag of

Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares mariti ...

in Malaysia, which contains the Islamic star and crescent in the canton, as does the national flag File:Flag of Lofa County.svg,

Lofa County Lofa is a county in the northernmost portion of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has nine districts. Voinjama serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring . ...

in Liberia File:Bandeira do Maranhão.svg,

Maranhão Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of . Clockwise from north, it borders on the Atlantic Ocean for 2,243 km and the states of Piauí, Tocantins a ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Manitoba.svg,

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

's provincial flag, one of two Canadian provinces to use the UK's national flag in their cantons. File:Flag of Margibi County.svg, Margibi County in Liberia File:Flag of Maryland County.svg,

Maryland County Maryland County is a county in the southeastern portion of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has two districts. Harper serves as the capital with the area of the county mea ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Malacca.svg, The flag of Melaka in Malaysia has both a hoist canton and a rare ''fly'' canton, though only the hoist canton has a charge, of the Islamic star and crescent. File:Flag of Montserrado County.svg,

Montserrado County Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia containing its national capital, Monrovia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has 17 su ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Negeri Sembilan.svg, Flag of

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...

in Malaysia, the canton of which resembles the flag of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

File:Flag of New South Wales.svg,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

in Australia; all of the Australian states (though ''not'' territories) adopt the use of the UK's national flag in their cantons. File:Flag of Nimba County.svg,

Nimba County Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the co ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Ontario.svg,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

's provincial flag, one of two Canadian provinces to use the UK's national flag in their cantons. File:Bandeira do Piauí.svg,

Piauí Piaui (, ) is one of the states of Brazil, located in the country's Northeast Region. The state has 1.6% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.7% of the Brazilian GDP. Piaui has the shortest coastline of any coastal Brazilian state at 66& ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Queensland.svg,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

File:Flag of Rivercess County.svg, Rivercess County in Liberia File:Flag of River Gee County.svg, River Gee County in Liberia File:Flag of Sabah.svg, The Flag of

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

in Malaysia contains a profile of local

Mount Kinabalu Mount Kinabalu ( ms, Gunung Kinabalu, Dusun: ''Gayo Ngaran or Nulu Nabalu'') is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia. With an elevation of , it is third-highest peak of an island on Earth, and 20th most prominent mountain in the wor ...

. File:San Salvador Flag.png, Flag of

San Salvador Department San Salvador () is a Departments of El Salvador, department of El Salvador in the west central part of the country. The capital is San Salvador, El Salvador, San Salvador, which is also the national capital. The department has North of the Rio Le ...

in El Salvador File:Santa Ana (El Salvador) flag.jpg, Flag of

Santa Ana Department Santa Ana () is a department of El Salvador in the northwest of the country. The capital is Santa Ana, one of the largest cities in El Salvador. It has 2,023 km² and a population of over 613,000. The Santa Ana Volcano The Santa Ana Volc ...

in El Salvador File:Bandeira do estado de São Paulo.svg,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Selangor.svg, Flag and coat of arms of

Selangor Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sem ...

in Malaysia is not a true canton, although the standard of the

Sultan of Selangor Sultan of Selangor (سلطان سلاڠور) is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia who is the head of state and head of the Islamic religion in Selangor. The current monarch, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ascended the ...

, which derives from it, retains the upper left hoist as a distinct canton. File:Bandeira de Sergipe.svg,

Sergipe Sergipe (), officially State of Sergipe, is a state of Brazil. Located in the Northeast Region along the Atlantic coast of the country, Sergipe is the smallest state in Brazil by geographical area at , larger only than the Federal District. ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Sinoe County.svg,

Sinoe County Sinoe is one of Liberia's 15 counties and it has 17 districts. Greenville is the county's capital. As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 104,932, making it one of the least populous counties in Liberia. Sinoe has the third-largest area o ...

in Liberia File:Flag of South Australia.svg,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...

File:Flag of Tasmania.svg,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

File:Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg,

Victoria (Australia) Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

File:Flag of Western Australia.svg,

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

Organizations

Naval Ensign of Australia.svg,

Australian White Ensign The Australian White Ensign (also known as the Australian Naval Ensign or the Royal Australian Navy Ensign) is a naval ensign used by ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1967 onwards. From the formation of the RAN until 1967, Australi ...

, which has a canton consisting of the

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

. Air Force Ensign of Australia.svg,

Royal Australian Air Force Ensign The Royal Australian Air Force Ensign is used by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Air Force Cadets in Australia and overseas. It is based on the Australian national flag, with the field changed to Air Force blue, and the sou ...

, which has a canton consisting of the

. Naval Ensign of Canada.svg, Naval ensign of Canada, which has a canton consisting of Canada's national flag. Naval Ensign of India.svg, Naval ensign of India, which has a canton consisting of an elongated Indian national flag. Flag of the Korean National Association.svg, Flag of the

Korean National Association The Korean National Association (; Hanja: 大韓人國民會), also known as All Korea Korean National Association, was a political organization established on February 1, 1909, to fight Japan's colonial policies and occupation in Korea. It w ...

, with a yellow canton defaced with a blue-and-red

taeguk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term ''Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the design ...

. Flag of the New York City Police Department.svg, Flag of the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act i ...

has a blue canton defaced with stars. Naval Ensign of Sierra Leone.svg, Naval ensign of Sierra Leone, has a canton with a horizontal triband of green, white, and blue (e.g. the Sierra Leone national flag). Flag of the South African Army.svg, Flag of the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servic ...

, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Flag of the South African National Defence Force.svg, Flag of the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister ...

, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Naval Ensign of South Africa.svg, Naval ensign of South Africa, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Flag of the South African Police Service.svg, Flag of the South African Police Service, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg, Naval ensign of the United Kingdom, which has a canton consisting of the UK's national flag in it.

Former flags that used cantons

States

File:Flag of Russia (1914-1917).svg, Flag of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

, used 1914–1917. File:Flag of Georgia (1990–2004).svg, Old

Flag of Georgia Flag of Georgia may refer to: *Flag of Georgia (country) The flag of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სახელმწიფო დროშა, tr), also known as the five-cross flag ( ka, ხუთჯვრიანი � ...

, used 1918-1921 and 1991-2003. File:Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1951–1990).svg, A Soviet-era flag for

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, It was the only Soviet Union Republic flag with the canton and in which the hammer and sickle were not gold in color. File:Flag of Brazil (November 1889).svg, The November 1889 flag of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

had a blue canton defaced with 21 white stars. File:Flag of the Confederate States of America (1861-1863).svg, The first version of the flag of the Confederate States featured a canton defaced with stars, with the stars representing its claimed constituent states File:Flag of the Confederate States of America (1865).svg, Subsequent flags of the CS incorporated a star-defaced saltire (known as the "Confederate Battle Flag") in their cantons. File:Flag of the Orange Free State.svg, The flag of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

had a canton with a horizontal triband of red, white, and blue (e.g. the Dutch flag) in it. File:Flag of Texas (1835–1839).svg, The national flag of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

from 1835 to 1839 had a blue canton, defaced with a single star. File:UnitedTribesUnofficial.svg, The flag of the

United Tribes of New Zealand The United Tribes of New Zealand ( mi, Te W(h)akaminenga o Ngā Rangatiratanga o Ngā Hapū o Nū Tīreni, lit=) was a confederation of Māori tribes based in the north of the North Island, existing legally from 1835 to 1840. It received dipl ...

from the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

in 1835 until

William Hobson Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New Zealand. He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi. Hobson was dispatched from London in July 1 ...

proclaimed

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

sovereignty in 1840 puts the

in the canton of the

St George Cross In heraldry, Saint George's Cross, the Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader. Associated with the cru ...

Territories, organizations, and subdivisions

Canada

Flag of the Canadian Army (1939–1944).svg, Flag of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

from 1939 to 1944, which had a canton consisting of the UK's national flag. Flag of the Canadian Army (1968–1998).svg, Flag of the Canadian Army from 1968 to 1998 used a canton consisting of Canada's national flag.

Confederate States

File:Tennessee_1861_proposed.svg, An early 1860s flag of CS

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

File:Flag of Louisiana (February 1861).svg, A former flag of CS

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

File:Flag_of_Mississippi_(1861-1894).svg, A former flag of CS

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

France

Many

French colonial flags Some of the colonies, protectorates and mandates of the French Colonial Empire used distinctive colonial flags. These most commonly had a French Tricolour in the canton. As well as the flags of individual colonies, the governors-general of Fre ...

contained the

in the canton.

Georgia

File:Flag_of_Ajarian_ASSR.svg, A Soviet-era flag for Adjara (then the Ajarian ASSR) combined a blue glory with red

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industr ...

Serbia and Montenegro

Naval Ensign of Serbia and Montenegro.svg, Naval ensign of Serbia and Montenegro from 1992 to 2006, which had a canton with a horizontal triband of blue, white, and red (e.g. the Serbia and Montenegro national flag) in it.

South Africa

Flag of the Cape Colony (1876–1910).svg, Flag of the Cape Colony had a canton consisting of the UK's national flag; like most of the UK's colonies. Ensign of the South African Defence Force (1981–1994).svg, Flag of the South African Defence Force, which had a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Flag of the South African Police.svg, Flag of the South African Police, which had a canton with the RSA's national flag in it.

United States

File:Flag of Mississippi (2001–2020).svg, The Flag of Mississippi had the

Confederate battle flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

in the canton in its designs from 1894-2020. File:Flag_of_New_Mexico_(1912-1925).svg, An early flag design for

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, which shows a rare instance of the US flag as a canton File:Flag_of_the_Vermont_Republic.svg, Flag of the short lived

Republic of Vermont The Vermont Republic (French: ''République du Vermont''), officially known at the time as the State of Vermont (French: ''État du Vermont''), was an independent state in New England that existed from January 15, 1777, to March 4, 1791. The s ...

, which adapted the US flag's union of 13 stars File:Flag_of_Vermont_(1804-1837).svg, An early flag for Vermont, which was substantially identical to the US flag of the time

Yugoslavia

File:Naval Ensign of Yugoslavia (1949–1993).svg, Yugoslav naval ensign from 1949 to 1993, which had a canton consisting of a horizontal triband of blue, white, and red, defaced with a star and wreath. File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1946–1992).svg, alt=, Flag of the SR BiH, which had a canton consisting of the Yugoslav flag.

External links

{{Heraldry Flags by design