| FLAG | EUROPEAN COUNTRY | EXPLANATION |
 | Austria | It is believed that the red and white colors of the Austrian flag date back to the Ptolemais Battle in 1191, when only the portion of the Duke of Bebenberg's tunic below his swordbelt was not stained with blood. The current design was adopted in 1918. |
 | Belgium | This flag became the national flag of Belgium in 1830 on gaining independence from the Netherlands. The colors of the Belgian flag are derived from the arms of the Brabant province that rebelled against Austrian rule. |
 | Denmark | This flag is probably the oldest national flag in continuous use. The Dannebrog (spirit of Denmark) flag is believed to capture King Waldemar II's vision of a white cross against a red sky before the Lyndanisse Battle in 1219. |
 | Finland | The flag's colors symbolize the blue lakes and the white snow of Finland. This flag became the official flag of Finland soon after becoming an independent republic in 1917 on separation from Russia. |
 | France | The blue and red colors are supposed to symbolize Paris, and the white color symbolizes monarchy. The current design was adopted in 1794 and stands for republican principles. |
 | Germany | The black, red and gold colors represent the struggle for a united Germany dating back to 1830. The horizontal pattern was adopted by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. |
 | Greece | The present design was adopted in 1970. It symbolizes the war cry "Freedom or Death" against the Ottoman Turkish during the battle from 1821 to 1829. The white and blue colors have become the national colors of Greece. |
 | Iceland | This flag became the official flag of Iceland in 1944 on gaining independence from Denmark. The traditional colors of Iceland are white and blue. The flag's colors show a combination of those of Denmark, Norway and the coat of arms. |
 | Ireland | The flag's colors represent the Roman Catholics (green), the Protestants (orange) and peace (white). The Irish flag was first used in 1848 during the freedom struggle from Britain and later adopted after independence in 1922. |
 | Italy | The present flag was adopted in 1861 after the unification of Italy. The colors date back to 1796 when Napoleon invaded Italy, and the French Republican National Guard carried a military standard with vertical stripes of the three colors. |
 | Netherlands | The Dutch tricolor is a symbol of liberty and has inspired several other revolutionary flags of the world. It dates back to 1630 and the long war of independence from Spain. |
 | Norway | This flag became the official flag of Norway in 1898. Its design is similar to the Dannebrog flag of Denmark, which ruled Norway from the 14th century to the early 19th century. |
 | Poland | The colors come from the thirteenth-century coat of arms with a white eagle on a red field and is still observed on the Polish merchant flag. The current simple design was adopted in 1919 on becoming a republic. |
 | Portugal | The flag's green color symbolizes Henry the navigator, the red color symbolizes the monarchy, and the armillary shield represents the pioneering role played by Portugal in world navigation and exploration. The flag was adopted in 1910 when Portugal became a republic. |
 | Spain | The present flag, where the yellow stripe in the middle is double the height of the individual red stripes, was adopted in 1938 during the Civil War. The colors date back to old Aragon kingdom of the 12th century. |
 | Sweden | The flag's colors are derived from the ancient state coat of arms. This flag was officially adopted only in 1906 though it has been flown since King Gustavus Vasa's reign in the early 16th century. |
 | Switzerland | Although the white cross on a red shield has been the Swiss emblem since the 14th century, the current square design was officially adopted in 1848. The flag of the International Red Cross, headquartered in Geneva, is inspired by the Swiss flag. |
 | United Kingdom | The first Union flag, which dates back to 1603, combines England's cross of St. George and Scotland's cross of St. Andrew. The present flag was formed in 1801 by adding the Irish emblem, the cross of St. Patrick. |
