The word comes from the Latin vexillum, a banner, plus -logy, study. It was coined in 1957 by the American scholar Whitney Smith, who first used it in print in 1959 and went on to help found the international federation of flag scholars.
Where to start online
A web search for flags returns millions of pages, some excellent, some sloppy. Here are the sites we trust and use ourselves.
FIAV
fiav.org (English). The Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques, officially founded in 1969, brings together more than fifty flag associations and institutions from around the world, and organises the International Congress of Vexillology.
Flags of the World
crwflags.com/fotw (English). The largest flag site on the Internet: more than 91,000 pages and 224,000 images. Countries, cities, universities, historical flags: if it flew somewhere, it is probably here.
Vexilla Mundi
vexilla-mundi.com (English). A long-standing reference, known for the accuracy of its flag drawings.
Passato e Presente
rbvex.it (Italian). Roberto Breschi's site, kept up to date for more than twenty years, with the history behind each flag and the organisation it represents.
Flag Identifier
flagid.org (English). Saw a flag and can't place it? Describe it, how it is divided, which colours, which symbols, and the site helps you identify it. There is a Flag of the Day too.
And when you have found your flag
Every flag in our Flags of the World catalogue is made from its official specification, and these sites are part of how we check our work.
