Europe was, for a long time, the most powerful continent on Earth. From the 16th to the 20th centuries European nations governed parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and a good part of Asia too.
Europe though, was the victim of its own success. The scientific and industrial advances which had begun on the continent created terrible weapons which were unleashed in two world wars - both centred on Europe. The destruction caused brought an end to Europe's dominance, and in the aftermath the United States of America and the Soviet Union stepped into Europe's shoes as the most powerful nation's on Earth.
[readmore]In the latter half of the 20th century Europe was divided between a capitalist west and a communist east, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Europe has become more integrated than ever before under the mantle of the EU.
Here are some of the flags which represent European countries - some historic, some modern, and from both the east and the west of the continent.
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Despite having a long history beginning with the foundation of Rome (around the 8th century BC), after the collapse of the Roman Empire the nation we call Italy did not exist until the latter part of the 19th century, when several smaller kingdoms and republics were united after a series of revolutions and wars
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Due to Belgium's geographical position at the meeting point of Latin and Germanic Europe, it has a mix of cultures. Belgium has three official languages; Dutch, French and German
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The flag of Belarus, adopted in 2012, includes a decorative pattern which is traditionally used in religious services and funerals. The pattern is symbolic of Belarus' cultural history
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Despite being the 8th largest European country by area, it has one of the smallest populations. This is because the North of Finland is contained within the Arctic Circle and is virtually uninhabitable. The vast majority of Finns live in the southern part of their country
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The flag, which was adopted in 1998, contains a triangle representative of the three peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Bosnians, the Croats, and the Serbs. The flag is greatly influenced by that of the EU, having the same colours (yellow on blue) and a series of stars
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Latvia first became independent of the Russian Empire following the communist revolution of 1917, only to be re-annexed during World War II. It regained its independence in 1991 and is now a member of the EU
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Iceland lies on the mid-Atlantic ridge between Eurasia and North America. It sits directly above a volcanic hotspot which is thought to have brought the island into existence around 17 million years ago. As a result of its position Iceland has a lot of hot springs and geysers. It also has several active volcanos!
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Liechtenstein is a monarchy whose head of state is the Prince of Liechtenstein. The first Prince of Liechtenstein was Karl I who came to power in 1608
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The Vatican city is an elected absolute monarchy, ruled by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope).
Unlike other states, citizenship is not granted to those born in the Vatican City; instead it is given to those appointed to work for the Holy See. The flag of the Vatican City is one of only two national flags which are square, the other being that of Switzerland |
Prior to World War I the German flag had been black, white and red rather than black, red and gold. Following the overthrow of the German Monarchy the current flag was adopted in 1919. During the Nazi era (1933-1945) other flags were used to represent the German nation (such as the swastika flag or the black, white and red flag), before the current flag was re-adopted for West Germany in 1949
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