FLAG OBSERVATION
Unusual flag shapes: Nepal, Switzerland and Vatican City
Separate the outside outline from the inside design, using official examples of double pennants and square flags.
Flags to compare
Images are for comparing designs. Standardized display boxes may not preserve actual flag proportions; consult the official sources for precise shapes and colors.
Start with the outline
Flags need not be broad rectangles. Nepal, Switzerland and Vatican City are memorable exceptions. Separate the outer shape from the patterns inside.
Web images often use standardized boxes or proportions for comparison. Our ordinary comparison images do not guarantee the physical flag’s exact proportions; consult the linked official specifications.
Nepal: two triangular parts
Article 9 of Nepal’s Constitution specifies the two-part crimson design, deep-blue border, moon and sun. Schedule 1 gives construction instructions. The unusual outline is prescribed, not freely deformable decoration.
Observe the silhouette first, the border next, and the two white symbols last. Name the moon and sun separately and explain their positions.
Switzerland: square and central cross
Switzerland’s foreign ministry describes the national flag as a red square with a white cross. Its separate central cross differs from the Nordic cross as well as its outline.
Some flags for particular uses, including maritime flags, have different proportions. Do not turn this description of the ordinary national flag into a claim that every Swiss flag must be square.
Vatican City: more than two visible colors
Vatican City’s ordinary national flag is also square, with yellow at the hoist and white at the fly. The keys and tiara add important details beyond the two main fields.
Square, vertically divided and bearing an emblem are three separate observations. Breaking one appearance into different features helps you choose questions.
A triangle is not the same as a nonrectangular flag
Does the design include a triangle? can apply to a triangular field inside a rectangular flag, not just Nepal’s outline. Do not eliminate every rectangular candidate after Yes.
There is no fixed question specifically asking whether a flag is square. Combine colors, cross, arms and region, then check its true shape after the reveal.
Questions to try
- Does the design include a triangle?
- Is blue or light blue used?
- Is there a coat of arms or a complex emblem?
Game answers use the latest administrator-saved data. This article explains observation and does not itself change the answer data.
Play with these clues →Observation exercise
Does Yes to the triangle question prove that the flag is not rectangular?
Show the answer and explanation
No. A rectangular flag can contain a triangle within its design. Distinguish the outside outline from the interior pattern.
Sources and further reading
- Reference 1: wipolex-res.wipo.int ↗
- Reference 2: www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch ↗
- Reference 3: www.vaticanstate.va ↗
Historical claims refer to these sources; comparisons and question strategies are our educational commentary. See our editorial policy and sources.
- Reading tricolors: direction and color order
- Stars on flags: count, position and size
- Crosses on flags: Nordic and central crosses
- Moons on flags: compare stars and backgrounds
- Animals, plants and tools: look inside the arms