General Question

flo's avatar

Is/are there a country/ies whose flag include a cross?

Asked by flo (13313points) September 20th, 2019

As asked.

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11 Answers

flo's avatar

Feel free to add to it @Caravanfan

Yellowdog's avatar

This is really something you ought to consult a World Almanac or just Google / Bing it. There are more than forty countries that have a Greek (+) or Saint Andrew’s (X) cross.

ragingloli's avatar

Here is a list of countries with crosses in their flags.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_flags_depicting_a_cross

Yellowdog's avatar

Thanks, @ragingloli —there are 31 countries currently with flags displaying a cross.

There are also extinct flags like the confederate battle flag, and flags that don’t actually belong to a true nation, such as the Green flag with the black Scandinavian cross which has been used for everything from White Supremacists to Green-Movement atheists who believe only scientists should rule. But @ragingloli ;s source has revealed 31 national flags with crosses.

kritiper's avatar

Any old cross? Or do you mean crucifixes?

Yellowdog's avatar

Or, crosses for Christian reasons? A lot of crosses on flags are probably just to divide it into four fields (like the 50 stars on the American flag are one of four “fields”—the other three are the stripes)—a lot of flags may have crosses merely to divide the space, or show heritage from an earlier flag. Crosses on flags probably go back to Crusades-type crosses on flags and banners.

ucme's avatar

Flag of St.George…England’s finest.

flo's avatar

Thanks all. I meant whatever the word cross is supposed to mean. How can it be that the jamaican one for eg. (an x) be called a cross?
Anyway I asked because people debating “the country is not secular since the flag has a cross in it.” versus “I don’t see a cross in the flag”

Yellowdog's avatar

The X-shaped cross is a St. Andrew’s Cross, and originally WAS a religious symbol in Scotland. as St. Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland. But the St. Andrew’s Cross is probably not religious in Jamaica or Brazil or the Confederacy except passed down from some other flag.

True Christian symbols on a flag, if they existed, would be things like a Lamb and Crown, Rod and Staff, Fish symbol (ICHTUS) or—well, there’s the Christian flag itself but it by definition is not a national flag…

flo's avatar

Thanks @Yellowdog I don’t know why they called an x a cross (St. Andrews or not). If someone gives someone directions “just keep going till you see a cross” who would stop when they see an x?

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