Robert Shaffer, age 12, of Huntsville, Ala., for his question:
WHICH COUNTRY HAD THE FIRST FLAG?
Ancient Egyptians flew flaglike symbols many thousands of years ago and therefore receive the credit for having the first national flag. Their flags, used to honor the gods, were like streamers and were tied to the tops of long poles.
Denmark has used the same national flag longer than any other country in the world. King Valdemar the Victorious of Denmark saw a white cross in the red sky just before he won an ancient battle. He made a flag showing that white cross on a field of red.
Since 1219, which was 761 years ago, Denmark has used the same flag.
Today almost all of the world's national flags use one or more of only seven basic colors: red, white, blue, green, yellow, black and orange. The colors came from the flags of heraldry, a system of designs that grew up during the Middle Ages.
Symbols used in flags today go back thousands of years. Israel's Star of David design, for example, was an ancient symbol of the Jews.
The cross, which is a symbol of Christianity, is used on the flags of many Christian nations while the crescent with the star is used as a symbol of peace and life in the flags of many Moslem countries. Stars used in flags are said to stand for unity.
The Austrian flag, which was adopted in 1919, is said to date back to a design used during the Third Crusade in the year 1191.
The study and the history and symbolism of flags is called vexillology. The name comes from the Latin word vexillum, meaning a square flag or banner. Soldiers of ancient Rome carried a square military flag that hung from a crossbar fastened to a staff.
In olden days, flags were carried into battles. Generals watched the flags to see where their men were and the flags also showed which way the wind was blowing so that soldiers could aim the direction of their arrows.
An early French flag was that of King Clovis. Made during the 500s, the flag used the fleur de lis, or flower of the lily.
An early English flag belonged to William the Conqueror and it first flew in England in 1066. King Richard I came along in 1195 with a royal standard that pictured three yellow lions on a field of red.
Crusaders during the Middle Ages used flags showing plain white crosses on red.
The most popular name for the red, white and blue national flag of the United States is the Stars and Stripes. It has 50 white stars in a field of blue, representing the nation's 50 states. Seven red stripes and six white stripes represent the original 13 colonies.
The United States flag has also been called the Star Spangled Banner and Old Glory.