Flags play a vital role in representing countries, states, cities, and other political entities. However, they can also represent much bigger things for people, like pride, nationalism, and identification for people in an ever-expanding world.
You might be able to recognise different flags when you see them in context, like during the Olympics or big celebrations, but how many would you be able to recreate from memory alone?
In a new study, Preply analysed which British flags were the most recognisable, comparing the Union Flag with the Welsh and Scottish flags
100% of people remember the colours of the Union Flag
100% of study participants correctly recalled the red white and blue tones of the Union Flag. However, the exact layout of the colours proved slightly less memorable, with 8.7% unable to draw the flag with accuracy.
One-third of people cannot correctly recall the Welsh flag
Only 65% of study participants were able to recall the Welsh flag with accuracy. 69% of people remembered the red white and green of the flag, however, what participants struggled to get correct was the placement of the colours, with one participant forgetting about the green stripe altogether.
However, we can see for sure that the iconic red dragon does stick in people's minds as a representation of Wales, with 91% of people getting the symbol correct.
The Scottish Flag is simple but very memorable
The Scottish flag, also known as the St Andrews Cross is the most simple of the three flags, featuring a white saltire across a blue field.
Over 91% of participants were able to correctly recall the correct colours of the flag, and 91% of these people correctly recreated the pattern of the flag - which is higher than that of the more complex Welsh design. However, 8.7% of people taking partaking in the study were not able to recall the colours nor the pattern of the flag, which is likely due to the lesser amount of exposure we have to the flag.
Overall, the study revealed that in general, flags with complex designs, intricate patterns and uncommon colours can be considered the most challenging to draw. For example, everyone appeared to remember the flags that included the colours; red, blue, white, or green. However, flags with other less common colours such as; orange, mustard or dark green proved the most commonly forgotten.
