Does the World Flag Chart Include Unofficial or Cultural Flags?
Updated
Yes. The World Flag Chart at flaglog.com includes many flags that are not official national or territorial flags, including cultural, indigenous, and nationalist designs. Unofficial status is usually signalled either by a numbered footnote or by the way the flag is grouped and labelled on the page.
How to tell an unofficial flag from an official one
The chart mixes official and unofficial flags in the same regional sections, so the label alone is not always enough. Two signals do the work:
- Numbered footnotes. A small superscript number next to a flag points to a note at the bottom of the page explaining its status. These notes are the clearest indicator that a flag is unofficial, locally popular, or flown under specific conditions.
- Grouping and naming. Flags are listed under cultural or people names rather than country names — for example "Māori," "Aboriginal Australians," or "Acadia" — which distinguishes them from the sovereign-state flags around them.
Examples of unofficial and cultural flags on the chart
The Oceania and North America sections alone contain a wide range of non-state flags:
| Flag | Status as described on the page |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal Australians | Cultural flag listed alongside national flags |
| Māori | Cultural flag listed alongside national flags |
| Acadia | Described as "a popular but unofficial local flag" |
| Guadeloupe (nationalist flag) | "An unofficial flag flown by Guadeloupe nationalists" |
| Anguilla dolphin flag | "The unofficial but popular cultural flag of the island," dating to the 1967 secession |
| Saint Martin unity flag | "A common cultural flag representing both the French and Dutch halves of the island" |
The chart also lists flags of indigenous nations and peoples across North America, including Mi'kmaq, Métis, Haudenosaunee, Cherokee, Navajo, Hopi, and many others.
Flags with partial or shared official status
Some entries sit between official and unofficial, and the footnotes explain the arrangement:
- Kanaky-New Caledonia — flown alongside the French tricolour as a joint national flag.
- ʻUvea (Wallis and Futuna) — flown by the kingdom of ʻUvea on Wallis Island, and customarily used to represent all of Wallis and Futuna at diplomatic and sporting events. Within the territory it has equal status with the flags of Alo and Sigave, and all three are flown together at the territorial assembly.
- Alo and Sigave — each flown alongside the other two kingdom flags at the Wallis and Futuna territorial assembly.
- Anguilla blue ensign — the official flag of the British overseas territory, flown by the government and allowed to be flown by anyone.
Why the chart includes them
Including unofficial and cultural flags gives representation to groups that have no official state flag of their own, or whose flag exists alongside a national one. The footnotes let the chart show these flags without implying they carry the same official standing as a national flag — the note tells you who flies it, where, and under what conditions.
If you are looking for a specific people or region, scan the relevant continental section rather than expecting a separate "unofficial flags" list; the chart integrates them into the geographic groupings.