Why is there a maple leaf in the centre of the Canadian flag? What is the eagle on the white background of the Mexican flag carrying in its beak? Is it just by chance that the Middle Eastern countries all have flags in the same colours? These & many other questions about national flags are answered in this richly illustrated volume, which gives historical information & geographical notions, but also many curiosities about the specific characteristics of the various flags & the nations they represent. The colours, the symbols & the patterns on the flags conceal ancient legends that have been told since the start of time. The reader will be taken on a journey that goes beyond the continents & the nations & delves into myth & history, to discover much more about the world we live in.