What are the Flags of Asia?

A national flag is a country's official symbol, and Asia's flags reflect the continent's huge range of religions, histories and political systems. Some designs are centuries old, such as Japan's red sun disc, and Nepal's double-pennant flag is the only national flag in the world that is not a rectangle. Many others were adopted in the mid-20th century as countries won independence or new governments took power. India's saffron, white and green tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra was adopted in 1947, and the red flags of China (1949) and Vietnam reflect their communist revolutions. The crescent and star, a symbol associated with Islam and the Ottoman Empire, appears on the flags of countries such as Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia, while many Middle Eastern flags use the Pan-Arab colours.