Debate: The Best National Flag

I am a big fan of the Olympics. My favorite part of the Olympics is the parade of nations-a showcase of all the countries in the world, their national flags, and the best athletes on earth. One can learn so much about a country's history and culture just by observing its national flag. A national flag can help inspire a nation; it is the greatest of treasures. This begs the following question:

Which country has the best national flag, aesthetically and symbolically?

VOICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD:

Roy from Great Britain writes:

"That's an interesting question. From the view of aesthetics, I have always favored flags with simple, unfussy design, with an interesting use of color. The best one for me is the French Tricolor--red, white, and blue."

PiedType from the U.S. writes:

"Finland and Denmark have always been among my favorites. Simple, asymmetric designs in pleasing colors. Sweden is the same design but I don't care for its blue/yellow color combo. As much as I love the U.S., I've always thought our flag design was too 'busy' to be really attractive."

Raj from India writes:

"The Indian flag looks good, but the tricolor is too common of a design. The flag of Mozambique with an AK-47 and the dragon flags of Bhutan and Wales are quite unique. The Argentinean flag with light blue and white with the sun is quite pleasing to look at."

Steve from the U.S. writes:

"Hey I love the flag of the U.S. but I am bias though. As far as design, I would say the flag of Grenada is pretty neat and the flag of Saint Lucia looks like Star Trek."

Leafless from the U.S. writes:

"I like the Japanese flag the most. Japan is the land of the rising sun and its national flag reflects this well. It is also the easiest to remember. The big red sun should give it away."

**Information on flag protocols from Wikipedia:

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"Flags should be treated with respect. Many countries consider signing a flag disrespectful; adding a border would be more appropriate. Pinning or sewing items to a flag would also be ill advised... The flag of honor, that is the nation's flag in most cases, is flown on the center mast if possible. If more than three flags are used, the proper position is as far left from the point of view of an observer...When flags of many nations are flown the flag of the hosting country should be placed on the left with the rest following in alphabetical order in the language of the host country."