This flag map of the world shows that any representation of territories can get people angry

Flags are fantastic. Either as pieces of art, expressions of culture or as sources of content, we love them.

Reddit user 'hensomm' submitted a map of the world to a map-appreciating subreddit, which shows the countries of the world by the flags which represent them.

The map sparked a lively debate about territories, recognition and international diplomacy.

Firstly, people pointed out that the original version featured the Irish flag upside-down, colours reversed so that it actually was the flag of the Ivory Coast.

Then people began to debate over recognition and which flags were appropriate, becoming the main talking point of the 194-comment thread.

One user pointed out:

If you're going to mark Transnistria and Abkhazia, i think you should mark Nagorno-Karabakh as well.

Transnistria is a partially recognised state on the Eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine, which declared independence in 1990 and was the subject of a military conflict in March 1992 following the dissolution of the USSR, which ran until July 1992.

The region remains unresolved by political status, as it is currently unrecognised by the United Nations.


Likewise are Abkhazia, on the Eastern coast of the Black Sea by Georgia, which was the subject of a war with Georgia between 1992 and 1993, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a mountainous region in what is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory and was subject of a war between February 1998 and May 1994.

Then people also mentioned North Cyprus, land which Turkey claims control of, but has little international recognition - with calls both for and against.

People also pointed out that for Greenland, 'hensomm' had used the Danish flag as Greenland is a Danish dependency, however natives would probably prefer the use of the Greenland flag:

However, others pointed out that the French flag had been used for dependencies, so for consistency the Dannebrog (Danish cross) should be used.

The whole thread is really rather interesting and worth a peruse - all stemming from a simple flag map.