India
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange)
(top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel)
centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice,
and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth;
green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the
wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation
note: similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk
centered in the white band
Indonesia
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; the
colors derive from the banner of the Majapahit Empire of the
13th-15th centuries; red symbolizes courage, white represents purity
note: similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar
to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red
Iran
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red;
the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in
the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in
the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
times along the top edge of the red band; green is the color of
Islam and also represents growth, white symbolizes honesty and
peace, red stands for bravery and martyrdom
Iraq
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green
Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive
from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black),
overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright
future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in
2008 as a compromise temporary replacement for the Ba'athist
Saddam-era flag
note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no
script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that of Egypt,
which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band
Ireland
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
orange; officially the flag colors have no meaning, but a common
interpretation is that the green represents the Irish nationalist
(Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange
tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white
symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) between the green and the
orange
note: similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has
the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also
similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of
green (hoist side), white, and red
Isle of Man
red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (triskelion), in
the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the
knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of
the flag, a two-sided emblem is used; the flag is based on the
coat-of-arms of the last recognized Norse King of Mann, Magnus III
(r. 1252-1265); the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun
symbol
Israel
white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as
the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal
horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag; the
basic design resembles a Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is
white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back
to medieval times
Italy
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
red; design inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon
in 1797; colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the
green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard
note: similar to the flag of Mexico, which is longer, uses darker
shades of red and green, and has its coat of arms centered on the
white band; Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side),
white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire,
which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green
Jamaica
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles -
green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side); green
represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects
hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden
sunshine and the island's natural resources
Jan Mayen
the flag of Norway is used