Macau
green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in
white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in
the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is
the floral emblem of Macau, the three petals represent the peninsula
and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the
flag of China
Macedonia
a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening
rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow
colors have long been associated with Macedonia
Madagascar
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a
vertical white band of the same width on hoist side; by tradition,
red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, white for purity
Malawi
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), black, and green;
a white sun disc is centered on the black band, its surrounding 45
white rays extend partially into the red and green bands; black
represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle
for freedom, and green the color of nature; the sun represents
Malawi's economic progress since attaining independence
Malaysia
14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with
white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the
flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the
14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13
member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star
represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a
traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay
people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers
note: the design is based on the flag of the US
Maldives
red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a
vertical white crescent moon; the closed side of the crescent is on
the hoist side of the flag; red recalls those who have sacrificed
their lives in defense of their country, the green rectangle
represents peace and prosperity, and the white crescent signifies
Islam
Mali
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and
red
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors
from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Senegal
(which has an additional green central star) and the reverse of
those on the flag of neighboring Guinea
Malta
two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the
upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross,
edged in red; according to legend, the colors are taken from the red
and white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily who removed a
bi-colored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091; an uncontested
explanation is that the colors are those of the Knights of Saint
John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798; in 1942, King George VI of
the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to the islanders for
their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II; since
independence in 1964, the George Cross bordered in red has appeared
directly on the white field
Marshall Islands
blue with two stripes radiating from the lower
hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; a white star with four
large rays and 20 small rays appears on the hoist side above the two
stripes; blue represents the Pacific Ocean, the orange stripe
signifies the Ralik Chain or sunset and courage, while the white
stripe signifies the Ratak Chain or sunrise and peace; the star
symbolizes the cross of Christianity, each of the 24 rays designates
one of the electoral districts in the country and the four larger
rays highlight the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit,
Wotje, and Ebeye; the rising diagonal band can also be interpreted
as representing the equator, with the star showing the archipelago's
position just to the north
Mauritania
green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow,
horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the
crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam;
the gold color stands for the sands of the Sahara