In vexillography, the canton is a rectangular emblem placed at the top left of a flag, usually occupying up to a quarter of a flag's area. The canton of a flag may be a flag in its own right. For instance, British ensigns have the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

as their canton, as do their derivatives such as the national flags of Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

. Following the practice of British ensigns, a canton sometimes contains a symbol of national unity, such as the blue field and white stars of the flag of the United States of America. In these cases, the canton may be called simply the union. The American flag's canton derives from Britain's use of the Union Jack in the flags of its possessions (including, historically, the Thirteen American Colonies). Subsequently, many

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

nations (along with other later countries and regions, such as

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

) that were inspired by the United States adopted flag elements that were inspired by the American flag. As a result, many extant uses of a prominent canton derive either from British territorial history, or American influence and inspiration.

Current flags using cantons

Sovereign states

File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg, The flag of Australia features the Union Flag as a canton. File:Flag of Chile.svg, The flag of Chile incorporates a blue canton bearing a white five-pointed star. File:Flag of Fiji.svg, The flag of Fiji has a canton of the Union Flag. File:Flag of Greece.svg, The

flag of Greece The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the "blue and white one" ( el, Γαλανόλευκη, ) or the "sky blue and white" (, ), is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has nine equal horizontal strip ...

has a blue canton with a white Greek cross. File:Flag of Liberia.svg, The flag of Liberia has a blue canton with a white five-pointed star. File:Flag of Malaysia.svg, The flag of Malaysia has a canton with a crescent and 14-pointed star in yellow on a blue field. File:Flag of New Zealand.svg, The flag of New Zealand has a Union Flag canton. File:Flag of Samoa.svg, The flag of Samoa has a blue canton which bears the Southern Cross constellation in white. File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg, The

flag of the Republic of China A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design emp ...

has a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. (This flag's canton is also used as the Taiwanese naval jack and the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

's party flag.) File:Flag of Togo.svg, The

flag of Togo The flag of Togo (french: drapeau du Togo) is the national flag, ensign, and naval jack of Togo. It has five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow. There is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the ...

has a red canton bearing a white five-pointed star. File:Flag of Tonga.svg, The flag of Tonga has a white canton bearing a red Greek cross couped. File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg, The flag of Tuvalu features the Union Flag in its canton. File:Flag of the United States.svg, The

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

has 50 white stars on a blue canton, standing for the country's 50 constituent states (This flag's canton is also used as United States Naval Jack/Jack of the United States). File:Flag of Uruguay.svg, The flag of Uruguay has a white canton charged with the Sun of May.

Territories, regions, and provinces

File:Flag of Abkhazia.svg, The secessionist flag of Abkhazia features a red canton with a white right hand and seven white stars on it. File:Flag of Adjara.svg, The flag of the autonomous province of Adjara contains the Georgian flag in the canton. File:Bandeira do Amazonas.svg, Amazonas in Brazil File:Bandeira da Bahia.svg,

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Azad Kashmir.svg, The flag of

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger K ...

File:Flag of the Balearic Islands.svg, alt=Flag of the The Balearic Islands, Flag of

The Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( ca, Illes Balears ; es, Islas Baleares or ) are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a province and autonomous community of Spain, wi ...

, an autonomous community within the

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. File:Flag of Bomi County.svg, Bomi County in Liberia; every county flag of Liberia contains the Liberian national flag in its canton. File:Flag of Bong County.svg,

Bong County Bong is a county in the north-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has twelve districts. Gbarnga serves as the capital. The area of ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Brittany (Gwenn ha du).svg, Flag of Brittany in France, inspired by the US and Greek flags File:Flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.svg, Flag of the

French Southern and Antarctic Lands The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (french: Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, TAAF) is an Overseas Territory (french: Territoire d'outre-mer or ) of France. It consists of: # Adélie Land (), the French claim on the continen ...

has a rare use of the

Flag of France The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Irelan ...

as its canton. File:Flag of Gbarpolu County.svg, Gbarpolu County in Liberia File:Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg, The flag of Georgia has the state coat of arms in the canton, surrounded by 13 stars which, like the strips on the US flag, represent the original 13 colonies, of which Georgia was one. The design of the US flag, including its prominent use of the canton (aka union), has inspired similar designs, including cantons, in flags of some US subdivisions. File:Flag of Goiás.svg,

Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiânia. ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Grand Bassa County.svg, Grand Bassa County in Liberia File:Flag of Grand Cape Mount County.svg, Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia File:Flag of Grand Gedeh County.svg, Grand Gedeh County in Liberia File:Flag of Grand Kru County.svg, Grand Kru County in Liberia File:Bandera del Departamento Guatemala.svg, Flag of Guatemala Department of Guatemala contains its

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

. File:Flag of Hawaii.svg, The flag of Hawaii has the UK's flag in its canton. File:Flag of Johor.svg, Flag of

Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime b ...

in Malaysia, which contains the Islamic star and crescent in the canton, as does the national flag File:Flag of Lofa County.svg,

Lofa County Lofa is a county in the northernmost portion of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has nine districts. Voinjama serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring . ...

in Liberia File:Bandeira do Maranhão.svg,

Maranhão Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of . Clockwise from north, it borders on the Atlantic Ocean for 2,243 km and the states of Piauí, Tocantins and ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Manitoba.svg,

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Win ...

's provincial flag, one of two Canadian provinces to use the UK's national flag in their cantons. File:Flag of Margibi County.svg, Margibi County in Liberia File:Flag of Maryland County.svg, Maryland County in Liberia File:Flag of Malacca.svg, The

flag of Melaka The Flag of Malacca is the flag of the Malaysian state of Malacca. Red, white, yellow and blue, which are the colours of the flag of Malaysia, are also used in the flag of Malacca to emphasize that Malacca is a member state of Malaysia. The s ...

in Malaysia has both a hoist canton and a rare ''fly'' canton, though only the hoist canton has a charge, of the Islamic star and crescent. File:Flag of Montserrado County.svg, Montserrado County in Liberia File:Flag of Negeri Sembilan.svg, Flag of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia, the canton of which resembles the flag of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

File:Flag of New South Wales.svg,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

in Australia; all of the Australian states (though ''not'' territories) adopt the use of the UK's national flag in their cantons. File:Flag of Nimba County.svg,

Nimba County Nimba County is a county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the c ...

in Liberia File:Flag of Ontario.svg,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

's provincial flag, one of two Canadian provinces to use the UK's national flag in their cantons. File:Bandeira do Piauí.svg,

Piauí Piaui (, ) is one of the states of Brazil, located in the country's Northeast Region. The state has 1.6% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.7% of the Brazilian GDP. Piaui has the shortest coastline of any coastal Brazilian state at 66 ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Queensland.svg,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

File:Flag of Rivercess County.svg, Rivercess County in Liberia File:Flag of River Gee County.svg, River Gee County in Liberia File:Flag of Sabah.svg, The Flag of

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

in Malaysia contains a profile of local Mount Kinabalu. File:San Salvador Flag.png, Flag of

San Salvador Department San Salvador () is a department of El Salvador in the west central part of the country. The capital is San Salvador, which is also the national capital. The department has North of the Rio Lempa Valley, the "Valle de las Hamacas" (Hammock Valley) ...

in El Salvador File:Santa Ana (El Salvador) flag.jpg, Flag of Santa Ana Department in El Salvador File:Bandeira do estado de São Paulo.svg,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Selangor.svg, Flag and coat of arms of

Selangor Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...

in Malaysia is not a true canton, although the standard of the Sultan of Selangor, which derives from it, retains the upper left hoist as a distinct canton. File:Bandeira de Sergipe.svg,

Sergipe Sergipe (), officially State of Sergipe, is a state of Brazil. Located in the Northeast Region along the Atlantic coast of the country, Sergipe is the smallest state in Brazil by geographical area at , larger only than the Federal District. S ...

in Brazil File:Flag of Sinoe County.svg, Sinoe County in Liberia File:Flag of South Australia.svg,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

File:Flag of Tasmania.svg,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

File:Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg,

Victoria (Australia) Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

File:Flag of Western Australia.svg,

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

Organizations

Naval Ensign of Australia.svg, Australian White Ensign, which has a canton consisting of the

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

. Air Force Ensign of Australia.svg, Royal Australian Air Force Ensign, which has a canton consisting of the

. Naval Ensign of Canada.svg, Naval ensign of Canada, which has a canton consisting of Canada's national flag. Naval Ensign of India.svg, Naval ensign of India, which has a canton consisting of an elongated Indian national flag. Flag of the Korean National Association.svg, Flag of the Korean National Association, with a yellow canton defaced with a blue-and-red

taeguk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean language, Korean term cognate with the Chinese term ''Taiji (philosophy), Taiji'' (Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". T ...

. Flag of the New York City Police Department.svg, Flag of the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest i ...

has a blue canton defaced with stars. Naval Ensign of Sierra Leone.svg, Naval ensign of Sierra Leone, has a canton with a horizontal triband of green, white, and blue (e.g. the Sierra Leone national flag). Flag of the South African Army.svg, Flag of the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. ...

, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Flag of the South African National Defence Force.svg, Flag of the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister ...

, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Naval Ensign of South Africa.svg, Naval ensign of South Africa, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Flag of the South African Police Service.svg, Flag of the South African Police Service, which has a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg, Naval ensign of the United Kingdom, which has a canton consisting of the UK's national flag in it.

Former flags that used cantons

States

File:Flag of Russia (1914-1917).svg, Flag of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

, used 1914–1917. File:Flag of Georgia (1990–2004).svg, Old Flag of Georgia, used 1918-1921 and 1991-2003. File:Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1951–1990).svg, A Soviet-era flag for

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

, It was the only Soviet Union Republic flag with the canton and in which the hammer and sickle were not gold in color. File:Flag of Brazil (November 1889).svg, The November 1889 flag of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

had a blue canton defaced with 21 white stars. File:Flag of the Confederate States of America (1861-1863).svg, The first version of the flag of the Confederate States featured a canton defaced with stars, with the stars representing its claimed constituent states File:Flag of the Confederate States of America (1865).svg, Subsequent flags of the CS incorporated a star-defaced saltire (known as the "Confederate Battle Flag") in their cantons. File:Flag of the Orange Free State.svg, The flag of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

had a canton with a horizontal triband of red, white, and blue (e.g. the Dutch flag) in it. File:Flag of Texas (1835–1839).svg, The national flag of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

from 1835 to 1839 had a blue canton, defaced with a single star. File:UnitedTribesUnofficial.svg, The flag of the

United Tribes of New Zealand The United Tribes of New Zealand ( mi, Te W(h)akaminenga o Ngā Rangatiratanga o Ngā Hapū o Nū Tīreni, lit=) was a confederation of Māori tribes based in the north of the North Island, existing legally from 1835 to 1840. It received diplo ...

from the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of ...

in 1835 until William Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty in 1840 puts the Southern Cross in the canton of the St George Cross.

Territories, organizations, and subdivisions

Canada

Flag of the Canadian Army (1939–1944).svg, Flag of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases acr ...

from 1939 to 1944, which had a canton consisting of the UK's national flag. Flag of the Canadian Army (1968–1998).svg, Flag of the Canadian Army from 1968 to 1998 used a canton consisting of Canada's national flag.

Confederate States

File:Tennessee_1861_proposed.svg, An early 1860s flag of CS

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

File:Flag of Louisiana (February 1861).svg, A former flag of CS

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

File:Flag_of_Mississippi_(1861-1894).svg, A former flag of CS

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

France

Many French colonial flags contained the

in the canton.

Georgia

File:Flag_of_Ajarian_ASSR.svg, A Soviet-era flag for Adjara (then the Ajarian ASSR) combined a blue glory with red

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industr ...

Serbia and Montenegro

Naval Ensign of Serbia and Montenegro.svg, Naval ensign of Serbia and Montenegro from 1992 to 2006, which had a canton with a horizontal triband of blue, white, and red (e.g. the Serbia and Montenegro national flag) in it.

South Africa

Flag of the Cape Colony (1876–1910).svg, Flag of the Cape Colony had a canton consisting of the UK's national flag; like most of the UK's colonies. Ensign of the South African Defence Force (1981–1994).svg, Flag of the South African Defence Force, which had a canton with the RSA's national flag in it. Flag of the South African Police.svg, Flag of the South African Police, which had a canton with the RSA's national flag in it.

United States

File:Flag of Mississippi (2001–2020).svg, The Flag of Mississippi had the Confederate battle flag in the canton in its designs from 1894-2020. File:Flag_of_New_Mexico_(1912-1925).svg, An early flag design for

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, which shows a rare instance of the US flag as a canton File:Flag_of_the_Vermont_Republic.svg, Flag of the short lived Republic of Vermont, which adapted the US flag's union of 13 stars File:Flag_of_Vermont_(1804-1837).svg, An early flag for Vermont, which was substantially identical to the US flag of the time

Yugoslavia

File:Naval Ensign of Yugoslavia (1949–1993).svg, Yugoslav naval ensign from 1949 to 1993, which had a canton consisting of a horizontal triband of blue, white, and red, defaced with a star and wreath. File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1946–1992).svg, alt=, Flag of the SR BiH, which had a canton consisting of the Yugoslav flag.

External links

{{Heraldry Flags by design