Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse

This article contains a list of flags for which the reverse (back) is different from the obverse (front). It includes current as well as historic flags of both nations and national subdivisions such as provinces, states, territories, and cities (including a few that are not recognized by the United Nations or whose sovereignty is in dispute). When the flag is that of a nation, the Subdivision column is blank. For present-day flags the Dates column is typically blank.

The list below includes the few flags for which the back of the flag is the mirrored reverse of the front. For most flags with an asymmetric design, the back side looks like the mirror image of the front. For example, when viewed from the front, the top left corner of the United States' flag features 50 white stars in a blue rectangle. When viewed from behind, this rectangle is located at the top right. A few flags contain an element for which the mirror image view would be problematic - such as text (e.g. Saudi Arabia's flag contains the shahada, an Islamic creed) or a geographic feature (e.g. the nation of Bangladesh is depicted on its flag). For these flags, the back of the flag is the mirrored reverse of the front. Currently the only UN-recognized country whose flag contains a truly unique image on each side is Paraguay.

List of Flags

Nation	Subdivision	Dates	Obverse	Reverse	Notes
Argentina	San Juan				List of Argentine flags
Bangladesh	—	1971–1972			List of Bangladeshi flags
Bulgaria	Stara Zagora				Flag of Bulgaria
Moldova	—	1990–2010			Flag of Moldova
Moldova	Transnistria				Flag of Transnistria
Paraguay	—				Flag of Paraguay
Philippines	—	1898–1901			Flag of First Philippine Republic Obverse has "Fuerzas Expeditionarias del Norte de Luzon" inscribed Reverse has the words "Libertad Justicia e Igualdad" inscribed.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	—				Flag of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Saudi Arabia	—				flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Soviet Union	—	1923–1991			While the flag of the Soviet Union was officially two-sided, in practice the flag was usually made through and through. All flags of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union did not bear the hammer and sickle on their reverse side.
Spain	Arapiles
United States	Alabama	1861–1865			Flag of Alabama
	Massachusetts	1908–1971			In 1971 the pine tree design on the reverse of the flag of Massachusetts was replaced by the obverse design; a shield depicting an Algonquian Native American with bow and arrow, with the arrow pointed downwards signifying peace.
	Minnesota	1893–1957			Flag of Minnesota
	Oregon	1925–present			The flag of Oregon is currently the only double-sided state flag.
	Richmond, Virginia	1914–1933			Flag of Richmond, Virginia
	West Virginia	1905–1907			Flag of West Virginia
	West Virginia	1907–1929

See also

• Glossary of vexillology
• Vexillology