| A flag is a piece of colored cloth with one | | | | the end of the race. |
| side tied to a pole or mast. The basic | | | | |
| purpose of a flag is identification or | | | | Railway Flags |
| signaling. Today, flags are used for | | | | |
| messaging, advertising and decorative | | | | Flags are used in railways as well. These |
| purposes, though there is no scientific | | | | colored flags carry the following meaning: |
| difference between a flag and a simple cloth | | | | |
| banner. Depending on the use of flags at a | | | | - A red flag indicates stop. |
| particular place, there can be different | | | | |
| interpretations of flags. | | | | - A yellow flag indicates proceed with care. |
| | | | |
| Different interpretations of Flags are: | | | | - If a green or a white or a blue flag is |
| | | | hoisted it indicates proceed. |
| National Flags | | | | |
| | | | - In case of emergency a flag of any color if |
| Whenever the word flag is referred, the first | | | | waved vigorously indicates stop. |
| and most popular use of a flag that comes to | | | | |
| mind is National Flag. Not only it | | | | - A blue flag on the side of a locomotive |
| symbolizes your country but also gives a | | | | indicates that work is in progress and hence |
| sense of belonging to you. | | | | it should not be removed. |
| | | | |
| Swimming Flags | | | | - A blue flag on a track indicates that |
| | | | nothing on the track should be removed or |
| Swimming flags are a pair of red/yellow flags | | | | displaced. Only the person or group who |
| which are used to mark the limits of swimming | | | | placed the flag has a right to remove it. |
| area on a beach. To indicate that the beach | | | | |
| is close, simply cross the poles of the | | | | Since flags are not visible during night |
| flags. These flags are used in countries like | | | | time, lanterns of same color are used as a |
| Australia, New Zealand, UK and Philippines. | | | | replacement. |
| | | | |
| Sports Flags | | | | Navy Flags |
| | | | |
| - In American and Canadian football, referees | | | | Flags at sea can be the difference between |
| use flags to indicate an error has been made | | | | life and death. In situations where there is |
| in game play. | | | | no other means of communication and the ship |
| | | | is in a bad state, asking help in the middle |
| - In auto and motorcycle racing, flags are | | | | of the sea becomes next to impossible. Here, |
| used to communicate with drivers. The most | | | | you can use flag signals to send the message |
| famous use of flag in this sport is a | | | | across the other sailing ship. |
| checkered flag of black and white that marks | | | | |