ORGANISATION

United Nations: Flag, History and Membership

The light blue flag of the United Nations connects a world map with two olive branches. It stands for an organization whose mission is global: to promote peace and security and bring states together for cooperation. Their imagery explains this claim without lettering. The creation of the UN, the adoption of its emblem and the introduction of its flag are three different historical steps.

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United Nations Flag: Meaning, History and Members · supplied learning collection

Key facts and distinctions

Article focus: International organisation
Membership record: 1 November 2026
Linked country entries: 193
List definition: Country subset of the supplied member record
Organisation: United Nations; UN
Charter signed: June 26, 1945, San Francisco
Founding day: 24 October 1945
Emblem adopted: 7 December 1946
Flag adopted: 20 October 1947
Member States: 193; tested on 1 November 2026
Observer States: Holy See and State of Palestine
Map perspective: Azimuthal projection centred on the North Pole

A map of the world from an unusual perspective

The white emblem lies in the middle of a light blue cloth. The map is viewed from the North Pole; the longitudes converge towards the center. This map image differs significantly from the rectangular world maps from the school atlas. Antarctica is not part of the map. The UN describes the projection as azimuthal and distance-scattering.

Two stylized olive branches surround the map from below and from both sides. They point to peace, while the world map shows the spatial horizon of the mission. For recognition, the combination of map and branches as well as the bright blue shade are therefore particularly helpful. A similar blue reason alone does not yet identify a UN flag.

From San Francisco to your own flag

The Charter was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and entered into force on 24 October of the same year. This second date is considered the founding day of the United Nations. The new organisation thus received an international legal basis. It should base international relations on common rules, including sovereign equality of states and the prohibition of violence.

The General Assembly approved the emblem on 7 December 1946. It was not until 20 October 1947 that the decision on the flag was made. This chronological sequence helps to distinguish often mixed dates: 1945 concerns the organization, 1946 the sign and 1947 the flag cloth. A symbol can therefore come from the founding phase without having been an official flag since day one.

Worldwide membership with clear status differences

The status reviewed on 1 November 2026 comprises 193 Member States. The number describes members of the organization and must not be equated with any list of all states or territories in the world. Nor does the world map mean that every political entity recognizable on it is automatically a member. The card performs a symbolic function, not a register-like one.

The Holy See and the State of Palestine shall have the status of non-Member States with observer status. They are therefore dealt with separately in a Members' question. Observation opens up opportunities for participation in the work of the General Assembly, but is another legal category. When learning, it is worthwhile to always read the exact wording of the organizational question in addition to the flag image.

Details Worth Remembering

Olive branches as a sign of peace

The branches supplement the map with a statement about the goal of the organization. The world is thus shown as a shared space of responsibility. The sign can be remembered well as a pair of pictures: the map answers the question of the spatial claim, the branches refer to the peace mission.

Several permitted aspect ratios

The UN library lists the aspect ratios 2:3 and 3:5 for the cloth as well as the proportions of the respective national flag under certain circumstances. A slightly longer representation therefore does not have to be another symbol. For the assignment, the central white emblem remains decisive.

Observation is its own category

The UN shows particularly clearly why an organisation can know more forms of participation than full membership. Who recognizes a flag and then assigns members, requires two different knowledge: the visual symbol and the institutional position of the requested state.

The illustrated signs and variants

**United Nations**Flag illustration retained from the supplied source record.

Countries in the supplied learning record

These links cover countries represented in this site’s country database. Any territories, regional governments, observer categories or participation qualifications are discussed above. Counts are not interchangeable.