My father had a unique eye condition that made lines slanted to the right appear thicker, while lines slanted to the left appeared thinner. Consequently, he struggled with distinguishing between certain letters like 'P' and 'R.' This condition led people to doubt his potential for success. As a result, my father developed a profound interest in picture books, particularly those featuring margarine and cigarette advertisements, which were popular in Germany, at least until the 1960s. Many of these books featured older flag designs, piquing my curiosity about flags from different eras and regions, such as the historical flags of Morocco, Ethiopia (then known as Abyssinia), and Latvia. I can't explain why those flags, in particular, fascinated me, but this fascination ignited my passion for history and the cultural significance of flags.

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In Figure 1, you can see a portion of my comprehensive 'flags-of-the-world' map. For those who share my interest, I've included sub-national flags, including provincial, aboriginal, and occasionally city flags. You're welcome to print it for personal or non-profit use. Please note that I cannot sell it, as most of the flags are sourced from the excellent websites 'Flags of the World' or Wikipedia. Feel free to download the highest resolution version and have it printed professionally.

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If you're wondering why certain flags are included while others are not, the answer is simple: constraints of time and space. While I'd like to add the flags of the states of the Philippines or all of the Russian sub-national flags, logistical challenges make this difficult. In some cases, I've had to shift flags to accommodate regions accurately. Importantly, the inclusion of a flag on this map does not imply support for a particular organization or group; it signifies acknowledgment that a group has identified itself with a specific flag in a particular region. This neutrality is especially crucial in regions like the Caucasus, Somalia, and with groups like Daesh."

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