Where+We+are+Going

**Irish Flag Meaning:** The colors of the Irish flag have no official meaning but many legends have risen to account for the colors. One of them states that the Green stripe is represents Catholics, the Orange represents Protestants and the white stripe symbolizes the peace between them. Another one states the orange color is associated with the Protestants in Ulster and those that derived from William III who defeated the Irish Catholics at the Battle of the Boyne in the late 1600s. It was included in the Irish flag in an attempt to reconcile the Protestants with the Irish independence movement.)

**Welsh Flag History:** The Welsh flag has been officially been recognized as the national flag of Wales since 1959, but the red dragon has been associated with Wales for hundreds of years. It is often claimed to be the oldest national flag still in use. The origin of the Welsh flag is now lost in history, rumors and myth, but a likely theory is that the Romans took the dragon emblem with them during their occupation of Britain, but it could be even older. The flag's green and white stripes were added by the House of Tudor, the Welsh dynasty that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603.)

**English Flag Meaning:** The flag represents St. George, the patron saint of England.

The legend of George slaying the dragon dates back to the 12th century. Saint George became England's patron saint during the 13th century. The Red Cross first appeared in the crusades and is one of the earliest known emblems used to represent England. The earliest record of St George's flag being used at sea as an English flag was in 1545.)
 * English Flag History:**

**French Flag Description:** The flag of France consists of three equal vertical stripes - the left stripe is blue; the middle white; and the right side is red.

The French flag is based on a red, white and blue cockade (a badge of concentric circles) which was worn by King Louis XVI while addressing a revolutionary gathering in Paris. The King had added white to the cockade as it is the traditional color of French royalty. Red and blue are also the traditional livery colors of Paris, the country's capital city.)
 * French Flag Meaning:**

**Belgian Flag Description:** The Belgian flag consists of three equal sized vertical stripes - the left stripe is black, the middle one is yellow and the right stripe is red.

The colors of the Belgian flag are based on the coat of arms of the province of Brabant. The vertical stripe design was based on the design of France's flag.)
 * Belgian Flag Meaning:**

**Netherlands Flag Description:** The flag of the Netherlands consists of three equal sized horizontal stripes - the top stripe is red; the middle one white; and the bottom stripe is blue.

The red stripe which was originally orange, along with the white and blue stripes, are based on the heraldic colors (coat of arms) of Prince William of Orange, who led the fight for Dutch independence.)
 * Netherlands Flag Meaning:**