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Why can flying one country’s flag above another be considered an insult?
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flag
Various shapes of flags: (from left) rectangle (Algeria), square (Switzerland), pennant (Nepal), swallowtail (Ohio, U.S.).
In the context of flag etiquette, placing one country’s flag above another is considered an insult because it denotes the victory of the nation whose flag is positioned higher. Historically, this practice was used to signify military conquest or dominance.1
Because this arrangement symbolizes superiority and defeat, it is considered inappropriate and disrespectful to display the flag of one friendly nation above another during peacetime. To maintain proper protocol and show mutual respect, each national flag should be flown from its own separate flagstaff.1