MULTICULTURAL FLAG DISPLAY
Center Grove has installed flags that represent the many countries native to the students, parents, and staff in our school community. Celebrating our inclusive and diverse global community develops students’ knowledge of the world’s cultural diversity within the context of globalization and change.
Flags from the top 17 countries, including the United States, have been installed in every school. Displays are placed in various locations from the lobby atriums to main hallways to cafeterias, depending on the space available in the school.
50+
Countries Represented by CG Families
46
Languages Spoken
in CG
973
Students who do not speak English at home
466%
Growth in English Language Learners since 2016-17
Country & Flag Information
(Click the + to see each country's flag and information.)
- United States of America
- Brazil
- Burma (Mynamar)
- Canada
- China
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- India
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Vietnam
United States of America
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Population: 341,963,408
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico.
Languages: English only 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)
About the United States Flag: 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship, red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory.
History: Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America after the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 341,963,408 people in the entire United States of America.
Brazil
BRAZIL
Population: 220,051,512
Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Languages: Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and many minor Amerindian languages
About the Brazilian Flag: Green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress); the current flag was inspired by the banner of the former Empire of Brazil (1822-1889); on the imperial flag, the green represented the House of Braganza of Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil, while the yellow stood for the Habsburg Family of his wife; on the modern flag the green represents the forests of the country and the yellow rhombus its mineral wealth (the diamond shape roughly mirrors that of the country); the blue circle and stars, which replaced the coat of arms of the original flag, depict the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889 - the day the Republic of Brazil was declared; the number of stars has changed with the creation of new states and has risen from an original 21 to the current 27 (one for each state and the Federal District).
History: After more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than a half century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 220,051,512 people in the entire country of Brazil.
Burma (Mynamar)
BURMA (MYNAMAR)
Population: 57,527,139
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Languages: Burmese (official)
Note: minority ethnic groups use their own languages
History: Burma was a province of British India until 1937 and then a self-governing colony until independence in 1948. The military traditionally has been heavily involved in politics and the economy and ran the country for five decades after a military coup in 1962. A civilian government was elected in 2015, but the military overthrew it in 2021 and largely reversed nascent reforms. The country has been mired in an insurgency against the military regime since 2021. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 57,527,139 people in the entire country of Burma.
About the flag of Burma: design consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a large white five-pointed star that partially overlaps onto the adjacent colored stripes; the design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation.
Canada
CANADA
Population: 38,794,813
Location: Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US
Languages: English (official) 87.1%, French (official) 29.1%, Chinese languages 4.2%, Spanish 3.2%, Punjabi 2.6%, Arabic 2.4%, Tagalog 2.3%, Italian 1.5% (2022 est.)
About the Canadian Flag: Two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width) with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol.
History: Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Canada aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 38,794,813 people in the entire country of Canada.
China
CHINA
Population: 1,416,043,270
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages; note - Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uyghur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uyghur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)
About the Chinese Flag: Red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China.
History: China's civilization dates from at least 1200 B.C. From the 3rd century B.C. and for the next two millennia, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. After World War II, the Chinese Communist Party under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 1,416,043,270 people in the entire country of China.
Dominican Republic
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Population: 10,815,857
Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti.
Languages: Spanish (official)
About the Dominican Republic's Flag: A centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are ultramarine blue (hoist side) and vermilion red, and the bottom ones are vermilion red (hoist side) and ultramarine blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by a laurel branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon; in the shield a bible is opened to a verse that reads "Y la verdad nos hara libre" (And the truth shall set you free); blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes
History: Spain and France colonized and divided the island of Hispaniola. The western third became Haiti, and the remainder became the Dominican Republic in 1844. Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later, they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 10,815,857 people in the entire country.
Haiti
HAITI
Population: 10,815,857
Location: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Languages: French (official), Creole (official).
About the Haitian Flag: Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength); the colors are taken from the French Tricolor and represent the union of blacks and mulattoes.
History: In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti continues to experience bouts of political instability. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 11,753,943 people in the entire country of Haiti.
India
INDIA
Population: 1,409,128,296
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan.
Languages: Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; English is the subsidiary official language but is the most important one for national, political, and commercial communication (2011 est.)
About the Indian Flag: three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation.
History: The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent, and India was seen as the "Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule eventually resulted in Indian independence in 1947. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 1,409,128,296 in the entire country of India.
Japan
JAPAN
Population: 123,201,945
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula.
Languages: Japanese
About the Japanese Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
History: Japan opened its ports in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a US ally. The emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, but elected politicians hold the decision-making power. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 123,201,945 people in the entire country of Japan.
Malaysia
MALAYSIA
Population: 34,564,810
Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam.
Languages: Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai.
About the Malaysian Flag: 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers
History: The British secured and colonized the area that is now Malaysia during the late 18th and 19th centuries. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula (except Singapore) formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. Singapore was expelled in 1965. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 34,564,810 people in the entire country of Malaysia.
Mexico
MEXICO
Population: 130,739,927
Location: North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States
Languages: Spanish only 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous languages (including Mayan, Nahuatl, and others) 5.4%, indigenous only 0.6%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)
About the Mexican Flag: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty; red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a location where they would see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake; the city they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City.
History: Mexico was the site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations -- including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec -- until Spain conquered and colonized the area in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved independence in the early 19th century. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 130,739,927 people in the entire country of Mexico.
Nicaragua
NICARAGUA
Population: 6,676,948
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras.
Languages: Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.).
About the Flag of Nicaragua: Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water.
History: The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821, and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Democratic institutions have weakened as the president has assumed full control over all branches of government. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 6,676,948 people in the entire country of Nicaragua.
Philippines
PHILIPPINES
Population: 118,277,063
Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam.
Languages: Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5%, Bikol/Bicol 3.9%, Waray 2.6%, Kapampangan 2.4%, Maguindanao 1.4%, Pangasinan/Panggalato 1.3%, other languages/dialects 11.2%, unspecified 0.4% (2020 est.).
About the flag of the Philippines: Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star; blue stands for peace and justice, red symbolizes courage, the white equal-sided triangle represents equality; the rays recall the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain, while the stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897.
History: The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century and were ceded to the US in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. In 1935, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. After Japanese occupation during World War II, the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence on 4 July 1946. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 118,277,063 people in the entire country of the Philippines.
Singapore
SINGAPORE
Population: 6,028,459
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Languages: English (official) 48.3%, Mandarin (official) 29.9%, other Chinese dialects (includes Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka) 8.7%, Malay (official) 9.2%, Tamil (official) 2.5%, other 1.4% (2020 est.).
About the flag of Singapore: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle; red denotes brotherhood and equality; white signifies purity and virtue; the waxing crescent moon symbolizes a young nation on the ascendancy; the five stars represent the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.
History: A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times and was eventually burned in the 17th century. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 6,028,459 people in the entire country of Singapore.
Sweden
SWEDEN
Population: 10,589,835
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway.
Languages: Swedish (official)
About the Swedish Flag: blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field.
History: A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Since then, Sweden has pursued a successful economic formula consisting of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 10,589,835 people in the entire country of Sweden.
Taiwan
TAIWAN
Population: 23,595,274
Location: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China.
Languages: Mandarin (official), Min Nan, Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages
About the Taiwanese Flag: red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays; the blue and white design of the canton (symbolizing the sun of progress) dates to 1895; it was later adopted as the flag of the Kuomintang Party; blue signifies liberty, justice, and democracy, red stands for fraternity, sacrifice, and nationalism, and white represents equality, frankness, and the people's livelihood; the 12 rays of the sun are those of the months and the twelve traditional Chinese hours (each ray equals two hours)
History: First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan based on a 1947 Constitution. Taiwan has since had several democratic transfers of power and has a strong economy. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 23,595,274 people in the entire country of Taiwan.
Vietnam
VIETNAM
Population: 105,758,975
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia.
Languages: Vietnamese (official); English (often as a second language); some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain-area languages (including Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian).
About the Vietnamese Flag: Red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center; red symbolizes revolution and blood, the five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace - peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers - that unite to build socialism.
History: France began its conquest of Vietnam in 1858 and made the country part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam defeated French forces in 1954, when the country was divided into North and South halves. Communist North Vietnam conquered the anti-communist South in 1975 but then stagnated economically until 1986, when it introduced a more market-based economy. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 105,758,975 people in the entire country of Vietnam.