FAQ – Frequently asked Questions

Question: Is it permissible to download or to copy?
Answer:
1.) You may download flags and texts from this homepage and include them in your own private applications (essays, dissertations, private tables and lists etc.), besides applications for use in the internet. A web-link to www.laender-lexikon.com should be obviously.
2.) Further use (articles in newspapers, print media etc.) are to ask for and become released by the author of www.laender-lexikon.com (For e-mail contakt please use the Link on the main page). Permission for further use (all what not is included under point 1.) could become recanted at any time and without giving of reasons.
3.) It is in principle not allowed to download or copy reproductions of flags and scripts from this homepage and to publish them in the internet, excepted are links to the corresponding pages at www.laender-lexikon.com. For damages of any kind incurred through the use of the contents and/or representations from www.laender-lexikon.com neither the webmaster nor author of this homepage assumes responsibility. That links are to ask for and become released by the author of www.laender-lexikon.com (For e-mail contakt please use the Link on the main page). Permissions for links could become recanted at any time and without giving of reasons.
4.) It is furthermore not allowed to copy or imitate functions, terms or programable structures from this homepage or to use them in web pages.

Question: Is it possible to order original flags made of textile fabric?
Answer: www.laender-lexikon.com recommends over the Button "Flaggenprodukte" and over some flag depictions a proper palette of flag articles (also flag made of textile), and helps in contacting the manufacturers. But over www.laender-lexikon.com itself goes no sale. These recommending pages are written only in German. It is better to use the e-shops in your homeland.

Question: Is it possible to purchase the Flaggenlexikon in some format?
Answer: No

Question: How real are the illustrations of the historical flags?
Answer: In principle they are real, but one must take into consideration, that laws for uniformity in flag design were passed only for the first time in the 19th century, when it was possible to fabricate flags through mechanical means and in large quantities. Due to this the flags of the earlier centuries are different in their details.

Question: How many countries actually exist?
Answer:
The answer ist not so simple because first of it all is the question: What is a country? An independent state? Or is also a dependent territory a country (e.g. French-Guyana)? Is now to ask better: How many states actually exist? But what is a state? Is it the best way to count the in the UNO present states? What is about states which really exist but are not members in the UNO e.g. South Korea? The first thing is to limit! The best way is to take the number of the in the UNO present states. This will result a passably credible number. In 2005 this were 191 states. Now add that number states which are not members in the UNO but valid as recognized: Vatican City, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan (Republic of China). This results a number of 195 states.
Now you have to think about the following fact: There are a lot of in reality existing states which are internationally not or only partially recognized, e.g. Kosovo, furthermore is fully open the status of countries like Anjouan, Bougainville, Somaliland or Puntland. Furthermore there is at least one state which is partially recognized but actually not exists: Republic of Sahara.