The clearest flags with a diagonal cross, or saltire, are Jamaica (gold saltire), Burundi (white saltire), and Scotland's Saltire (the original St Andrew's Cross). Several others use diagonal elements, including the United Kingdom, Grenada, Namibia, Tanzania, and the Republic of the Congo.
What Is a Saltire?
A saltire is a diagonal cross shaped like the letter X, running from corner to corner of a flag. It is also called the St Andrew's Cross, after the apostle Andrew, who according to tradition was crucified on an X-shaped cross because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. In heraldry the saltire is one of the oldest and most distinctive charges, and it appears on flags from Scotland to the Caribbean.
A true saltire divides a flag into four triangles, top, bottom, hoist, and fly. This is different from a diagonal stripe or band, which crosses the flag only once. Below are the national and historic flags where the diagonal cross is the defining feature, followed by flags that use diagonal lines in other ways.
The Clearest National Saltires
- Jamaica: A gold saltire divides the flag into four triangles, green at top and bottom, black at the hoist and fly. It is the clearest pure saltire on any current national flag. Remarkably, Jamaica is one of the very few national flags that uses no red, white, or blue at all.
- Burundi: A white saltire crosses the flag, creating red panels at top and bottom and green panels at the sides, with a white central disc bearing three red stars. The diagonal cross is the backbone of the whole design.
Scotland: The Original Saltire
Scotland's flag is not a sovereign national flag today, but it is the original saltire and the reason the design is called the St Andrew's Cross. It shows a white diagonal cross on a blue field and is one of the oldest flags in continuous use, documented since around 1385. Legend holds that in 832 AD, before a battle at Athelstaneford, white clouds formed an X-shaped cross in the blue sky, an omen of victory that became the national emblem. Scotland's saltire was later combined into the Union Jack, which layers the St Andrew's Cross with the crosses of St George and St Patrick.
Flags With Diagonal Elements
Many flags use diagonal lines without a full saltire. They still catch the eye with a bold slanting design.
- United Kingdom: The Union Jack embeds two saltires, the white St Andrew's Cross of Scotland and the red St Patrick's Cross of Ireland, overlaid on the red St George's Cross of England.
- Grenada: Diagonal lines run from the corners toward the center, dividing the flag into red and yellow triangles around a central disc.
- Namibia: A broad red diagonal band, edged in white, runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly, with a gold sun in the blue upper triangle.
- Tanzania: A black diagonal band, fimbriated in gold, splits the flag into a green upper triangle and a blue lower triangle.
- Republic of the Congo: A yellow diagonal band separates a green upper triangle from a red lower triangle.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: A yellow-edged red diagonal stripe crosses a sky-blue field with a single yellow star.
- Trinidad and Tobago: A single black diagonal band, edged in white, crosses a red field.
Why the Saltire Endures
The diagonal cross is powerful because it is dynamic. Where a vertical or horizontal cross feels stable and grounded, a saltire creates energy and movement by cutting across the flag at an angle. It also has deep Christian and heraldic roots through St Andrew, which is why it spread from Scotland into the flags and emblems of nations and regions around the world. On Jamaica's flag the saltire does double duty, dividing the field into distinct color blocks while forming a striking, unmistakable X.
Good to Know
What is a saltire?
A saltire is a diagonal cross shaped like the letter X, running from corner to corner of a flag. It is also known as the St Andrew's Cross, after the apostle Andrew, who tradition says was martyred on an X-shaped cross.
Which national flag has the clearest diagonal cross?
Jamaica's flag has the clearest pure saltire, a gold diagonal cross dividing the flag into green and black triangles. It is also one of the few national flags in the world that contains no red, white, or blue.
Is Scotland's flag a national flag?
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, so its Saltire is not the flag of a sovereign state. However, it is the original St Andrew's Cross and one of the oldest flags still in use, and it forms part of the Union Jack.