r/europe • u/MarktpLatz Lower Saxony (Germany) • Feb 21 '17

What do you know about... the UK?

This is the sixth part of our ongoing weekly series about the countries of Europe. You can find an overview here.

Todays country:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The UK is the second most populous state in the EU. Famous for once being the worlds leading power, reigning over a large empire, it has recently taken the decision to exit the EU.

So, what do you know about the UK?

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '17

I wish we could fit a dragon on there. Would be badass.

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u/niconpat Ireland Feb 21 '17

It really would

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '17

Why did no one ever thought of this?

That's beautiful.

3

u/nounhud United States of America Feb 21 '17

Because while it looks great at that size, it's too detailed for a flag, which needs to be visible at a distance. Hell, it's hard to make out the much-larger dragon on the Welsh flag, and this one just blends in color-wise -- no color contrast with the rest of the flag.

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '17

The union flag being a combination of the St. George's cross and the St. Andrew's saltire and St. Patrick's saltire, the logical thing to do would be to add the St. David's (patron Saint of Wales) cross, remember seeing it mocked up this way, a few years ago.

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u/[deleted] Feb 22 '17

Hurts my eyes tbh

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u/[deleted] Feb 22 '17

Aye, it's rubbish.

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u/AdamMc66 United Kingdom Feb 22 '17

I don't think flags should give people epileptic fits.

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u/nounhud United States of America Feb 22 '17

Meh. Survival of the fittest.

http://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/fireworks-flags-video-games-and-driving-seizure-risks-and-prevention

Flags: According to Dr. Erba, “If one is close enough and is staring at the white and red stripes of the American flag such that the stripes occupy the whole eye field and with a high level of luminosity, some people may start [experiencing symptoms of a seizure]. Only about 30 to 40 percent of people sensitive to lights are also photosensitive to patterns,” he said. “If a flag is constructed with a low number of alternating stripes that are widely spaced then you must consider that 2 or 3 stripes will act like the strobes flickering at 2 or 3 per second, which is safe. But if you have 13 stripes, then it is like a light that flickers 13 times per second, which carries more risk for photosensitive individuals. However, you would need to be very close and fixate on the stripes in full bright light for there to be any danger.”