This is the flag of the Kingdom of Mongolia. It
comes from a world where China successfully repelled the Mongols early on.
As a result, the Mongol Empire never came to be. The Mongols continued
to be pushed farther and farther west until they arrived in Eastern Europe.
Eventually, they settled around where Romania and southern Poland are in
our world. Thus, the Kingdom of Mongolia was born. The Mongols were
frequently visited by Byzantine missionaries, and the Mongolian Orthodox Church
is the official state religion. The Byzantine Empire also remains a major
trading partner for Mongolia. In more peculiar alliances, Mongolia is
also a major ally of the tiny mountainous nation of Neo Hellas, the final
remnant of pagan Greece.
The coming of the Mongols altered the migration
patterns of several other peoples. For example, the Bulgars settled in
Russia, establishing the Czardom of Bulgaria. Meanwhile, several Germanic
tribes invaded Greece, and Byzantium is currently ruled by a Germanic dynasty.
Islam was still founded, but it never expanded beyond the Arabian
Peninsula.
In terms of bad relations, Mongolia has always had a
very tense relationship with the Franco-Saxon Kingdom. Throughout the
years the Franco-Saxons have repeatedly attempted to conquer the Mongolians.
Even after all these years, Mongolia remains bitter about the
Franco-Saxon invasion that occurred during the Second Great Patriotic War.
Despite this, in more recent times there has been increasing emphasis on
moving on and letting go of the past. Younger generations in particular
are more likely to support reconciliation between the two nations.
Mongolia takes pride in its dual mature of East Asian
heritage and Eastern European culture. The flag reflects this dual
heritage. The blue recalls both the cloak of the Virgin Mary and the
eternal blue sky of the Tengrism. The horse symbolizes the nomadic past
of the Mongolian people, before they settled in Eastern Europe. The cross
represents the Mongolian Orthodox Church, with the flame representing the
flames of Pentecost. The interlocking circles halves represent the dual
nature of the Mongolian people. The golden bands represent the hope that
the Mongolian people will always prosper no matter what life throws at them.
They also help to offset the blue on the main body of the flag.
