Flag of the Kingdom of Leon

This is the flag of the Kingdom of Leon.  It comes from a world where the Reconquista failed and most of Spain remained under Islamic rule.  For many years Leon was forced to pay protection money to Al-Andalus.  However, after a while they were able to appeal to their powerful Christian neighbors for support.  For many years, the boarder of Western Europe was considered to stop at the Pyrenees Mountains.  The Iberian Peninsula was lumped in with the rest of the Islamic World.  This somewhat miffed Leon, as they were often lumped in with the rest of Iberia, when anyone remembered that they existed, that is.   

The discovery of the Americas was delayed by a few decades, but it still happened.  Albeit, it was by the English-funded John Cabot, rather than Christopher Columbus.  The colonization of the New World occurred rather differently than in our world.  For example, Al-Andalus colonized Mexico.  This resulted in a new form of Islam that combined Sunni Islam with tradition Aztec beliefs.  The native converts proved particularly zealous, and more than willing to wage jihad upon their neighbors.  Meanwhile, England colonized Brazil and France proved more successful in its colonization of Canada, among other developments. 

Leon got into the colonization game as well, though a bit later than the other powers.  Their first successful colony was Nova Asturias, located in what would have been the Southeastern United States.  Nova Asturias became a major producer of tobacco, cotton, lumber and other raw materials.  This allowed Leon to slowly build up its economy, rather than blowing through a bunch of money like Al-Andalus' did.  Leon also established colonies in Patagonia, Southern Africa, and even a few islands of Indonesia.  

What Leon lacks in sizes it makes up for in economic prowess.  Recently, despite years of resentment and conflict, relations with Al-Andalus have begun to improve considerably.  Leon is a nation that truly lives up its motto Sub Umbra Floreo, which is Latin for "I Prosper in the Shade".  This is a reference to Leon's historical existence in the shadow of Al-Andalus.

The flag is a simple crimson background with a golden and bejeweled Asturias Cross in the center. 

Flag of Buddhist Vandalia

It's been a while since I posted one of my flags.  Let's do something about that:

This is the flag of Buddhist Vandalia.  It comes from a world where Buddhist missionaries made their way to Europe during the days of the Roman Empire. The Buddhist quickly won converts among the poor and the disadvantaged, and spread throughout Rome like wildfire.  Christianity still developed, but it's growth was considerably stunted, and it remained a somewhat minor religion. Christianity's failure to become a major religion meant that Islam was never established.  

As in our world, the Roman Empire eventually collapsed, though the Western half managed to hold out for slightly longer.  The Western Empire split into a series of Germanic kingdoms.  By now, most of the former Roman Empire had embraced Buddhism.  However, due to Buddhism's penchant for syncretism, the people of these new kingdoms still worshiped many of their old gods.  The Eastern Empire continued on as usual, but unlike our world, it didn't attempt to rapidly reconquer the lands of the former Western Empire.  

That brings us to Vandalia.  It managed to survive due to a combination of the Eastern Roman Empire's more prudent approach to expansion, and the lack of any Islamic conquest.  The Vandals were able to expand into Spain, and a bit of Southern France, but North Africa remains the heart of their territory.  Over the years, it has become a major hub of trade and commerce, and in more recent times, it has become a leader in technological innovations. Vandalia's closest allies are the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italica and the Kingdom of Angleland.  

Vandalia is a major destination for Buddhist pilgrims from across the Mediterranean and beyond.  The nation contains several stupas that claim to possess several items that belong to The Buddha himself.  Due to the flexible nature of Vandalian Buddhism, temples and shrines to gods ranging from Woden to Ba'al can also be found in Vandalia.  This is in stark contrast to Byzantine Buddhism, which is much stricter and only focuses on the veneration of Buddha and his teachings.  Thankfully, the two nations manage to get along...for now.

Vandalia is a land where modern universities and centers of technology exist side-by-side with centuries-old Buddhist monasteries.  It is a deeply spiritual nations where the past collides with the present.

The main body of the flag a dark blue square surrounded by lighter blue borders with slight stylization.  Within the center of the flag is a rainbow-colored Wheel of Rebirth, an important Buddhist symbol.  Buddhist symbolism is also present on the multi-colored tails on the side of the flag.  They are miniature Buddhist prayer flags, and are said to carry the hopes and prayers of the Vandalian people on the winds.