Explanation of the Portuguese flag:
- The five blue shields represents the five moor kings defeated by the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, at the Battle of Ourique.
- The dots inside the blue shields represent the five wounds of Christ when crucified. Counting the dots and doubling those five in the center, there are thirty dots that represents the coins Judas received for having betrayed Christ.
- The seven castles represents the fortified cities D. Afonso Henriques conquered from the moors.
- The globe represents the world discovered by the Portuguese navigators in the fifteen and sixteenth centuries.
- The green strip is meant to symbolize the hope in the future and the red the blood of the nation’s heroes.