This is, as you may guess, a very controversial topic and can be quite political. I do try my best to stay away from political controversy on this site (which isn't easy), so I have attempted to follow for the most part two international organizations' lists of recognized nations, the International Standards Organizations 3166 list, which is, in turn, based on United Nations data. (The file names of all the data are based on the ISO3166 list as well). Aside from recognized nations, there are also other national anthems on my site, which is even harder to determine what to include, and usually garner the most questions as to why it is included. Dependencies and colonies are included (based on United Nations and ISO3166 data) if they have their own regional anthem different from the parent country, with a few exceptions as a matter of general interest. Subnational areas (provinces, states, districts) are included if they either have some degree of autonomy (such as the Azores and Tibet), have been an independent nation (or separate colony) before (such as Bavaria and Newfoundland), is a distinct "nation within a nation", often having a distinct national characteristic from the "parent nation" (such as Scotland, Tatarstan, Basque Country), or I felt would be of general interest to my visitors. (Note that many countries that have subnational areas have local songs in the subnational areas, but they are not "national anthems", but rather "provincial/state/prefecture/regional songs"). Finally, there are other anthems that aren't of nations or subnational areas, such as those of people groups (Kurdistan, Assyria), former nations (Austria-Hungary, East Germany), or just plain miscellaneous (Esperanto, United Federation of Planets) that are included mainly as a broader view of the study of national anthems and how they are used; inclusive-ness is determined mainly by percieved level of visitor interest. For those wanting to learn about anthems that I decided not to include (such as state or regional songs), please visit nationalanthems.us (I have even been known to contribute to that site anthems submitted to me that I don't feel match my criteria.)

Please keep in mind that my site is set up not to be a list of countries of the world (which would exclude a lot of entries on my site), but rather of anthems of the world; despite the political status of the group using the anthem, this site only concerns itself with the background of the anthem, not the politics or status of the group using the anthem.

I encourage people to use the information on my site in other works so that the knowledge of national anthems can be shared beyond the scope of this site. I have licensed the site under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (). I would prefer, if at all possible, that nationalanthems.info be credited as the source of information used from the site, and a link be provided to nationalanthems.info. This license, however, does not extend to any music file or anthem lyrics marked as © copyrighted to any person or entity, they retain the copyright and that information cannot be used by others without obtaining permission from them first.

Also keep in mind that if you wish to contribute information or files to the site that, unless you state otherwise, they must be able to be shared under the same license as well.

It means just that, the lyrics, sheet music, or a music file is not available for this particular anthem. Rest assured, I'm not holding on to this information and withholding it for whatever reason, it means that I have not found this information yet. If you have information that is marked "NOT AVAILABLE" on my page, and you want to share it, let me know!

I do agree that the music sounds a lot better to listen to in MP3 (or other "true to life" format), but, with almost 400 anthems detailed on this page, this would require a lot of server space. A MIDI takes up a lot less space than an MP3, although sound quality is sacrificed. (Keep in mind, the primary purpose of the page is to give background information on the anthems, the music files are there to enhance the information.) Also, I aim to have as much of my website as being free for others to use, and most MP3s are copyrighted performances (even if the anthem itself is in public domain, individual arrangements are often under copyright.) It might be well worth your while to check out some of the pages that I have listed in my Links page under "Music", they have a much bigger selection of MP3s available.

Under each MIDI file should be the word "MIDI" in blue, right clicking on that should bring up a dialogue box, select the appropriate one to save the file (on Windows systems, it is labelled "Save File As ... ")The same can be done with the various page numbers in blue for the sheet music. (Copyrighted MIDIs do not have the save feature enabled, please respect the owner's copyright and do not attempt to download their files to your computer.)

For the music, it all depends on what program you are using to listen to embeded MIDI files. I have Quicktime Player running it on my system, another common one is the media player that comes with Microsoft Windows. In both these cases, you should see controls that you would see on any standard CD player or media player, the triangle pointing right (play), a square (stop), two vertical lines (pause), etc. Just push the play button; the music does not start on its own.

If you wish to view the lyrics, click on the blue text corresponding to which lyrics you want to view (English translation, lyrics in native language, in the native script, etc.) Clicking it again will hide it. Note that some language scripts may not display on your computer (you may see boxes or other strange characters), this just means that you don't have the proper fonts or rendering support to view the lyrics. Wikipedia has a helpful article on what you need to do in order to display these languages on your computer.

Ocassionaly, you may encounter a word or phrase in the lyrics that is underlined, this signifies that there is additional information on this word or phrase that aids in the understanding of the lyrics, hovering your mouse over the word or phrase will show the information.

Sheet music can be easily viewed by left-clicking on the page number in question, the sheet music should appear in another tab in your browser window.

A translation attempts to provide a close-as-possible English meaning to the words so that they can be understood by English readers. A versification, however, is a more loose translation that matches the rhyming scheme and meter of the original so that it can be sung in English, but the translation may not be a good match of the meaning of the original words.

Romanization is a way of representing languages in the Roman (Latin) alphabet that use another alphabet. This is primarily done to get an idea of the pronunciation of the words.
It should also be noted that I always try if at all possible to match the lyrics to the music, which may require repeating certain lines in the lyrics that are not presented in the official version of the lyrics as repeated, yet are meant to be.

Short answer: I couldn't find any! The information on my page is culled from other anthem sites, official government pages for each nation, contributors, books, and my own knowledge. Unfortunately, the fact is that I just haven't found much information on many nations through these means (I was surprised at the lack of information on the national anthem on most government pages!) Which leaves me with my contributors. If you know of information on a particular anthem, please let me know, and it will be shared on the page, citing you as a contributor! (Don't forget to let me know your name!)

It is intended to be a graphical representation of what the site is all about; there is a representation of the world, combined with the white flag of peace to form the shape of a musical note, symbolizing music of the nations of the world (flag and globe), bringing understanding of other cultures and peace (white flag of peace).

Interestingly, there is no international law that requires a country to adopt an anthem (or a flag), yet currently every country has realized that this is something that is needed as part of a national identity. An anthem is used to musically express what a country (or other group of people) stand for and what unites them, like a flag or a national motto. In modern times, the only country to not have adopted a national anthem at a particular time was Afghanistan; during the reign of the Taliban (a strict Islamic group) from 1999-2002, music was forbidden in the country, therefore a national anthem would have been against this law. After the Taliban was defeated, the anthem used up to that point was reinstated. (Germany also did not have an anthem from 1945 to 1949, but, legally, there was no German government at the time.)

The first countries to adopt national anthems were the European monarchies, in the late 18th century. (Probably the earliest of those was Great Britian.) It was probably started as a means of praise to the ruler. The tradition quickly spread across Europe as other countries saw the advantages of such a song. Other countries with republican types of government (such as France) developed anthems from songs that were de facto anthems, songs used as rallying cries of the people. People-groups and regions developed their anthems in much the same way. However a particular nation came about with their national anthem, the practice spread to other parts of the globe during the late 19th century, when Europeans were colonizing other countries and bringing in their ways.

Until the early twentieth century, "national anthems" as we know them were rare (indeed there was not the need for them that we have, no television or radio to broadcast them, no Olympics to play a winner's anthem, etc.) Therefore, keep in mind that most of the anthems on this site before roughly 1930 were probably unofficial. Also, note that many of the leading countries of today didn't officially adopt an anthem until well into the twentieth century (United States (1931), Germany (1922), Canada (1980)), and some (like the United Kingdom and Finland) never officially adopted an anthem, their anthems in current use have been "de facto" legitimized through popular use.

One of the best quotes on the subject can be found from Thomas O'Higgins, a legislator from Ireland. Speaking on the national anthem in 1933, he said: "National Anthems come about, not because of the suitability of the particular words or notes, but because they are adopted generally by the nation. That is exactly how the "Soldier's Song" became a National Anthem in this country. It happened to be the Anthem on the lips of the people when they came into their own and when the outsiders evacuated the country and left the insiders here to make the best or the worst of the country. It was adopted by the people here before ever it was adopted by the Executive Council".

There are actually quite a surprising number of anthems without words, for whatever reason. Currently, my site lists 26 of them. Of these, probably the most well-known country currently without words to their anthem is Spain, others are: Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan (1926-1943), Basque Country, Egypt (1923-1960), Europe, Iraq (1924-1958), Iraq (1959-1965, 2003-2004), Iraq (1965-1981), Italy (1862-1946), Kosovo, Kuwait (1951-1978), North Yemen (1962-1978), Ottoman Empire (1829-1839, 1918-1922), Ottoman Empire (1839-1861, 1876), Ottoman Empire (1861-1876), Qatar (1954-1996), Russia (1991-2000), San Marino, Sealand, Somalia (1960-2000), Somaliland (1960), United Federation of Planets, South Yemen (1967-1979), Zanzibar (?-1890), and Zanzibar (1911-1964). (Many of these have unofficial lyrics, and several more had wordless melodies at one time, but lyrics have since been written.)

This is a very subjective thing to judge, and pretty much hinges on how you define "best". (You may have seen in magazines or websites where they list, for example, "The Ten Best Songs of Rock and Roll", and you would inevitably disagree with their picks (or each list has different picks), mainly because it depends on personal taste.) It was reported that China was honoured with the "world's best anthem" at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, whereas "Kimigayo" won first prize at a 1903 "World National Anthem Contest" also held in Germany. However, nothing is said in either case of how these conclusions were arrived at and what criterion were used in these judgements. My particular criterion for what makes an anthem good are that it should be stirring and simple, while encapulating how natives and the world view the country, as well as easy to sing. Nations such as Gibraltar, Canada, Germany, and Israel all fit this description. I am currently undertaking a huge project (when I have time) to analyze every anthem on my site against these criterion to come up with some sort of system as to what the better anthems are, keep watching for new information on this. Keep in mind, that this is a very unscientific and somewhat arbitrary answer to a hard-to-answer question. The best answer to what the "best" national anthem is, of course, is the one held most dear by the listener.

There actually doesn't exist a formal name for the study of anthems. I prefer the term "anthematologist" for someone who is a serious researcher of anthems (the study of which I have termed "anthematology"), and "anthemist" for someone who is a less-serious student of anthems, but enjoys them. (Somewhat like the difference between "numismatist" for one who actively pursues coin and bill collecting, and "coin collector" for one who just keeps interesting specimens of coins and bills they encouter in a box.)

While studying national anthems, I have found that various "families" of anthems occur that many, if not most, of the world's anthems fall into. I have named five categories, based on the part of the world where they occur, and give examples of some countries that use these types of anthems:

• Latin American epic anthems: Possibly the easiest to identify, these are found in Latin American (Spanish-speaking Central and South America) countries and tend to be rather long, have an epic quality in the music, often containing both a quick, patriotic section of music, and a slower, stately part, and consists of many verses, usually chronicling the history of the country. Many are also composed by Italians (or other Europeans). They also tend to have a similar history in that they aure usually written for another piece of music, but later the music is replaced but the original words are kept. In many cases, all the verses are official and, whether or not all verses are often sung in the country or not, children are expected to memorize the entire anthem in school in some of these countries. Examples include Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, and Uruguay.
• Western hymn: The oldest type of anthem, originating in Europe and common to European monarchies and their former colonies, they are stately and smooth in music style. Examples include Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
• European march: Often used by non-monarchical European nations, and often by socialist nations, and/or nations born in revolution, these anthems are in a march style and often speak of war. Examples include France, USSR (1922-1944), and USSR (1944-1991).
• Eastern Folk: Anthems that are reminiscent of the "national style" of music, often adapted from folk music, and sometimes utilize native instruments. Examples include Japan, India, Kenya, Swaziland, and Senegal.
• Arab fanfare: Common to states in the Persian Gulf (usually sheikdoms or otherwise ruled by royalty) at one point in their history, these are short anthems consisting of little more than a fanfare and flourish. They often have no words as well. Examples include Bahrain, Kuwait (1961-1978), and Iraq (?-1959).

Again, you would be surprised at how many nations do fall into this category. There are many different examples on my site, some examples as well as classification are:

• Common heritage: Greece and Cyprus; Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany; Estonia and Finland; Germany and Austria-Hungary
• Proposed or successful political union: Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau; Egypt (1960-1979) and Iraq (1965-1981)
• Use of regional, ethnic, or political song as anthem: Many communist countries' and groups use of either "The Internationale" or "La Marseillaise"; Poland and Yugoslavia; Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ciskei, Transkei, and South Africa
• Emulation of well-known anthems: Britain by Liechtenstein, Norway (royal), Switzerland (until 1961), and Germany (to 1918); Europe by Rhodesia

Anthem protocol varies from country to country. Some countries have laws regulating respect for the anthem, some don't. I hope to present a partial list here of some of the various anthem regulations in the world, followed by general guidelines to follow, regardless of the country you happen to live in.

• Thailand: In Thailand, the anthem is played at 8:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening every day, to respect the country and the sovereign. Sometimes the national anthem would come on in the middle of a television broadcast and patriotic images are shown, the anthem is given top priority. In movie theatres, patriotic images are shown between the trailer and main feature, and the royal anthem is played. In all these situations, standing and observing silence is mandated.
• St. Lucia: The government of St. Lucia has outlined protocol for the anthem on its website. Among the points stated are that upon playing of the anthem, people should come to attention, and civilian men should bare their heads. Members of the military in uniform are to act in accordance with their own regulations. Also, the national anthem shall not be parodied.
• Barbados: The government of Barbados has similar guidelines on its website.
• Myanmar: It is customary for the singers of the anthem to give a slight bow at the conclusion of their performance, as a sign of respect to the nation and anthem.
• United Kingdom and the Commonwealth: God Save the Queen must be played for Her Majesty the Queen or other members of the Royal Family. Governors-General of Commonwealth countries are to be honoured by a salute, consisting of an abbreviated version (usually the few beginning bars and the few ending bars) of the national anthem of their own country.
• Denmark: Inside Denmark, the Royal Anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually followed by the National Anthem. (Thanks to Gerrit van de Ruitenbeek for this information)
• New Zealand: Addressing New Zealand's unique situation of having two official anthems, "God Save the Queen" is to be played at occassions where a member of the Royal Family is present or loyalty to the crown is stressed, where "God Defend New Zealand" is to be played where the national identity of New Zealand is addressed. There are no regulations as to whether English or Maori language versions are to be performed, and to which order, yet common practice says that if the first verse is sung in Maori, it should be repeated in English.
• Kazakhstan: Upon adoption of the new anthem in early 2006, a law was also passed "obliging everyone to stand and press the palm of their right hand to the left side of their chest when the national anthem is performed in public" (as reported by Radio Free Europe: Radio Liberty).
  

As stated before, this is just a small list of the various codes regarding anthem etiquette around the world. General rules should follow the above, as they seem to be universal. In addition, some other helpful guidelines are:

• When multiple anthems are to be performed (such as honouring a visiting dignitary or sporting team from another country), the host nation's anthem is usually performed last.
• In Western countries, men are generally required to remove their hat during the playing of the anthem, but ladies generally are not. (This is due to the centuries-old notion that a woman's hat is part of her outfit, while a man's is an accessory to it.)
• It is not absolutely necessary to sing along to the anthem (especially if you don't know the words, although most anthem lyrics are on this site!)
• Any national anthem, whether of your own or of another nation, should be treated equally (that is, one should stand up for both, be silent for both, and both should be treated with respect), regardless of your personal feelings toward the other nation. As stated on the main page of this website, learning about national anthems is a way to learn about other cultures and people, learning about others gives us respect for others, treating another's anthem the same as you would treat your own demonstrates that respect.

Using the English translations that appear on this site, the most frequently-occurring word seems to be "our", followed by "we", "land", "God", "all", "you", "your".

Special thanks to Amio Cajander for researching this.

My personal favourite songs, anthems or otherwise, tend to vary every so often. Also, when it comes to national anthems, it all depends on the arrangement/performance of it, I have heard arrangements of the same anthem where one could be extremely well-done, and another could be lackluster. Unfortunately, as I pointed out earlier in this FAQ, most of the anthems on this site are in MIDI format, which aren't the best rendition, so please don't judge why I like a particular anthem based on the MIDI file provided! :) My list of favourites, while changing, usually includes the following, which consistently seem to be performed well (some of them even in MIDI format). In no real particular order: Wales, Gibraltar, Armenia (1944-1991), Belarus (1955-1991)/Belarus (1991-), Georgia (1946-1991), Georgia (2004-), United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova (1945-1991), Turkmenistan (1997-), Ukraine (1949-1991), Ukraine (1917-1920, 1991-), Basque Country, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Europe/Rhodesia, Jersey, Isle of Man, Olympics, Russia/Soviet Union, Sealand, Serbia, Srpska, Taiwan (alternate), United Federation of Planets, Biafra, North Korea.

At about the age of 10 (1982), I developed an interest in all things relating to the nations of the world: maps, flags, national capitals, national anthems, national data, etc. Around 1990, when the Soviet Union was disintegrating and new nations were coming on to the world scene, I recieved a software program ("PC Globe") from my father that had a lot of the national data I was interested in on there, including crude sound files of all the national anthems. I was delighted to hear the anthems (most of which I hadn't heard before), and immediately developed my first list of favourite anthems, and started becoming interested in learning more about the national anthems of the world, and finding the national anthems that weren't in this software program. My interest grew from that point on.

My name is David Kendall, and I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and have lived in Canada all my life. While I've only been to Canada and the United States in travelling, I would love to visit other countries and learn more about their anthems first hand. I also am a web designer, and I created this site myself. I have also lent my anthems expertise to some books and CD compilations, and have been interviewed about anthems for BBC Radio ("Curious Questions Answered" August 12, 2002 and "Word of Mouth" September 4, 2006), Radio Slovenia ("Sredi Evrope" March 9, 2005), CBC Radio ("Sounds Like Canada" December 27, 2007 and "The Current" March 5, 2010), the Winnipeg Free Press (November 4, 2007 page D1) and the Calgary Herald (March 6, 2010). Feel free to send me an email to learn more about me!