I am a civil engineer by training and have been working in the flagpole and flagpole industries since the beginning. Two questions immediately came to my mind when I was first starting to work in the flagpole and flagpole business. It is obvious that flagpoles exceedingly tall (200+ feet) require more support structures to meet safety and code standards. For flagpole lengths of up to 80 feet, aluminum is the most common material. Flagpoles with very tall heights can resist heavier wind loads, and so a flag tower is often built.
These towers were built by the North Koreans in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in North Korea (obviously) many years ago. This flagpole, which is sometimes called the “flagpole war”, reached a height 525 feet high and carried a 300 kilo North Korean flag. In the “flagpole battle”, which was actually a brief battle for the sky, the North Koreans first observed the South Korean flagpole grow another 330 feet and fly a 300 lb flag. The North Koreans reacted to the South Koreans and built their 525 ft flag tower. When it starts to rain, the North Korean flag is taken down. The flag’s saturation with water makes it significantly heavier. The stress levels rise when a heavier flag is placed on top of a tower or flagpole.
It is interesting to note that many have rejected the claim of the North Koreans and others that the flag tower was the highest flagpole in the entire world. The Ashgabat flagpole is the world’s tallest flagpole. It is located in Turkmenistan. This Turkmenistan flagpole stands at 434+ feet. It is higher than the Aqaba flagpole (Jordan), which was the highest flagpole in the world (433 ft) a few seasons back. The pole can be easily seen from distant countries due to its height and position. The construction of the flagpole measuring 530+ feet in Azerbaijan will soon end any doubts as to which flagpole will be the highest. The National Flag Square is on the verge of reaching its final height and achieving the status of the world’s tallest flagpole.