This puzzle is primarily composed of international maritime signal flags, with a few country flags thrown in. Here is what the flags convert to:
FJGREECEK = Flag of Greece EFJPORTUGALK = Flag of Spain SFJCANADAK = Flag of the United States WNFJSUDANK = Flag of Libya MZI = Q QMZRZA = B CRRRZH = JPOLANDK HCRRRZH = P FBBBBBCNFJUGANDAK = Flag of Sudan HBBCVFJMONACOK = L VTFJMAURITIUSK = E UZQMZP = K IMZSTZE = P HCPFJIRAQKMFJBANGLADESHKMZX = Y DFJRUSSIAKMZS = E PPFJLAOSKMZSTRZKMZRZQ =D HCRUZQTZE = U PURUVZORRZORUZORZOZQMZX = F
Each flag corresponds to a function that can be applied to other flags:
B remove first letter of a string C spell the name of the country D delete a color from a flag E go due east from a country's flag to another country's flag F flag of the country spelled by the following string H get the first flag of a string I insert a copy of the first flag into the second J open quotes for making strings K closed quotes for making strings M take the majority color N go due north from a country's flag to another country's flag P paint the first color over all instances of the second color in the third flag given as inputs Q crop the first flag to the second flag's shape R rotate 90 degrees counter clockwise S go due south from a country's flag to another country's flag T take the top half of the flag U put the first flag next to the second flag V reflect vertically W go due west from a country's flag to another country's flag Z indicates that the next flag should be used as a flag, not as a function
Once you understand all the flags, you can tackle the equations at the end:
PPPZ?MZXZQMZJTRRRZHZQMZM = ITT?TTRZNMZS RTFJTH?ILANDK = RRSPFJROMANIAKTZETRTZL QPZKZQMFJCYPRU?KDFJEQUATORIALGUINEAKTRZK = HC?FJARMENIAK RPURUZUZURUZUUFJMONACOKFJP?LANDKZBMZP = HCVRZT R?URRFJCHADKFJCHADKMZR = HBBBCNFJ?EMENK HBCPPZIZQ?ZSDTZLZQMZR = QRPTZDZQMZSUZFRDZZMZR HCERPFJMAL?KZQMZS = PFJSWEDENKMTRFJC?BAKMZR PPPFJMAURITIUSKZQTZE?FJNIGERIAKMZRMZRZQ = RUZKRRZK
For the equations to be true, the blanks must be filled in with PRASEODYMIUM. Additionally, the eight equations simplify to spell STANDARD, the other answer to the puzzle.