29 Countries With a Red-White-Blue Flag Color Combinations
Flags are powerful symbols of national identity and culture, with each banner telling a unique story about a country's past, values and aspirations — and the red-white-blue flag standard is no exception.
Some of the most influential flags in the world have inspired others with their design and symbolism, serving as a reference for nations seeking to express unity and pride.
Whether enshrined in long-standing law or adopted as a symbol of revolution, each flag serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of the people it represents.
5 North American Countries With Red, White and Blue Flags
Did you know there are 23 countries in North America? This includes Central America and much of the Caribbean.
1. Costa Rica
The Costa Rican flag features five horizontal stripes. The red stripe in the center is the widest, symbolizing the blood shed for freedom. The blue represents the sky, opportunities and perseverance, while the white represents peace and wisdom.
When flown by the government, the flag also includes the national coat of arms, placed on the left side of the red stripe in the flag's design.
2. Cuba
The flag of Cuba consists of five horizontal stripes — three blue and two white — along with a red equilateral triangle on the left side.
The blue stripes represent the three military provinces of Cuba, while the white stripes symbolize the purity of the Cuban struggle for independence. Inside the red triangle is a white five-pointed star, which stands for freedom.
3. Dominican Republic
The flag of the Dominican Republic consists of a central cross that divides the flag into four quadrants. In the center of the cross is the national coat of arms, which includes a shield with a Bible, a cross and symbols of freedom, representing the nation's Christian heritage and commitment to liberty.
The blue represents liberty, the red symbolizes the blood of those who fought for independence, and the white stands for peace and unity.
4. Panama
The flag of Panama consists of two horizontal bands of white, with a red star in the top left corner and a blue star in the bottom right corner, each set against a white background.
The red star represents the Conservative Party, while the blue star symbolizes the Liberal Party, reflecting the country's historical political divisions.
5. United States
The official flag of the United States of America was adopted after the Continental Congress in 1777. The American flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes of red and white, representing the original thirteen colonies that declared independence from Britain.
In the top left corner is a blue rectangle with 50 white stars, symbolizing the 50 states that make up the Union (but originally, this was a circle of 13 stars to represent the 13 original colonies).
The red stripes stand for valor and bravery, the white stripes for purity and innocence, and the blue field represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.
10 European Countries With Red, White and Blue Flags
1. Czech Republic
The flag of the Czech Republic consists of two horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue isosceles triangle extending from the hoist side.
The white and red colors are traditional Pan-Slavic symbols, representing the country's Slavic heritage and the historical connection to other Slavic nations. The blue triangle symbolizes loyalty.
2. France
The flag of France, known as the tricolore, consists of three vertical stripes of equal width. The blue represents the people of Paris and the revolutionary spirit, while the red symbolizes the blood of those who fought for liberty during the French Revolution. The white stripe, historically associated with the monarchy, represents the nation's commitment to unity.
The flag as a whole embodies the principles of the French Republic: liberty, equality and fraternity.
3. Iceland
On the flag of Iceland, blue represents the country's mountains and the ocean that surrounds it, while the red symbolizes the volcanic fire that is a significant feature of Iceland's landscape.
The white cross stands for ice and the country's glaciers; together, the colors represent the contrast between Iceland's natural elements of fire, ice and sea.
4. Luxembourg
The flag of Luxembourg consists of three horizontal stripes. The colors are derived from the historic flag of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with the red symbolizing the nation's strength, the white representing peace, and the blue signifying loyalty and justice.
5. Netherlands
The Dutch flag, the first to be designed with red, white and blue colors, set a precedent for many other nations, including the French flag, which was influenced by the horizontally striped design.
The flag of the Netherlands consists of three horizontal stripes: red at the top, white in the middle and blue at the bottom. The red symbolizes courage and strength, the white represents peace and honesty, and the blue stands for loyalty and justice.
This tricolor design has been in use since the 17th century, reflecting the country's history as a maritime power and its commitment to liberty and democracy.
6. Norway
The flag of Norway features a red field with a blue cross outlined in white, with the vertical part of the cross shifted towards the hoist side. The design is a variation of the Scandinavian cross, symbolizing Norway's historical and cultural connections with other Nordic countries.
The red, blue and white colors represent the nation's loyalty and freedom, with the colors also reflecting Norway's ties to the broader Scandinavian heritage.
7. Serbia
The Serbian flag's colors are traditional Pan-Slavic colors, symbolizing the nation's Slavic heritage, with red representing the bloodshed for freedom, blue for the sky and white for peace.
On the left side, near the hoist, is the Serbian coat of arms, which features a double-headed eagle, symbolizing sovereignty and the nation's historical ties to the Byzantine Empire.
8. Slovakia
The red, white and blue colors represent Slovakia's Slavic roots, with red symbolizing valor, blue representing vigilance and white standing for peace.
On the left side of the flag, within the white stripe, is the national coat of arms, which features a double-cross on a blue shield, symbolizing the country's Christian heritage and its historical connections to the Kingdom of Hungary.
9. Slovenia
In the upper left corner, the flag includes Slovenia's coat of arms, which depicts a blue shield with a white, two-towered castle and Mount Triglav, the highest peak in the country, representing Slovenia's natural and cultural identity.
The white symbolizes peace and honesty, the blue stands for loyalty and truth, and the red represents courage and valor.
10. United Kingdom
OK, to be fair, the United Kingdom isn't a country; it includes the countries of England, Scotland, Wales Northern Ireland. But we'd be remiss to leave the U.K. flag off this list as it's become an iconic symbol of the U.K.'s global influence.
The flag of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the Union Jack, is a combination of three crosses: the red Cross of St. George (representing England), the white saltire of St. Andrew (representing Scotland) and the red Saltire of St. Patrick (representing Northern Ireland).
The design symbolizes the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland under one monarchy, with the various patron saints integrated into a unified emblem. The flag's blue field represents the unity and loyalty of the British people.
6 Asian Countries With Red, White and Blue Flags
1. Cambodia
The flag of Cambodia features a blue stripe at the top and bottom — representing the nation's royalty, the monarchy and the people of Cambodia — with a red stripe in the middle for the strength and courage of the Cambodian people.
In the center of the red stripe is an image of Angkor Wat, the famous temple complex, symbolizing Cambodia's cultural heritage and national pride.
2. Laos
The flag of Laos consists of three horizontal stripes: red at the top and bottom, with a blue stripe in the middle. In the center of the blue stripe is a white circle, which represents the full moon over the Mekong River, symbolizing peace, unity and the country's bright future.
The red stripes represent the blood shed for independence and the struggles of the Lao people, while the blue stripe symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
3. Nepal
The flag of Nepal is unique for its non-rectangular shape, consisting of two stacked triangles.
The top triangle features a white moon with a crescent, symbolizing peace and the Himalayan region, while the bottom triangle contains a white five-pointed star, representing the sun and the hope for a bright future.
The flag's red color represents the bravery of the Nepali people, and the blue border symbolizes peace.
4. North Korea
In the top left corner is a white circle containing a five-pointed red star, symbolizing the country's communist ideology.
The red represents the revolutionary spirit, the blue signifies sovereignty and peace, and the white circle and star reflect the country's communist ideals and the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.
5. South Korea
The South Korean flag, called the Taegeukgi, symbolizes balance and harmony. Its white background represents peace and purity. The central red and blue taegeuk symbol, similar to a yin-yang, depicts the balance of opposing forces in the universe.
Surrounding it are four black trigrams from the I Ching, representing heaven, earth, water and fire. Together, these elements reflect the harmony of nature, the interconnectedness of opposites, and Korea's cultural and philosophical heritage.
6. Thailand
The flag of Thailand, known as the Trairanga, consists of five horizontal stripes in red, white and blue. The colors are symbolic, with red representing the land and people, white symbolizing religion and purity, and blue representing the monarchy, reflecting the deep reverence for the Thai royal family.
8 More Countries With Red, White and Blue Flags
1. Australia
The Australian flag features a Union Jack in the upper left corner, symbolizing Australia's historical ties to the United Kingdom.
To the right of the Union Jack is a large seven-pointed white star, known as the Commonwealth Star, representing the six states and territories of Australia. Beneath it is the constellation of the Southern Cross, a prominent feature of the Southern Hemisphere's night sky.
2. Chile
In the blue square is a white five-pointed star, which symbolizes a guide to progress and honor. The red represents the blood shed for independence, while the white stands for the snow-covered Andes mountains, and the blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean.
3. Fiji
The flag of Fiji features a Union Jack in the top left corner, reflecting the country's historical ties to the United Kingdom as a former British colony.
To the right of the Union Jack is a light blue field with the national coat of arms, which includes images of key agricultural products like sugarcane, coconut and bananas, symbolizing Fiji's economic base.
The flag's blue background represents the Pacific Ocean, which surrounds the island nation, while the Union Jack signifies Fiji's colonial past and ties to the British Commonwealth.
4. Liberia
The flag of Liberia consists of 11 horizontal red and white stripes, representing the signatories of the country's Declaration of Independence. In the top left corner is a blue square with a white five-pointed star, symbolizing Liberia as the "Land of Liberty" and its independence from the United States.
The red stripes represent courage, while the white stripes symbolize purity and the desire for peace, with the overall design reflecting Liberia's history and national identity.
5. New Zealand
The flag of New Zealand features a dark blue field with the Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars represent the constellation of the Southern Cross (same as Australia's flag).
The flag's design reflects New Zealand's historical ties to the United Kingdom, while the stars symbolize the country's location in the South Pacific.
6. Paraguay
The flag of Paraguay is unique in that it has two different designs, one on the front and one on the back. The front features three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue, with the coat of arms of Paraguay in the center of the white stripe.
On the reverse side, the coat of arms is replaced by the seal of the Treasury, which represents the nation's financial system, symbolizing Paraguay's historical distinction as the only national flag with different obverse and reverse sides.
7. Russia
On the flag of Russia, the white represents nobility and openness, the blue symbolizes loyalty and faith, and the red stands for courage and the love of the homeland.
This tricolor design was first used by the Russian Empire in the late 17th century and was later adopted as the national flag after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
8. Samoa
The flag of Samoa features a red field with a blue rectangle in the top left corner that contains five white stars. These stars represent the Southern Cross constellation, which is prominent in the southern hemisphere and holds significance for Samoa's location in the Pacific Ocean.
The red symbolizes courage and the blood shed for independence, while the blue represents the sky and the Pacific Ocean, reflecting the nation's natural beauty and heritage.
Origins of Red, White and Blue Flags
Red, white and blue are some of the most recognizable colors in national flags across the globe. These colors have become symbols of unity, strength and freedom, with their use is deeply rooted in historical movements and revolutions.
The prevalence of red, white and blue flags can be traced back to their association with key moments, such as the influence of the British Empire and the rise of republics following the American and French Revolution. Many countries with similar flag designs share common ideals of liberty and nationalism, often referencing a time of struggle or victory in their wars for independence.
From the navy-inspired stripes of the British Union Jack to the shades of blue in the flags of countries like the Netherlands or Chile, these colors evoke powerful emotions and continue to represent the aspirations of nations around the world.
We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
Original article: 29 Countries With a Red-White-Blue Flag Color Combinations
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