Many flags around the world feature the color combination of red, white and blue, which are considered powerful, symbolic colors. Red evokes feelings of strength, valor and bloodshed, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. While the American flag is no doubt the most recognizable red, white and blue flag, there are several other nations and territories that fly similar banners. Discovering what other places also embrace the red, white and blue color scheme can lead to learning more about world cultures and history.
Flags Similar to the American Flag
The American flag, with its 50 white stars representing each U.S. state on a blue canton and 13 alternating red and white stripes symbolic of the original 13 colonies, is unique in design. However, other places also display flags with red, white and blue elements that may cause some confusion with the American banner. Here are a few examples:
The Flag of the United Kingdom
The flag of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the Union Jack, consists of a red cross with white edges overlaid on a blue field. Within the cross are the red cross of Saint George for England, the white saltire of Saint Andrew for Scotland and the red saltire of Saint Patrick for Northern Ireland. The flag combines aspects representing the four countries of the United Kingdom.
The Flag of Cuba
The Cuban national flag has five alternating blue and white horizontal stripes with a red triangle at the hoist. The blue stripes represent the three departments into which Cuba was divided at the time of the flag’s creation, the white purity and virtue, and the red triangle the blood shed for independence from Spain.
The Flag of Chile
The Chilean flag contains two horizontal bands of white and red with a blue square in the upper hoist side corner holding a white five-pointed star. The white represents the snowy Andes mountains, the blue the sky and Pacific Ocean, and the star guidence toward progress.
The Flag of the Philippines
The flag of the Philippines has horizontal bands of royal blue, scarlet red and white. In the hoist is an equilateral triangle with a golden-yellow sun and eight primary rays. The colors symbolize courage, justice and truth, while the sun represents unity, freedom and sovereignty.
The Flag of Liberia
Liberia’s national banner resembles the American flag with 11 red and white alternating stripes and a blue canton in the upper hoist. A single large white star is situated in the canton. The 11 stripes represent the signers of Liberia’s Declaration of Independence.
The Red Ensign
Perhaps the flag most often confused with the American flag is the Red Ensign, which originated in the 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and merchant marine. It features a field of red with the Union Jack situated in the canton. Over the ensuing centuries, the plain red ensign became associated with British colonies and gained recognition across the British Empire. Today, the Red Ensign remains an official flag in some Commonwealth realms and forms the basis for the national flags of Australia and New Zealand. Both of those flags could potentially be mistaken for the American flag given their red, white and blue coloring.
Other Notable Red, White and Blue Flags
While the examples above may cause some double-takes, there are various other national and regional flags that incorporate red, white and blue in unique, distinctive ways:
- The flag of North Korea has three horizontal bands of blue, red and blue with a white disk and red star in the center.
- The flag of Cambodia features horizontal stripes of blue, red and blue with a depiction of the ancient Angkor Wat temple in white.
- The flag of the Indian state of Rajasthan has horizontal bands of red over white over green with a shield and swords in the center.
- The flag of French Polynesia contains a red rectangle on the hoist side with a vertical white stripe capped by a blue chevron with five white stars.
- The flag of New Mexico in the United States has a red sun symbol called a Zia on a field of yellow.
The Pan-Slavic Colors
In addition to national flags, the red, white and blue color scheme appears commonly on the banners of Slavic peoples and states. The Pan-Slavic colors originated in Prague in 1848 as a symbol of Slavic patriotism and common identity. They were influenced by the Russian flag at the time that featured horizontal white, blue and red bands. The tricolor came to represent Slavic unification and solidarity. Today the red, white and blue Slavic colors are displayed on the flags of Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and the Czech Republic, among others.
Use of Red, White and Blue in Other Flags
Beyond the nations mentioned above, several other countries integrate red, white and blue into their flags while avoiding too close a resemblance to the U.S. banner:
| Country | Flag Description |
|---|---|
| France | Vertical tricolor of blue, white and red |
| Netherlands | Horizontal tricolor of red, white and blue |
| Norway | Red with a blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white |
| Laos | Red with a large white circle in the center |
| Haiti | Two horizontal bands of blue and red with the country’s coat of arms in the center |
Symbolic Power of Red, White and Blue
While red, white and blue designs are incorporated into dozens of national flags and regional banners around the world, clearly there is something meaningful about that particular color scheme that resonates across cultures. The shared use likely relates to the universal symbolic power of those colors. The bold, attention-grabbing red projects a sense of strength. The clean, pure white represents virtue. And the reliable, calming blue conveys vigilance and justice. Various cultures may assign other meanings to those colors, but their primary characteristics remain constant. There is no denying red, white and blue make a strong chromatic combination.
Conclusion
In closing, while the red, white and blue of the American flag is iconic and unique, many other places appropriately use the commanding, symbolic colors in their own national banners as well. Flags that may be mistaken for the U.S. colors include the Union Jack of the United Kingdom, the tricolor flags of Cuba, Chile and the Philippines, and the Red Ensign popular across the old British Empire. Other notable red, white and blue flags represent countries like North Korea, Cambodia, Croatia, France and Haiti. So in response to the initial question, the flags of the world showcase many examples of red, white and blue symbolism beyond just the patriotic stars and stripes of the United States of America.
