what does this symbol mean?

European flags

The national flags of Europe: what each one shows, what its colours, crosses and arms stand for in the country’s own laws, and how to tell it from the flags that look like it.

Test yourself: European flags quiz

Western Europe 11 symbols

Northern Europe 8 symbols

Southern Europe 16 symbols

Eastern Europe 10 symbols

About european flags

The national flags of Europe, each drawn in the proportions and colours its own law sets, with what its colours, crosses and arms stand for in that country’s law, and who gives the meaning where the law gives none. Most of Europe’s flags are stripes of two or three colours, so the order of the colours and which way the stripes run are what tell one country from another.

Flags that look alike

Red, white and blue in horizontal stripes, red at the top, is the Dutch flag; white, blue and red from the top is Russia’s. The Élysée says France made its naval flag of 1790 vertical to tell it apart from the Dutch one, which is why France’s bands run up and down. Belgium did the same in 1831, turning its black, yellow and red stripes upright because the horizontal flag looked too much like the Dutch one; Germany’s black, red and gold run across.

White over red is Poland’s flag; Indonesia and Monaco fly red over white. Italy’s green, white and red bands are the same as Mexico’s without the coat of arms, and Ireland’s green, white and orange are Côte d’Ivoire’s the other way round.

Norway shares the Nordic cross, its upright set towards the pole, with Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland; Store norske leksikon calls Denmark’s Dannebrog the first of them. Iceland’s has Norway’s three colours the other way round, a red cross edged in white on blue.

Blue, yellow and red in upright bands of equal width, blue by the pole, is Romania’s flag, and Chad’s constitution describes Chad’s the same way. Moldova’s has the same colours in the same order, with its arms on the yellow and a longer shape, two to one; Andorra’s state flag carries its arms on a yellow band an eighth wider than the other two.

Sources

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  4. The National Flag (Defence Forces), Óglaigh na hÉireann (Defence Forces Ireland), The National Flag, Defence Forces Ireland, Page text
  5. Côte d'Ivoire 2016 Constitution, Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire (2016), Article 48, Constitute Project, Article 48
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  38. Moldovas flagg og våpen (Store norske leksikon), Lars Roede and Jardar Seim, “Moldovas flagg og våpen”, Store norske leksikon, Store norske leksikon, Flagget
  39. Andorras flagg og våpen (Store norske leksikon), Nora Tessem, “Andorras flagg og våpen”, Store norske leksikon, Store norske leksikon, Flagget

Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 13, 2026. How we research