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National colours

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National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have de facto national colours that have become well known through popular use. National colours often appear on a variety of different media, from the nation's flag to the colours used in sports. Before World War I, they also served as the colours of different military uniforms for each nation or region.

Africa

[edit]
Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Algeria Green, white and red     National colours of Algeria
Angola Red, black and yellow     National colours of Angola
Benin Green, yellow and red     National colours of Benin
Botswana Light blue, black and white     National colours of Botswana
Burkina Faso Red, green and yellow     National colours of Burkina Faso
Burundi Red, white and green     National colours of Burundi
Cameroon Green, red and yellow     National colours of Cameroon
Cape Verde Blue, white, red and yellow      National colours of Cape Verde
Central African Republic Blue, white, green, yellow and red    
   		National colours of Central African Republic
Chad Blue, yellow and red     National colours of Chad
Comoros Yellow, white, red, blue and green    
   		National colours of Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Blue, yellow and red     National colours of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Congo, Republic of the Green, yellow and red     National colours of Congo Republic
Djibouti Light blue, green, white and red      National colours of Djibouti
Egypt Red, white and black Gold       National colours of Egypt
Equatorial Guinea Green, white, red and blue      National colours of Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea Green, blue, red and yellow      National colours of Eritrea
Eswatini (Swaziland) Blue, yellow, red, black and white    
   		National colours of Eswatini
Ethiopia Green, yellow, red and blue      National colours of Ethiopia
Gabon Green, yellow and blue    
Gambia Red, blue, green and white     
Ghana Red, yellow, green and black Black and white (used in sports)        
Guinea Red, yellow and green    
Guinea-Bissau Red, yellow, green and black     
Ivory Coast Orange, white and green    
Kenya Black, red, green and white     
Lesotho Blue, white, green and black     
Liberia Red, white and blue    
Libya Red, black, green and white     
Madagascar Red, green and white    
Malawi Black, red and green    
Mali Green, yellow and red    
Mauritania Green, yellow and red    
Mauritius Red, blue, yellow and green     
Morocco Red and green   
Mozambique Green, yellow, red, black and white    
  
Namibia Blue, red, green, white and yellow    
  
Niger Orange, white and green    
Nigeria Green and white   
Rwanda Sky blue, yellow and green    
São Tomé and Príncipe Green, yellow, red and black     
Senegal Green, yellow and red    
Seychelles Blue, yellow, red, white and green    
  
Sierra Leone Green, white and blue    
Somalia Blue and white   
South Africa Red, green, blue, gold, black and white[1] Green and gold (used in sports)    
    		  
South Sudan Black, red, green, blue, yellow and white    
   
Sudan Red, white, black and green     
Tanzania Green, yellow, blue and black     
Togo Green, yellow, red and white     
Tunisia Red and white   
Uganda Black, yellow and red    
Zambia Green, red, black and orange     
Zimbabwe Green, yellow, red, black and white    
  

North America

[edit]
Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Antigua and Barbuda Red, white, blue, black and yellow    
  
Bahamas Aquamarine, yellow and black    
Barbados Ultramarine, gold and black    
Belize Blue, red and white Sky blue (used in sports)      
Canada Red and white[2] Black (only used in sports)      National colours of Canada
Costa Rica Blue, white and red Black (used in sports)      
Cuba Blue, white and red Black      
Dominica Green, yellow, black, white and red Blue (used in sports)    
   		 
Dominican Republic Blue, white and red    
El Salvador Blue and white   
Grenada Green, yellow and red    
Guatemala Blue and white Navy blue and green-blue      
Haiti Blue and red[3]   
Honduras Turquoise blue and white Navy blue and midnight blue      
Jamaica Green, gold and black    
Mexico Green, white and red Black, Indian red, magenta and lime green (used only in sports)         
Nicaragua Blue and white Gold and denim (used only in sports)      
Panama Blue, white and red Midnight blue and cadet blue (used only in sports)       
Saint Kitts and Nevis Green, red and white Gold and black       
Saint Lucia Light blue, yellow, black and white Blue (only in sports)       
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Blue, yellow and green    
Trinidad and Tobago Red, white and black Maroon (only in sports)      
United States of America Red, white and blue[3]     List of U.S. state colors

Sub-national colours

[edit]
Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Anguilla Orange, blue and white    
Aruba Yellow, cerulean, white, red    
 
Bermuda Red, blue and white Prussian blue (used in sports)      
Bonaire Yellow, blue and white    
British Virgin Islands Green, yellow and white    
Cayman Islands Blue, red and white    
Curaçao Blue, yellow and white    
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Green, red and white Black      
Martinique Red, green and black Blue and white       
Montserrat Black, green, dark blue, red and white      
New Brunswick Pine green, navy blue and white     See Flag of New Brunswick
Puerto Rico Red, white and blue    
Quebec Royal Blue and white    See Flag of Quebec
Saint Martin Yellow and blue Dark blue, red and white       
Saint Pierre et Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon Blue, white and red    
Sint Maarten Sint Maarten Red, blue and white    
Turks and Caicos Blue, light blue, red and white Green sheen (only in sports)       
US Virgin Islands White, yellow and blue Light blue (used only in sports)      

South America

[edit]
Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Argentina Light blue and white[4] Blue and black (used in sports)      
Bolivia Red, yellow and green White (used in sports)      
Brazil Green and yellow Blue and white      
Chile Red, white and blue    
Colombia Yellow, blue and red Dark blue and white (used in sports)       
Ecuador Yellow, blue and red Sky blue (used in sports)      
French Guiana Yellow and green Blue (used in sports)     
Guyana Yellow and green Red and black      
Paraguay Red, white and blue Bluegray (used in sports)      
Peru Red and white   
Suriname White and green Red and gold      
Uruguay Blue and white Light blue (used in sports)      Flag of Artigas, Flag of the Treinta y Tres
Venezuela Yellow, blue and red Burgundy, khaki, white and neon yellow (used in sports)        

Asia

[edit]
Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Armenia Red, blue and orange    
Afghanistan Black, red, green and white Blue (cricket)        Afghanistan New Flag of Afghanistan (2021)
Azerbaijan Sky blue, red and green    
Bahrain Red and white   
Bangladesh Red and green White (football)[5]      Bangladesh First Flag of Bangladesh (1971)
Bhutan Orange, gold and white    
Brunei Yellow, black, white and red Blue and green (football)        
Cambodia Red and blue Black (football)     
China Red and yellow Dark blue, black and white (sports)       
Georgia Red and white   
India Saffron orange, blue, white and green Sky blue (sports)       
Indonesia Red and white[6] Green (sports)     
Iran Green, white and red Black      
Iraq Red, white, black and green     
Israel Blue and white[7]    National colours of Israel
Japan Red and white Black (sports); Blue, white and spring bud (only used in football)        
Jordan Black, white, green and red     
Kazakhstan Blue and gold White and black (sports)      
Korea, North
(Democratic People's Republic of Korea) 		Red, white and blue    
Korea, South
(Republic of Korea) 		White, red, blue and black     
Kuwait Green, white, red and black Blue and red (sports)        
Kyrgyzstan Red and yellow   
Laos Red, blue and white Black, gold and sky blue (football)        
Lebanon Red, white and green    
Malaysia Gold and black Red, white, dark blue and gold        
Maldives Red and white Green and blue (football)      
Mongolia Blue, red and yellow White (sports)      
Myanmar Yellow, green, red and white     
Nepal Crimson, blue and white    
Oman Red, white and green Gold      
Pakistan Green and white Lime green and gold (sports)      
Philippines Blue, red, white and yellow     
Qatar Maroon and white   
Saudi Arabia Green and white Lavender[8]     
Singapore Red and white Blue (football)     
Sri Lanka Blue and yellow Maroon, yellow, orange, green (flag colours) and white         
Syria Red, white, black and green Gray and gold        
Tajikistan Red, white and green    
Thailand Red, white and blue Royal yellow, royal purple and blue sapphire         Royal flags of Thailand
Timor-Leste Red, yellow, black and white     
Turkmenistan Green and white Sand     
United Arab Emirates Red, green, white and black Gold and blue        
Uzbekistan Blue, white, green and red Black (sports)       
Vietnam Yellow and red White (sports)     
Yemen Red, white and black    

Sub-national colours

[edit]
Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Hong Kong Red and white Black and gray      
Macau Green and white White and dark blue (sports)      

Europe

[edit]
Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further information
Albania Red and black   
Andorra Blue, yellow and red    
Austria Red and white   
Belarus Red, green and white    
Belgium Red Black and yellow; Light blue (used in sports)[9]      
Bosnia and Herzegovina Blue and gold White (used in football)     
Bulgaria White, green and red    
Croatia Red, white and blue    
Czech Republic White, red and blue[10][11][12]     National colours of the Czech Republic
Cyprus Blue and white Orange     
Denmark Red and white   
Estonia Blue, black and white[13]    
Finland White and blue Red and gold      
France Blue, white and red[14]    
Germany Black, red and gold White; Silver (used in motor racing)        National colours of Germany
Greece Blue and white    National colours of Greece
Hungary Red, white and dark green    
Iceland Blue, white and red    
Ireland Green St. Patrick's blue      
Italy Green, white and red[15] Azure       National colours of Italy
Latvia Carmine and white   
Liechtenstein Blue and red   
Lithuania Yellow, green and red    
Luxembourg Red, white and light blue    
Malta Red and white   
Moldova Blue, yellow and red    
Monaco Red and white   
Montenegro Red and gold   
Netherlands Orange Red, white and blue (flag)       Orange refers to the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
North Macedonia Red and yellow White (used by the national football team)     
Norway Red, blue and white    
Poland White and red    National colours of Poland
Portugal Green and red (Before the 1910 revolution: White and blue)      
Romania Blue, yellow and red    
Russia White, blue and red Green      
San Marino White and light blue   
Serbia Red, blue and white[16][17][18]     National colours of Serbia
Slovakia White, blue and red    
Slovenia White, blue and red[19] Green, blue and white (sports)[20]        
Spain Red and gold (During the Second Spanish Republic: also Purple)       
Sweden Blue and yellow    See Flag of Sweden
Switzerland Red and white   
Turkey Red and white Turquoise     
Ukraine Blue and gold    National colours of Ukraine
United Kingdom Red, white and blue British racing green       National colours of the United Kingdom

Sub-national colours

[edit]
Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Åland Åland Blue, yellow and red    
Andalucia Green and white   
Basque Country Basque Country (autonomous community) Green and red White     
Bavaria Bavaria Sky blue and white    See Flag of Bavaria
Brittany Brittany Black and white   
Brussels Region Brussels Blue and yellow Grey     
Canary Islands Canary Islands Yellow, blue and white    
Catalonia Catalonia Red and yellow   
Cornwall Cornwall Black and white   
Dublin City Dublin Green and blue    It is common to see dark blue and light blue flown for Dublin, but this is the GAA colours for Dublin county.
England England Red and white Blue (sports)     
Faroe Islands Faroe Islands White, blue and red    
Flanders Flanders Black and yellow   
Friesland Friesland Blue, white and red    
Galicia Galicia (Spain) Sky blue and white   
Gibraltar Gibraltar Red and white   
Guernsey Guernsey Red and white Green (sports)      See Flag of Guernsey
Isle of Man Red and grey Yellow (sports)      Yellow is the colour of the unofficial national football team.
Jersey Jersey Red and white   
Northern Ireland Red and white Green and white (sports)       Green and white is in reference to the national football team
Saxony Saxony Green and white   
Scotland Scotland Blue and white   
Wales Wales Red, green and white Yellow       Yellow is in reference to the colour of the national flower of Wales, the daffodil.
Wallonia Wallonia Red and yellow   

Oceania

[edit]
Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Australia Green and gold Blue and white       National colours of Australia
Fiji Light blue White and black (rugby and other sports)     
Kiribati Red, gold, blue and white     
New Zealand Black[21] White, silver, ochre red, teal and beige (used by the cricket team in the 1980s)         National colours of New Zealand
Papua New Guinea Red, black, yellow and white     
Samoa Red, white and blue    
Solomon Islands Olive green, yellow and blue Green and white       
Tonga Red and white   
Tuvalu Sky blue, yellow and white Blue      
Vanuatu Red, green, black and yellow     

Sub-national colours

[edit]
Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
American Samoa Blue, red and white    
Cook Islands Green and white   
French Polynesia Red and white   
Guam Indigo and red Blue and white      
New Caledonia Gray, white and red    
Niue Golden yellow and blue   
Australian Capital Territory Dark blue, white and gold[22]     see Sport in Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales Sky blue[23] Navy blue and white      see Sport in New South Wales
Northern Territory Black, White and Ochre[24]     see Sport in Northern Territory
Queensland Maroon[25] White and gold      see Symbols of Queensland
South Australia Red, gold and dark blue[26]     see Sport in South Australia
Tasmania Bottle green, yellow and maroon[27][28]     see Sport in Tasmania
Victoria Navy blue and silver[29] White      see Sport in Victoria
Western Australia Gold and black White      see Sport in Western Australia

Countries with limited or no recognition

[edit]

These are the national colours for countries or states that have limited or no recognition.

Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Abkhazia Abkhazia Green, white and red    
Kosovo Blue, gold and white Black      
Palestine Black, white, green and red     
Somaliland Somaliland Green, white and red    
South Ossetia South Ossetia White, red and yellow    
Taiwan
(Republic of China) 		Blue, white and red Verdigris (University Sports)      
Transnistria Transnistria Red and green   
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus Red and white   
Western Sahara
(Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) 		Black, white, green and red     

Former countries

[edit]
Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary Black and gold Red, white and green           Flags of Austria-Hungary
Black and gold were the colours of the ruling Habsburg monarchy
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic of Artsakh Red, blue and orange White      
Byzantine Empire Red, gold and purple     Byzantine flags and insignia
China
(Republic of China, 1912-1949) 		Blue, white and red    
Confederate States of America Confederate States of America Blue, white and red Cadet grey       Cadet grey was an official color of the Confederate States Army
Czechoslovakia Blue, white and red    
Donetsk People's Republic Donetsk People's Republic Black, blue and red    
East Germany Black, red and gold Blue       National colours of Germany
France
(Kingdom of France 987–1792, 1814–1848) 		White and blue    French Blue, French Flags
German Empire Black, white and red     German Flags
Göktürk Khaganate Sky blue  
Holy Roman Empire Gold and black White and red       Flags of the Holy Roman Empire
Luhansk People's Republic Luhansk People's Republic Light blue, blue and red    
Nazi Germany Black, white and red Brown       German Flags
Neutral Moresnet
Black, white and navy      
Portugal (Kingdom of Portugal 1139-1910) Kingdom of Portugal Blue and white    
Rhodesia Green  
Soviet Union Red Gold    
South Africa (pre-1994)
Orange, white and blue Green (sports)      
South Yemen
Red, sky blue, white and black     
Yugoslavia Blue, white and red    

Caliphates

[edit]
Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Umayyad Caliphate White  
Abbasid Caliphate Black   Black Standard
Fatimid Caliphate White  
Ottoman Empire Red  

Ancient/Imperial Chinese dynasties

[edit]
See also: colour in Chinese culture
Dynasty Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Xia dynasty Black, grue    [30] Green/blue in China
Shang dynasty White   [30]
Zhou dynasty Red   [30]
Qin dynasty Black   [30]
Han dynasty Black (206 BC-104 BC)
Yellow (104 BC-26 AD)
Red (26 AD-220 AD) 		 
 
  		[30]
Former Wei dynasty Yellow   [30]
Jin dynasty Red   [30]
Liu Song dynasty Red   [30]
Southern Qi dynasty Red   [30] Green/blue in China
Liang dynasty Red   [30]
Chen dynasty Red   [30]
Northern Wei dynasty Yellow (399-491)
Black (491-535) 		 
  		[30]
Northern Qi dynasty Black   [30]
Northern Zhou dynasty Black   [30]
Sui dynasty Red   [30]
Tang dynasty Yellow (618-750)
Reddish Yellow (750-907) 		 
  		[30]
Liao dynasty Black   [30]
Later Jin dynasty White   [30]
Song dynasty Red   [30]
Western Xia dynasty White   [30]
Jin dynasty White   [30]
Yuan dynasty White   [30]
Ming dynasty Red   [30]
Qing dynasty Yellow   [30] Imperial yellow jacket
Yellow Dragon Flag

Supranational organisations

[edit]

Some noted supranational organisations like the United Nations and the European Union have their own colours as part of their branding and marketing. They are usually taken from the organisation's flag. Although they do not have national sporting teams, the colours can be used for anything connected to the organisation, like associated bodies.

Organisation Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
African Union Green and gold    Flag of the African Union
Arab League
Green Red, black and white       Flag of the Arab League, Pan-Arab colours
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Blue, red and yellow Brown       Flag of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Green and yellow Blue and white      
Caribbean Community
Sky blue, dark blue and yellow Maroon (sports)       Maroon is the colour of the West Indies cricket team. Although they are not an officially part of CARICOM, most members of the community are members of the Cricket West Indies. CARICOM sees the organisation as an associated institute of Community.[31]
Community of Portuguese Language Countries
Blue and white    Flag of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries
Eurasian Economic Union
White Blue and gold      Flag of the Eurasian Economic Union
European Union Reflex blue and gold    Flag of Europe
Mercosur
White and blue Green      Flag of Mercosur
NATO Dark Blue   Flag of NATO
Nordic Council
Blue and white    Flag of the Nordic Council; Design Manual of the Nordic Council - Colours
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
White, green and black Red       See Flag of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Green in Islam
Organization of Turkic States
Turquoise   Although the flag of the Organization of Turkic States is light blue and white, turquoise is the colour most associated with the Turkic region.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Gold and white   
United Nations Light blue and white    Flag of the United Nations

Examples of use of these colours

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "National flag". South African Government. 2018-02-19.
  2. ^ "National Colours: Red and White". Government of Canada. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  3. ^ a b "National Symbols". The World Factbook (52nd ed.). Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Public Affairs. 2014. ISBN 978-0-16-092553-5. OCLC 913577992. Archived from the original on 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2015-05-02.
  4. ^ "Símbolos nacionales". Government of Argentina. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. La primera enseña patria es la Bandera Nacional. Creada por el general Manuel Belgrano el 27 de febrero de 1812, fue consagrada con los mismos coloures 'celeste y blanco' por el Congreso de Tucumán el 20 de julio de 1816 y ratificada por el mismo cuerpo en Buenos Aires, el 25 de febrero de 1818.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh national team". Colours of Football. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  6. ^ Minahan, James B. (2009). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. ABC-CLIO. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-313-34497-8. Retrieved 2015-10-26. National colours: Red and white
  7. ^ "Israel National Symbols: The Israeli Flag". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  8. ^ Noor, Saleha (2023). "Lavender and the Kingdom: Vogue Arabia Celebrates Saudi Arabia's New Color Identity". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  9. ^ "Rode Duivels brengen eerbetoon aan wielrenners met uitshirts". Sporza. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  10. ^ "Státní symboly". hrad.cz.
  11. ^ "Symboly současné České republiky". vlast.cz.
  12. ^ "Státní symboly České republiky". toulkypocechach.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  13. ^ "National symbols of Estonia". Archived from the original on 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  14. ^ "Le drapeau tricolour" [The Tricolour Flag] (in French). 2002-06-20. Archived from the original on 2005-01-28. Retrieved 2015-07-18. Le pavillon, ainsi que le drapeau national, sera formé des trois couleurs nationales disposées en trois bandes égales, de manière à ce que le bleu soit attaché à la garde du pavillon, le blanc au milieu et le rouge flottant.
  15. ^ Ferorelli, Nicola (1925). La vera origine del tricoloure italiano. Rassegna storica del Risorgimento. Vol. 12. pp. 654–680.
  16. ^ The Journal of the Orders & Medals Research Society of Great Britain. Orders and Medals Research Society. 1969. p. 207).
  17. ^ Chronicles. Rockford Institute. 1994. p. 39.
  18. ^ Thomas, Nigel; Mikulan, Krunoslav (2006). The Yugoslav Wars (2): Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992–2001. Osprey Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-84176-964-6.
  19. ^ "National Insignia". Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2016-08-21. the three national colours (white, blue and red) of Carniola - the central historic state on the territory of the Slovenian people - are used
  20. ^ "Sport in Slovenia" (PDF). Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-21. The Olympic Committee of Slovenia suggests that sports organisations use the following ratio when designing national sports equipment: 50% green, 30% blue and 20% white.
  21. ^ "Design of The New Zealand Orders Insignia". The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  22. ^ "ACT Flags and Emblems". ACT Government Chief Minister's Department. 27 February 2023.
  23. ^ Symbols and emblems of NSW Archived 2010-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Northern Territory Flag". Department of the Chief Minister. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08.
  25. ^ "State colour". Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
  26. ^ "State Emblems and Insignia". Archived from the original on 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2016-09-09., Government of South Australia
  27. ^ Department of Premier and Cabinet - TASMANIA : Sporting colours
  28. ^ "Tasmanian Sporting Colours - Story of their Origin". The Mercury. 13 February 1925.
  29. ^ "Ensigns of Public Authority". Department of Premier and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Gao, Jingyi (2012). "Official Colours of Chinese Regimes: A Panchronic Philological Study with Historical Account of China" (PDF). Trames. A Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences. 16(66/61) (3). Estonian Academy Publishers: 237–285. doi:10.3176/tr.2012.3.03.
  31. ^ "West Indies Cricket Board". CARICOM. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
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