Flags That Look Alike

Many look-alike flags share a history. Countries that once belonged to the same empire or federation, or wanted to show they stood together, chose the same colours. Others are plain coincidence.

The closest pairs

In these pairs the colours and the layout match, and the difference is a shade, a mirror image or the proportions.

• Chad and Romania
  

  How to tell them apart:

  The same blue, yellow and red vertical stripes. Chad's blue is a darker indigo; Romania's is a brighter cobalt.

• Indonesia and Monaco
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Both red over white. Monaco's flag is almost square (4:5); Indonesia's is wider (2:3).

• Netherlands and Luxembourg
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Both red, white and blue stripes. Luxembourg's blue is a light sky blue, the Dutch one is dark, and Luxembourg's flag is longer.

• Ireland and Ivory Coast
  

  How to tell them apart:

  The same colours in mirror order. Ireland has green next to the pole; Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) has orange. Ireland's flag is also longer (1:2 against 2:3).

• Australia and New Zealand
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Both blue with the Union Jack in the corner. Australia has six white stars, one of them big and under the Union Jack. New Zealand has four red stars edged in white.

The flags that look most alike

Flags	Countries	How to tell them apart
	Chad and Romania	The same blue, yellow and red vertical stripes. Chad's blue is a darker indigo; Romania's is a brighter cobalt.
	Indonesia and Monaco	Both red over white. Monaco's flag is almost square (4:5); Indonesia's is wider (2:3).
	Netherlands and Luxembourg	Both red, white and blue stripes. Luxembourg's blue is a light sky blue, the Dutch one is dark, and Luxembourg's flag is longer.
	Ireland and Ivory Coast	The same colours in mirror order. Ireland has green next to the pole; Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) has orange. Ireland's flag is also longer (1:2 against 2:3).
	Australia and New Zealand	Both blue with the Union Jack in the corner. Australia has six white stars, one of them big and under the Union Jack. New Zealand has four red stars edged in white.

Chad and Romania arrived at the same flag separately. Romania has flown a blue, yellow and red tricolour since the 19th century, and Chad chose its flag in 1959. They became near twins in December 1989, when Romania removed the communist coat of arms from the middle of its flag. In 2004 Chad asked the United Nations to look into it, and Romania's president answered that the flag would not change.

Britannica calls the Indonesia and Monaco match a coincidence. Monaco's red and white come from the diamonds on its princely coat of arms, and Indonesia's from the Majapahit empire of medieval Java.

Flags that look like the US flag

The US flag has 13 red and white stripes and 50 stars on a blue corner. Two national flags copy that layout closely, and two more pairs share its colours and have a single star.

• Liberia and the United States
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Liberia has 11 red and white stripes and one big white star on the blue square.

• Malaysia and the United States
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Malaysia has 14 red and white stripes, and a yellow crescent with a yellow 14-pointed star on the blue corner.

• Chile and Texas
  

  How to tell them apart:

  One white star with blue, white and red. On Chile's flag the blue is a square in the top corner; on the Texas state flag it is a bar down the whole side.

• Cuba and Puerto Rico
  

  How to tell them apart:

  The same design with the colours swapped. Cuba has blue and white stripes and a red triangle; Puerto Rico has red and white stripes and a blue triangle.

Flags that look like the US flag

Flags	Countries	How to tell them apart
	Liberia and the United States	Liberia has 11 red and white stripes and one big white star on the blue square.
	Malaysia and the United States	Malaysia has 14 red and white stripes, and a yellow crescent with a yellow 14-pointed star on the blue corner.
	Chile and Texas	One white star with blue, white and red. On Chile's flag the blue is a square in the top corner; on the Texas state flag it is a bar down the whole side.
	Cuba and Puerto Rico	The same design with the colours swapped. Cuba has blue and white stripes and a red triangle; Puerto Rico has red and white stripes and a blue triangle.

Liberia's likeness is deliberate. The colony was founded by an American society for freed slaves, and its flag was based on the US flag from the start. The 11 stripes stand for the 11 men who signed Liberia's declaration of independence in 1847. Puerto Rico's flag was made the same way: Puerto Rican revolutionaries in New York took the Cuban flag in 1895 and inverted its colours.

European flags that look alike

• Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia
  

  How to tell them apart:

  White, blue and red stripes. Russia's is plain. Slovakia adds a red shield with a white double cross on three blue hills; Slovenia's shield sits higher in the corner and shows Mount Triglav under three gold stars.

• Romania, Moldova and Andorra
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Blue, yellow and red vertical stripes. Romania's is plain. Moldova has an eagle with a shield on its chest in the middle; Andorra has a coat of arms with no eagle.

• Norway and Iceland
  

  How to tell them apart:

  The same cross with the colours swapped: Norway is red with a blue cross, Iceland is blue with a red cross. Both crosses are edged in white.

• Austria and Latvia
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Red, white, red. Latvia's red is a darker crimson, and its white stripe is narrow, half as tall as each red one.

• Poland and Monaco
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Poland is white over red. Monaco, like Indonesia, is red over white.

• Belgium and Germany
  

  How to tell them apart:

  The same three colours. Belgium's stripes are vertical, black, yellow and red; Germany's are horizontal, black, red and gold.

• Ireland and Italy
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Both start with green and white at the pole. Ireland ends in orange and Italy in red, and Ireland's flag is longer (1:2 against 2:3).

European flags that look alike

Flags	Countries	How to tell them apart
	Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia	White, blue and red stripes. Russia's is plain. Slovakia adds a red shield with a white double cross on three blue hills; Slovenia's shield sits higher in the corner and shows Mount Triglav under three gold stars.
	Romania, Moldova and Andorra	Blue, yellow and red vertical stripes. Romania's is plain. Moldova has an eagle with a shield on its chest in the middle; Andorra has a coat of arms with no eagle.
	Norway and Iceland	The same cross with the colours swapped: Norway is red with a blue cross, Iceland is blue with a red cross. Both crosses are edged in white.
	Austria and Latvia	Red, white, red. Latvia's red is a darker crimson, and its white stripe is narrow, half as tall as each red one.
	Poland and Monaco	Poland is white over red. Monaco, like Indonesia, is red over white.
	Belgium and Germany	The same three colours. Belgium's stripes are vertical, black, yellow and red; Germany's are horizontal, black, red and gold.
	Ireland and Italy	Both start with green and white at the pole. Ireland ends in orange and Italy in red, and Ireland's flag is longer (1:2 against 2:3).

When Slovenia became independent in 1991, it added its coat of arms to tell its flag apart from Russia's and Slovakia's. The white, blue and red of all three are known as the Pan-Slavic colours, after the Russian flag.

African flags that look alike

Green, yellow and red, the Pan-African colours, were borrowed from the flag of Ethiopia. Ghana was the first newly independent African state to take them, in 1957, and many neighbours followed, so the same three colours turn up in different orders and with different stars.

• Mali and Senegal
  

  How to tell them apart:

  The same green, yellow and red stripes in the same order. Senegal has a green star in the middle; Mali has nothing.

• Mali and Guinea
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Mirror images. Mali starts with green at the pole, Guinea with red.

• Senegal and Cameroon
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Both have a star in the middle stripe. Senegal: green, yellow, red, with a green star. Cameroon: green, red, yellow, with a yellow star on the red.

• Ghana and Guinea-Bissau
  

  How to tell them apart:

  A black star with red, yellow and green. Ghana's stripes run across the whole flag with the star in the middle; Guinea-Bissau puts the star on a red bar at the pole, with yellow over green beside it.

African flags that look alike

Flags	Countries	How to tell them apart
	Mali and Senegal	The same green, yellow and red stripes in the same order. Senegal has a green star in the middle; Mali has nothing.
	Mali and Guinea	Mirror images. Mali starts with green at the pole, Guinea with red.
	Senegal and Cameroon	Both have a star in the middle stripe. Senegal: green, yellow, red, with a green star. Cameroon: green, red, yellow, with a yellow star on the red.
	Ghana and Guinea-Bissau	A black star with red, yellow and green. Ghana's stripes run across the whole flag with the star in the middle; Guinea-Bissau puts the star on a red bar at the pole, with yellow over green beside it.

Senegal and Mali share a flag because they were briefly one country, the Mali Federation of 1959 to 1960. Its flag had a small human figure in the middle; after the split, Senegal swapped the figure for a green star, and Mali dropped it in 1961. Two more African flags have their twins on other continents: Chad matches Romania, and Ivory Coast mirrors Ireland (both in the first table).

Arab flags that look alike

Red, white, black and green, the Pan-Arab colours, go back to the flag of the Arab Revolt against Ottoman rule during the First World War. Most flags in this group differ only by the emblem in the middle or the shape at the pole.

• Qatar and Bahrain
  

  How to tell them apart:

  A white band with zigzag points at the pole. Qatar is maroon with nine points and very long (11:28); Bahrain is red with five points (3:5).

• Egypt, Iraq and Yemen
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Red, white and black stripes. Egypt has a gold eagle in the middle, Iraq has the words Allahu Akbar in green script, and Yemen's is plain.

• Jordan, Palestine and Sudan
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Jordan and Palestine have black, white and green stripes with a red triangle; Jordan's triangle holds a white seven-pointed star and Palestine's is empty. Sudan has red, white and black stripes with a green triangle.

• Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Green and white on top. Kuwait has a black trapezoid at the pole and a red bottom stripe; the UAE has a red bar at the pole and a black bottom stripe.

Arab flags that look alike

Flags	Countries	How to tell them apart
	Qatar and Bahrain	A white band with zigzag points at the pole. Qatar is maroon with nine points and very long (11:28); Bahrain is red with five points (3:5).
	Egypt, Iraq and Yemen	Red, white and black stripes. Egypt has a gold eagle in the middle, Iraq has the words Allahu Akbar in green script, and Yemen's is plain.
	Jordan, Palestine and Sudan	Jordan and Palestine have black, white and green stripes with a red triangle; Jordan's triangle holds a white seven-pointed star and Palestine's is empty. Sudan has red, white and black stripes with a green triangle.
	Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates	Green and white on top. Kuwait has a black trapezoid at the pole and a red bottom stripe; the UAE has a red bar at the pole and a black bottom stripe.

Bahrain cut its points to five in 2002, so that each one stands for one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Qatar's flag is the only national flag more than twice as long as it is tall.

More look-alikes in Asia, Oceania and the Americas

• India and Niger
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Orange, white and green stripes. India has a blue wheel with 24 spokes in the middle; Niger has an orange disc and an almost square flag.

• Japan, Bangladesh and Palau
  

  How to tell them apart:

  A disc on a plain field. Japan: red disc on white, centred. Bangladesh: red disc on dark green, set towards the pole. Palau: a golden disc (the full moon) on blue, also off centre.

• Czechia and the Philippines
  

  How to tell them apart:

  A triangle at the pole over two stripes. Czechia: blue triangle, white over red. The Philippines: white triangle with a gold sun and three gold stars, blue over red.

• Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Yellow, blue and red. In Colombia and Ecuador the yellow fills the top half, and Ecuador adds its coat of arms. Venezuela's stripes are equal, with an arc of eight white stars.

• Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Blue, white, blue. Honduras has five blue stars. Nicaragua and El Salvador both show a triangle with five volcanoes, a rainbow and a ring of gold words. El Salvador's is framed by five flags and a laurel wreath; Nicaragua's stands alone.

• Peru and Canada
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Red, white, red, side by side. Canada's white centre is twice as wide as each red band and holds a red maple leaf; Peru's everyday flag is plain.

• Italy and Mexico
  

  How to tell them apart:

  Green, white and red. Mexico has an eagle eating a snake on a cactus in the middle, and its flag is longer (4:7 against 2:3).

Look-alike flags in Asia, Oceania and the Americas

Flags	Countries	How to tell them apart
	India and Niger	Orange, white and green stripes. India has a blue wheel with 24 spokes in the middle; Niger has an orange disc and an almost square flag.
	Japan, Bangladesh and Palau	A disc on a plain field. Japan: red disc on white, centred. Bangladesh: red disc on dark green, set towards the pole. Palau: a golden disc (the full moon) on blue, also off centre.
	Czechia and the Philippines	A triangle at the pole over two stripes. Czechia: blue triangle, white over red. The Philippines: white triangle with a gold sun and three gold stars, blue over red.
	Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela	Yellow, blue and red. In Colombia and Ecuador the yellow fills the top half, and Ecuador adds its coat of arms. Venezuela's stripes are equal, with an arc of eight white stars.
	Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador	Blue, white, blue. Honduras has five blue stars. Nicaragua and El Salvador both show a triangle with five volcanoes, a rainbow and a ring of gold words. El Salvador's is framed by five flags and a laurel wreath; Nicaragua's stands alone.
	Peru and Canada	Red, white, red, side by side. Canada's white centre is twice as wide as each red band and holds a red maple leaf; Peru's everyday flag is plain.
	Italy and Mexico	Green, white and red. Mexico has an eagle eating a snake on a cactus in the middle, and its flag is longer (4:7 against 2:3).

The two big groups here are old federations. Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela were once united as Gran Colombia, and Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador kept the blue and white of the Federal Republic of Central America, which the five stars and five volcanoes recall.

Why so many flags look alike

Many look-alikes belong to a family: a set of flags that share colours or a layout on purpose. Once you can name the family, a flag you cannot place becomes a choice between a handful.

How to stop mixing them up

1. Learn each pair together, side by side, and say the difference out loud: Chad is darker, Monaco is squarer, Senegal has the star.
2. Name the family first. Red, white and black with something in the middle is almost always an Arab flag; then the middle tells you which.
3. Look at the corner and the centre before the colours. Stars, shields and emblems split most pairs faster than shades do.
4. For mirror pairs such as Mali and Guinea or Ireland and Ivory Coast, remember only which colour touches the pole.
5. Test yourself without the answer in view. Paint the Flag makes you colour a flag from memory, which catches order mistakes, and Guess the Flag gives you one flag a day to name.

For a full plan to learn every flag, region by region, see how to memorize flags.

your turn!

Can you name today's flag?

Guess the Flag shows one flag a day and points you closer with distance and direction hints after each wrong guess.

Play Guess the Flag