Red, Blue and Black Flags
Four flags include red, blue and black: South Korea, Antigua & Barbuda, Eswatini and South Africa. None uses only these three colors, since each also has white or another shade.
Flags with red, blue and black and other colors (4)
Which countries have red, blue and black flags?
- South Korea (Asia): the Taegukgi, a white field with a red and blue circle (the taegeuk) and four black trigrams in the corners.
- Antigua & Barbuda (North America): a red field with an inverted triangle of black, blue and white stripes and a rising yellow sun.
- Eswatini (Africa): blue, yellow and crimson horizontal bands with a black and white Nguni shield, two spears and a staff.
- South Africa: a sideways Y with black, yellow, green, white, red and blue.
Telling them apart is simple. South Korea is mostly white. Antigua & Barbuda is mostly red with a V shape. Eswatini has horizontal bands and a shield. South Africa has the Y.
The four flags share red, blue and black but little else in design. They come from three continents and different histories.
What do red, blue and black mean here?
In South Korea's flag, the red and blue swirl represents the balance of opposites, a Korean version of yin and yang. The four black trigrams stand for heaven, earth, fire and water. The design was created in the 1880s and updated over the decades, and the current version is official from 1948.
Antigua & Barbuda's black is for the African ancestry of most citizens, blue for hope and red for the dynamism of the people. The rising sun marks a new era, the V shape stands for victory, and the yellow, blue and white also suggest sun, sea and sand. The flag dates from a 1967 competition and was kept at independence in 1981.
Eswatini's blue stands for peace, yellow for natural resources, and crimson for past battles. The shield uses black and white to show the coexistence of the two groups. South Africa's flag was adopted in 1994 and has no official meaning for each color, although each is linked to a part of the country's history.
Frequently asked questions
What country has a red, blue and black flag?
South Korea is the best-known example, with a red and blue taegeuk and black trigrams on white. Antigua & Barbuda, Eswatini and South Africa also include all three colors.
What do the black bars on the South Korean flag mean?
The four black trigrams represent heaven, earth, fire and water.
Which flag has a red field with a black, blue and white triangle?
Antigua & Barbuda. A yellow sun rises over the black band.
Is there a flag with only red, blue and black?
No. Each of these flags also uses white, yellow or other colors.