Red, Blue and Green Flags

Which countries have red, blue and green flags?

These flags group naturally by design.

• Horizontal stripes: Gambia (red, blue and green separated by white lines), Uzbekistan (blue, white and green with red lines, a crescent and stars), Mauritius (four stripes with yellow) and Equatorial Guinea (green, white and red with a blue triangle).
• Triangles and diagonals: Namibia (a red diagonal band between blue and green triangles with a gold sun), Eritrea (red triangle with green and blue bands) and Comoros.
• Central stripes or discs: Ethiopia (green, yellow and red with a blue disc), Central African Republic (four colored stripes crossed by a red band) and New Caledonia (the Kanak flag).
• Blue ensigns with a coat of arms: Pitcairn Islands and the British Virgin Islands, whose shields carry local scenery and symbols.

Seychelles and South Africa complete the list. Seychelles fans five colors from the corner, and South Africa joins six colors in a Y.

Why are red, blue and green used together?

The three colors are usually symbolic. Red often stands for blood shed in a struggle or for the sun, blue for the sea, sky or a river, and green for the land.

Gambia is a clear example: red for the sun and the savanna, blue for the Gambia River, green for forests and farmland, and white lines for peace. Namibia's flag, designed for independence in 1990, uses red for its people, blue for the sky and the Atlantic Ocean, and green for vegetation, with the sun in gold.

Uzbekistan's blue stands for sky and water, white for peace and green for nature, with red lines for the life force. In British territories such as the British Virgin Islands and Pitcairn Islands, the blue field follows the colonial ensign tradition, and the shield shows local emblems.