Red, White, Blue and Green Flags

Which countries have red, white, blue and green flags?

• Gambia (Africa): red, blue and green horizontal stripes separated by narrow white stripes.
• Equatorial Guinea (Africa): green, white and red horizontal stripes with a blue triangle at the hoist and the national coat of arms in the center.
• Uzbekistan (Asia): blue, white and green stripes with thin red lines, a white crescent and twelve stars.
• Pitcairn Islands and British Virgin Islands: both are blue ensigns with a Union Jack and a shield, each showing local scenery and emblems.

The Central African Republic, Comoros, Seychelles and South Africa also include these colors, along with yellow or black.

Gambia, Equatorial Guinea and Uzbekistan all use horizontal bands, so look at the details. Gambia has the white separators, Equatorial Guinea has the blue triangle, and Uzbekistan has the crescent. Two flags with a Union Jack and a shield are British territories.

What do these colors mean?

Gambia's red stands for the sun and savanna, blue for the Gambia River, green for forests and farmland, and white for peace and unity. It is one of the few flags in which the central stripe represents a river.

Equatorial Guinea's green is for the natural resources, white for peace, red for the struggle for independence and blue for the sea that links the mainland to its islands. The coat of arms shows a silk-cotton tree.

Uzbekistan's flag was adopted in 1991 and stands for the sky and water (blue), peace (white), nature (green) and life force (red lines). The crescent recalls the country's Islamic heritage, and the twelve stars have several interpretations.

The Pitcairn Islands and the British Virgin Islands are British Overseas Territories, so both fly a blue ensign. The shield on each is a local badge: Pitcairn's shows an anchor and the Bible, while the British Virgin Islands show Saint Ursula and eleven lamps.