Light Blue, Dark Blue and White Flags

Which countries have white, blue and light blue flags?

The Northern Mariana Islands, a United States commonwealth in the western Pacific, is the only exact match. Its flag is a deep blue field with a white star at the center, resting on a stone pillar called a latte stone, with a wreath of flowers around it. Beneath the star is a wreath of flowers, and the design combines white with two shades of blue.

Three other flags include dark blue, light blue and white in more complex designs. Fiji has a light blue field with the Union Jack in the corner and a shield with a lion, sugar cane and palm. Tuvalu has a light blue field, a Union Jack in the corner and nine yellow stars. Montserrat is a blue ensign with a Union Jack in the corner and a harp, to recall the island's Irish heritage.

Flags with two different shades of blue are rare because blue can look like one color from a distance. The ones that do combine them often rely on the Union Jack, where navy is paired with the colors of the field.

Why do some flags use two shades of blue?

Light blue is often used for the sea or sky. British overseas flags add the Union Jack, which already uses a dark blue, so the two tones appear together naturally.

Another reason is the historical template of the blue ensign. A blue field with the Union Jack in the corner was used for many British colonies, and later nations kept it when they changed the field shade.

How can you tell these flags apart?

Fiji and Tuvalu are both light blue ensigns with the Union Jack, but Fiji has a shield on the fly and Tuvalu has nine stars. Montserrat is a darker blue with a harp. The Northern Mariana Islands has a star on a stone pillar with a wreath. Compare them in the grid above to see the shades side by side.