Light Blue and Yellow Flags

Which countries have light blue and yellow flags?

Kazakhstan has a sky-blue field with a golden sun and a soaring steppe eagle in the center, and a vertical band of national ornament on the hoist side. Palau, in the western Pacific, has a light blue field with a golden-yellow disc, placed slightly off-center toward the hoist. The disc is a full moon, and it is shifted so the flag does not look like Japan's.

Several flags add more colors. The Bahamas has a black triangle on the hoist beside aquamarine and gold stripes. Rwanda has a blue band over yellow and green with a yellow sun. Tanzania has green and blue triangles split by a black band with yellow edges. Saint Lucia has a blue field with a triangle of black, white and gold. Sri Lanka, Mozambique and Saint Pierre and Miquelon also contain both.

Why do light blue and yellow go together on flags?

Light blue stands for the sky and sea, and yellow for the sun, sand or gold, so the pair is a natural fit for countries with strong ties to the sky or ocean. In Kazakhstan, the blue also refers to the Turkic peoples and the sky, and the sun and eagle stand for freedom and ambition.

Palau's blue refers to the Pacific Ocean, and its yellow moon is a reminder of the night when fishing, planting and celebrations follow the lunar calendar. Both flags are simple enough to read from a distance, which makes the pair effective.

How can you tell these flags apart?

Kazakhstan has an eagle and a sun, and Palau has a plain yellow disc. The Bahamas and Saint Lucia are Caribbean flags with a black triangle. Rwanda has horizontal bands, and Tanzania has diagonal ones. Use the grid above to compare each shade of blue.