Caspian Blue - Blue in World Culture - Blue As A National and International Colour

Blue As A National and International Colour

• Azzurro, a light blue, is the national colour of Italy (from the livery colour of the former reigning family, the House of Savoy).
• Blue and white are the national colours of Scotland, Argentina, El Salvador, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Micronesia, Nicaragua and Somalia, are the ancient national colours of Portugal and are the colours of the United Nations.
• Blue, white and yellow are the national colours of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Uruguay.
• Blue, white and green are the national colours of Sierra Leone.
• Blue, white and black are the national colours of Estonia.
• Blue and yellow are the national colours of Barbados, Kazakhstan, Palau, Sweden, and Ukraine.
• Blue, yellow and green are the national colours of Brazil, Gabon, and Rwanda.
• Blue, yellow and red are the national colours of Chad, Colombia, Ecuador, Moldova, Romania, and Venezuela.
• Blue and red are the national colours of Haiti and Liechtenstein.
• Blue, red and white are the national colours of Cambodia, Costa Rica, Chile, Croatia, Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, France, Iceland, North Korea, Laos, Liberia, Luxembourg, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Russia, Samoa, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• The first flag of Portugal, used by Count Henry from 1095 till 1143.

• The second flag of Portugal, used by King Afonso I from 1143 till 1185.

• The third flag of Portugal, used by King Sancho I from 1185 till early 13th century.

• The flag of Scotland, (with the Cross of Saint Andrew), used as early as the 15th century, is one of the oldest blue national flags.

• The state flag of Sweden dates to 1562.

• The flag of the Netherlands (1572) was the first tricolour national flag. Orange, white and blue were the colours of the Prince of Orange in his fight for independence from Spain.

• The Union Jack (1606), the first flag of the United Kingdom, combined the white Cross of Saint Andrew of Scotland with the red Cross of Saint George of England. The red Cross of Saint Patrick, symbolising Ireland, was added in 1801. It was originally a naval flag, and the background colour was dark navy blue.

• The flag of Russia was created by Peter the Great in about 1664. He rearranged the flag of the Netherlands, a country whose maritime traditions he admired. It was replaced by a red flag during the time of the Soviet Union, but returned in 1991 after the fall of Communism.

• The Grand Union Flag of 1775 was the first flag of the United States, created the year before American independence.

• In 1777 the Continental Congress specified that the field of the new United States flag should be blue with a constellation of thirteen stars representing the thirteen states, but did not specify how they should be arranged. This was one version from 1777.

• The flag of the city of Paris, the basis of the French tricolour. Blue was the traditional colour of Saint Martin of Tours, while red was the colour of Saint Denis.

• The French tricolour (1794). White, representing either the French nation (according to the version of the Marquis de Lafayette) or the French monarchy was added to the red and blue of the flag of Paris to make the tricolour.

• The flag of Haiti was first flown in 1808.

• The flag of Argentina was first raised in 1812.

• The flag of Greece was originally the naval ensign in 1822, then the national flag in 1969.

• The flag of Israel, originally the flag of Zionist movement, became the national flag in 1948. The blue stripes on white are inspired by the Talit, or prayer shawl.

• The flag of Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008, features a gold map of Kosovo and six stars for the six ethnic groups of Kosovo on a blue background. This design was selected after an international competition.

• The flag of South Sudan (2011), the newest recognised nation in the world. The blue represents the Nile River, which flows through the country.

• The first flag of the United Nations (1945-1947). Blue was chosen as a colour which symbolised peace. The first flag had the United States (the host of the first UN Conference) in the central position, but left out the southern portion of South America.

• The U.N. flag was revised in October 1947 with an azimuthal equidistant projection centred on the North Pole, which gave Europe, the U.S. and Asia equal prominence, and included all of South America.

• The flag of Europe was created as the flag of the Council of Europe in 1955, and became the flag of the European Economic Community in 1985. The twelve stars do not symbolize any particular nations - the COE actually had fifteen members when the flag was created. Twelve was chosen as a symbol of perfection and completeness.