Several pairs of national flags are almost impossible to tell apart, with Chad and Romania at the top of the list: their tricolors differ only in the shade of blue. Sometimes the cause is a shared history, sometimes plain coincidence. Either way, one detail is enough to settle it. Here are ten.
1. Chad and Romania
A vertical blue-yellow-red tricolor that is identical on both sides, or nearly so. The only difference: Chad’s blue is slightly darker than Romania’s. Chad even took the matter to the UN in 2004 to contest the similarity, without result.
2. Indonesia and Monaco
Red over white, in two horizontal bands, on both. Only the proportions differ: Monaco’s flag is more square (4:5) than Indonesia’s (2:3). Poland uses the same colors reversed, white over red.
3. Netherlands and Luxembourg
The same horizontal red-white-blue tricolor for both countries. Luxembourg’s blue is noticeably lighter than the Dutch blue, and Luxembourg’s flag is slightly more elongated.
4. Ireland and Ivory Coast
The same colors, but mirrored: green sits at the hoist for Ireland, orange for Ivory Coast. The proportions also differ: Ireland’s flag is more elongated.
5. Mali and Senegal
Two vertical green-yellow-red tricolors in Pan-African colors. Senegal adds a green star at the center of the yellow band, absent from Mali’s flag. Guinea uses the same colors in reverse order.
6. Norway and Iceland
The colors are exactly inverted between the two Nordic crosses. Norway has a red field with a white-bordered blue cross; Iceland a blue field with a white-bordered red cross.
7. Australia and New Zealand
Union Jack in the canton, Southern Cross on a blue field: both flags share the same base. New Zealand has 4 red stars bordered in white; Australia has 6 white stars, including the large Commonwealth Star below the Union Jack.
8. Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador
These three yellow-blue-red tricolors are inherited from the flag of Gran Colombia, the state founded by Simón Bolívar. Venezuela adds an arc of stars in the center, Ecuador places its coat of arms in the middle; Colombia’s flag carries no emblem.
9. Slovenia, Slovakia and Russia
Three horizontal white-blue-red tricolors in Pan-Slavic colors. Tell them apart by the coat of arms: Slovenia places its own in the upper hoist corner, Slovakia its own toward the hoist, and Russia’s flag carries none.
10. United States, Liberia and Malaysia
Three flags with red and white stripes and a canton in the upper hoist corner. Liberia, founded by former American slaves, has a single star in its blue canton; Malaysia places a crescent and a 14-pointed star on a blue field.
Look-alike flags at a glance
| Flags | Similarity | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| Chad / Romania | Vertical blue-yellow-red tricolor | Chad’s blue is darker |
| Indonesia / Monaco | Red over white | Monaco more square (4:5 vs 2:3) |
| Netherlands / Luxembourg | Red-white-blue tricolor | Luxembourg’s blue is lighter |
| Ireland / Ivory Coast | Same colors mirrored | Green at the hoist for Ireland |
| Mali / Senegal | Green-yellow-red tricolor | Green central star for Senegal |
| Norway / Iceland | Nordic crosses | Inverted colors (red field / blue field) |
| Australia / New Zealand | Union Jack + Southern Cross | 4 red stars (NZ) vs 6 white (Australia) |
| Venezuela / Colombia / Ecuador | Yellow-blue-red tricolor | Stars (Venezuela), coat of arms (Ecuador) |
| Slovenia / Slovakia / Russia | White-blue-red tricolor | Coat of arms, none on Russia’s |
| United States / Liberia / Malaysia | Red and white stripes | 1 star (Liberia), crescent (Malaysia) |
These resemblances often come down to a shared history, something the meaning of flags explains in detail, as do the flags of disappeared countries. To practice telling them apart, there are still the hardest flags to name and the world flags quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What are the two most similar flags in the world?
Those of Chad and Romania: two near-identical vertical blue-yellow-red tricolors. Only the shade of blue differs, slightly darker on Chad’s side. Chad brought the matter before the UN in 2004, without result.
Why do Monaco and Indonesia have the same flag?
It is a historical coincidence: both countries independently adopted a red-over-white flag, with no connection between them. They differ only in their proportions, Monaco’s flag being more square (4:5) than Indonesia’s (2:3).
How do you tell the Australian and New Zealand flags apart?
Count the stars: New Zealand has 4 red stars bordered in white, Australia has 6 white stars. Australia also carries the large seven-pointed Commonwealth Star below the Union Jack.
Why are there so many white-blue-red flags in Eastern Europe?
These are the Pan-Slavic colors, adopted in the 19th century by several Slavic peoples as a sign of solidarity. They were inspired by the Russian flag, hence the resemblance between the flags of Russia, Slovenia and Slovakia.
