Meaning of the colors in flags

1. INTRODUCTION

#Question: What do the colors of the flags represent?

Although it is not an exact science, the colors of the flags usually have a concrete significance, symbolizing the history, the land or the values ​​of the territory / country they represent.

Since there is hardly any information on the Internet (surprisingly neither in Enlgish nor in Spanish), in this post I want to collect the main meaning of each of the colors of the flags and I also I want you to help me to complete it if you know of any flag whose color refers to something that is not included in this list. Let’s do it! 🤓

2. MEANING OF THE COLORS OF THE FLAGS

Red

The red color of the flags symbolizes:

• Blood.
• Courage.
• Strength or power.
• The struggle for independence, specifically the bloodshed caused for it.
• Communism or socialism.
• British heritage (it is one of the colors of the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom).
• Pan-Slavism or slavic inheritance (along with the blue and white color).
• Pan-Arabism or the Arab union (along with the colors black, white and green).
• Pan-Africanism or the African Union (along with the yellow and green color).

(*) A full red flag means danger and prohibition (beaches).

Blue

The blue color of the flags symbolizes:

• The sea. Very common in countries that are islands (surrounded by ocean), countries with access to the sea or territories with important lakes or rivers.
• The sky.
• Truth.
• Loyalty.
• Freedom.
• Justice.
• Peace.
• The rain.
• British or French heritage.
• Pan-Slavism or slavic heritage (along with the red and white color).

Yellow

The yellow color of the flags symbolizes:

• Gold or wealth
• Sun.
• Abundance of food (grain / wheat).
• Prosperity.
• Light.
• Hope.
• Generosity.
• Freedom.
• Sand / Desert
• Energy.
• Joy or happiness.
• Farming.
• Pan-Africanism, the African Union (along with the color green and red).

Green

The green color of the flags symbolizes:

• Landscapes, vegetation, fertility.
• The Islam.
• Hope.
• The Agriculture.
• Natural resources.
• Peace.
• Prosperity.
• Pan-Africanism or the African Union (along with the red and yellow color).
• Pan-Arabism or the Arab union (along with the colors black, white and red).

White

The white color of the flags symbolizes:

• Peace.
• Purity.
• Religion.
• Honesty.
• Harmony.
• Silver or mineral wealth.
• Snow.
• Freedom.
• Clarity.
• Unit.
• Dignity.
• Panarabismo or the Arab union (along with the colors black, red and green).
• Slavic Paneslavism or inheritance (along with the red and blue color).

(*) A full white flag means surrender in battles.

Black

The black color of the flags symbolizes:

• Determination.
• On some flags, it symbolizes the overcoming of the darkness of past times.
• The Islam.
• Fertile lands.
• Resistance.
• The soil.
• Death.
• War.
• Weapons.
• Hostility.
• Revolution.
• Victory over enemies.
• African heritage
• Pan-Arabism or the Arab union (along with the colors white, red and green).

(*) A full black flag indicates a no quarter fight. The color also represents mourning.

Orange

The orange color of the flags symbolizes:

• Courage and sacrifice.
• The sunrise or the sunset.
• Hinduism

Purple

The purple color of the flags symbolizes:

• Royalty.
• Wealth.

(*) The purple has represented the color of royalty since the ancient Rome.

3. REFERENCES

• Saberespractico.com (2020). Significado de los colores de las banderas. Text in Spanish. Avaliable [HERE].