Walk down any street in a major international city and you'll see them. Those three colors. Red, white, and blue. They are basically the "standard settings" for national branding. But honestly, if you’re looking at a red white blue striped flag, you are likely staring at one of about a dozen different countries, and getting them confused is a rite of passage for anyone who hasn't spent way too much time on GeoGuessr.
It's confusing.
Take the Netherlands and Luxembourg, for example. At first glance, they are identical. They both use the horizontal "triband" layout. But if you look closer—and I mean really squint—the blue on the Luxembourg flag is a light, airy sky blue (officially "Bleu Clair"), while the Dutch version uses a deep, "Cobalt" blue. It’s a tiny detail that carries centuries of distinct royal history.
The European Heavyweights: France, Russia, and the Netherlands
Most people think the French Tricolore was the first red white blue striped flag to really make waves. It wasn't. The Dutch actually got there first.
The Prinsenvlag (Prince's Flag) originally featured orange, white, and blue in the 16th century. Over time, that orange stripe transitioned into red. Why? Some historians, like those at the Flags of the World (FOTW) research group, suggest the orange dye was just too unstable and faded to red under the salty sea air. Others argue it was a political move to distance the navy from the House of Orange. Either way, by the mid-1600s, the red, white, and blue horizontal stripes became the gold standard for maritime power.
Peter the Great saw this.
When the Russian Tsar went to the Netherlands to learn about shipbuilding in 1697, he basically took the Dutch flag home as a souvenir, shuffled the stripes, and created the Russian naval ensign. That’s why the Russian flag is white on top, blue in the middle, and red on the bottom. It wasn't just a design choice; it was a deliberate nod to Western European modernization.
Then you have France.
The French flipped the script—literally. During the 1789 Revolution, they took the colors of Paris (blue and red) and sandwiched the royal white in between. But instead of horizontal stripes, they went vertical. It was a radical statement. Horizontal stripes were associated with old-school monarchies; vertical stripes felt like a break from the past. It’s a distinction that still matters in Vexillology (the fancy word for the study of flags) today.
Why These Colors Keep Showing Up
You might wonder why everyone settled on these three specific shades. It’s not a coincidence.
In the era of sailing ships and gunpowder smoke, you needed colors that didn't turn into a gray smudge when viewed through a telescope from three miles away. Red and blue provide the highest contrast against the white of the sails and the gray of the ocean.
- Red: Often represents bravery, revolution, or the blood of ancestors.
- White: Almost universally stands for peace, purity, or "honesty."
- Blue: Usually symbolizes the sky, the sea, or vigilance.
But it goes deeper than that. The "Pan-Slavic" colors are almost entirely rooted in that Russian adaptation of the Dutch flag. Think about Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. They all use the red white blue striped flag template because, in the 19th century, these colors became a symbol of Slavic unity and independence from the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
The Horizontal vs. Vertical Debate
If you’re trying to identify a flag on the fly, the direction of the stripes is your biggest clue.
Horizontal Stripes:
The Netherlands (Red, White, Blue).
Russia (White, Blue, Red).
Luxembourg (Red, White, Light Blue).
Croatia (Red, White, Blue, but with a giant crest in the middle).
Vertical Stripes:
France (Blue, White, Red).
There’s also the "Canton" style. This is where the stripes are the background, and a small box in the corner holds a separate symbol. The United States is the obvious one here, but don't forget Liberia. Liberia’s flag is almost a twin of the U.S. flag, featuring 11 red and white stripes and a single white star on a blue field. This was a very intentional choice, reflecting the country’s founding by formerly enslaved people from the U.S. in the 1820s.
Small Variations You Probably Missed
There is a weirdly high number of flags that are basically the same design with a "sticker" slapped on the front.
Slovakia and Slovenia both use the Russian horizontal layout. To keep people from getting them confused at the Olympics, they both added their national coats of arms to the left side. Slovenia’s features Mount Triglav (their highest peak), while Slovakia’s features a double cross on three blue hills.
Then there’s Thailand.
The Thai flag, known as the Trairanga, is a bit of an outlier. It has five horizontal stripes: red, white, blue, white, and red. The blue stripe in the middle is twice as thick as the others. Legend has it that during a flood in 1916, King Vajiravudh saw the previous flag (a red flag with a white elephant) flying upside down. He found it so distressing that he designed a symmetrical flag that would look the same no matter how you hung it.
The Mystery of the "Protectorate" Flags
Sometimes a red white blue striped flag isn't just a national symbol—it’s a political fossil.
The British Union Jack is technically a "super-flag" made of three different crosses: St. George (England), St. Andrew (Scotland), and St. Patrick (Ireland). Because of the British Empire's reach, this red, white, and blue cluster ended up in the corner of dozens of other flags. Australia and New Zealand are the famous ones, but look at the flag of Hawaii. It’s the only U.S. state flag to feature the Union Jack, a remnant of the islands' complicated relationship with British explorers in the 18th century.
🔗 Read more: Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. Explained (Simply): The Brilliant, Broke, and Brash Governor You Didn't Know
Real-World Identification Tips
If you're looking at a flag and can't tell which one it is, follow this mental flowchart:
- Check the orientation. Vertical? It’s probably France (or maybe a vertically hung version of something else, which is a big no-no in some cultures).
- Look for the "Top" color. If the top stripe is red, you're looking at the Netherlands or Luxembourg. If the top is white, it's Russia.
- Check the "Extra" bits. Is there a sun? That’s the Philippines (which, interestingly, flips its red and blue stripes if the country is at war). Is there a crest? Check for the mountains of Slovenia or the shield of Croatia.
- Note the shade. If the blue looks like a clear summer day, you're in Luxembourg. If it’s dark like the deep ocean, it’s the Netherlands.
Common Misconceptions
One of the biggest myths is that all red, white, and blue flags are inspired by the American Revolution. That’s just factually wrong. While the U.S. flag (1777) is old, the Dutch Statenvlag predates it by over a century.
Another misconception? That the colors have the same meaning everywhere. In the flag of Thailand, the blue stripe represents the Monarchy, the white represents Religion (Buddhism), and the red represents the Nation (the people). This is very different from the French "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" interpretation.
Actionable Insights for Flag Enthusiasts
If you're looking to buy or display a red white blue striped flag, or if you're just trying to be a more informed citizen of the world, keep these three things in mind:
- Respect the Ratio: Not all flags are the same shape. The Russian flag is a 2:3 ratio, while the French flag is often used in a 2:3 ratio but can vary in naval use. Using the wrong dimensions is a tell-tale sign of a cheap knock-off.
- The "War" Rule: Be careful with the Philippine flag. If you accidentally fly it with the red stripe on top instead of the blue, you are technically declaring that the country is in a state of war.
- Lighting Matters: When identifying flags online, remember that screen calibration can make the Dutch "Cobalt" blue look like the Luxembourg "Sky" blue. Always look for the official Pantone color codes if you need to be 100% sure.
The world of flags is crowded. When you use red, white, and blue, you’re joining a very long, very loud conversation that has been going on for over 400 years. Whether it’s the vertical bars of Paris or the horizontal stripes of Moscow, these designs aren't just patterns—they are markers of how ideas, ship designs, and revolutions traveled across borders before the internet existed.