Flag of Chad

Meaning and history of the flag of Chad

Chad's flag was adopted on November 6, 1959, a year before the country's independence. It consists of three equal vertical stripes of blue, yellow, and red from left to right. The design pairs the pan-African colors, yellow and red, with the blue of the French flag, paying tribute both to African heritage and to the former colonial power.

Blue represents the sky and the waters of the country's south, yellow stands for the sun and the desert of the north, and red evokes the sacrifice and bloodshed of the independence struggle. Chad's flag is nearly identical to Romania's, which also features vertical blue, yellow, and red stripes. The difference is barely perceptible: Chad's blue is a slightly darker indigo compared with Romania's cobalt blue. This coincidence has sparked diplomatic friction, notably when Chad raised the matter at the United Nations in 2004, though no change ultimately resulted. Despite the resemblance, both countries have kept their respective designs.

You can view the flag of Chad in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Chad profile, its map, or the current local time in N'Djamena.