Flag of Belgium

Meaning and history of the flag of Belgium

The flag of Belgium is made up of three equal vertical stripes of black, yellow, and red, from hoist to fly. These colors come from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, which showed a golden lion with red claws and tongue on a black field. The vertical layout was inspired by the French tricolor, the quintessential revolutionary symbol.

The flag was adopted on January 23, 1831, shortly after the Belgian Revolution of 1830, which led to independence from the Netherlands. The stripes were initially arranged horizontally with red on top, but the layout was soon changed to the current vertical one. The official proportions are 13:15, nearly square, setting it apart from most rectangular flags, although in practice it is often seen in the more conventional 2:3 ratio.

Belgium's flag is frequently confused with Germany's, which uses the same three colors but in horizontal stripes and a golden rather than plain yellow shade. It also shares its colors, in an entirely different arrangement, with the flag of Uganda. Belgium's near-square official proportions are a little-known quirk rarely observed outside strictly protocolary settings.

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