More than a dozen national flags have a predominantly blue background: Somalia, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Fiji, Tuvalu, Kazakhstan, Botswana, Israel, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina, and Greece.
The Colors of Sky and Sea
Blue is one of the most peaceful and widely admired colors in flag design. On national flags it most often represents the sky, the sea, freedom, and perseverance. For island and coastal nations, a blue field is a natural choice, evoking the ocean that surrounds and sustains them. For others, blue signals loyalty, justice, and the vast open sky.
A special shade known as "UN blue" also connects several flags. When the United Nations chose light blue for its own emblem, it deliberately picked a color associated with peace, and countries like Somalia and Micronesia adopted similar blues to reflect their ties to the international community. Below are the world's predominantly blue flags.
UN-Blue and Pacific Flags
- Somalia: A light blue field with a single white five-pointed star in the center. The blue was inspired by the United Nations flag, which oversaw the territory before independence, and the star represents Somali unity.
- Federated States of Micronesia: A light blue field with four white stars arranged in a diamond, representing the four states. The blue evokes both the Pacific Ocean and the UN.
- Nauru: A dark blue field crossed by a thin horizontal gold stripe, with a single white star below it. The blue represents the Pacific Ocean, the gold stripe the equator, and the star Nauru's position just south of it.
- Fiji: A light blue field with the Union Jack in the canton and the Fijian shield on the fly. The bright sky-blue represents the Pacific Ocean surrounding the islands.
- Tuvalu: A light blue field with the Union Jack and nine yellow stars representing the nine islands of the nation, arranged to mirror their geographic layout.
Blue Flags of Asia and Africa
- Kazakhstan: A sky-blue field with a golden sun of 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, and a vertical ornamental pattern at the hoist. The turquoise-blue represents the endless sky and cultural unity.
- Botswana: A light blue field crossed horizontally by a black band bordered in white. The pale blue represents water and rain, precious in a largely arid country, echoing the national motto "Pula" (rain).
- Israel: A white field with two horizontal blue stripes and a blue Star of David in the center. Although the ground is white, the blue stripes and star dominate the design, inspired by the traditional prayer shawl.
Blue Flags of Central America
- Honduras: Two blue horizontal bands framing a white center with five blue stars, symbolizing the five original members of the former United Provinces of Central America.
- El Salvador: Two blue horizontal bands around a white center bearing the national coat of arms. The blue represents the two oceans and the sky over Central America.
- Nicaragua: Two blue horizontal bands around a white center with the national coat of arms, including a rainbow and a triangle. The blue bands stand for the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Light Blue Icons of the Old World
- Argentina: Two light blue (celeste) horizontal bands around a white center, with the golden Sun of May in the middle. The sky-blue and white are the national colors dating to the 1810 independence movement.
- Greece: Nine alternating blue and white horizontal stripes with a white cross on a blue canton. The blue represents the sea and sky of Greece, and the white the purity of the independence struggle.
What Blue Means on a Flag
Across these flags, blue consistently evokes the natural world and lofty ideals. For island and coastal nations, it is the ocean; for landlocked steppes and skies, it is the heavens above. Blue also carries associations of peace and internationalism through its link to the United Nations, and of freedom, loyalty, and justice in the Central American and Mediterranean traditions. Few colors range so widely while keeping such a calm, universal appeal.
Quick Questions
What is "UN blue" and which flags use it?
UN blue is the light blue chosen by the United Nations for its emblem, selected as a color of peace. Somalia and the Federated States of Micronesia both adopted similar light blues to reflect their historic and diplomatic ties to the international community.
Why do so many island nations have blue flags?
Island nations such as Fiji, Tuvalu, Micronesia, and Nauru surround themselves with a blue field because it represents the Pacific Ocean, the defining feature of their geography and way of life. Blue is the most natural symbol for a country made of islands.
Is Argentina's flag blue or white?
Argentina's flag uses a light blue known as celeste in its top and bottom bands, with a white central band bearing the Sun of May. It is often described as a light blue-and-white flag, with the celeste giving it its distinctive gentle appearance.