Flags With Diagonal Stripes: National Flags With Diagonal Bands

At least a dozen national flags use diagonal stripes or bands, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Namibia, Brunei, Trinidad and Tobago, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Bhutan, the Marshall Islands, Seychelles, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

How the Diagonal Design Works

Most national flags divide their field into horizontal or vertical bands, but a distinctive minority run a stripe or division diagonally from one corner to another. In heraldic terms, a diagonal band running from the top hoist to the bottom fly is called a bend, and the opposite direction is a bend sinister. A flag split into two triangles by a single diagonal line is described as divided per bend.

Diagonal stripes give a flag a strong sense of movement and dynamism, which is why many newer nations chose them to signal energy and forward motion. The designs below range from a single diagonal band to bold multi-coloured stripes and even sun-ray patterns radiating from a corner.

Flags With a Single Diagonal Stripe

These flags feature one diagonal band, usually edged in a contrasting colour, crossing the field.

• Democratic Republic of the Congo: A sky-blue field crossed by a red diagonal stripe edged with yellow, running from the lower hoist to the upper fly, with a yellow star in the upper hoist corner.
• Republic of the Congo: Divided diagonally by a yellow band running from the lower hoist to the upper fly, separating a green upper triangle from a red lower triangle — a classic pan-African design.
• Tanzania: A yellow-edged black diagonal band runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly, dividing a green upper triangle from a blue lower triangle. Green stands for the land, blue for the sea and lakes, black for the people, and gold for mineral wealth.
• Namibia: A red diagonal band edged in white runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly, separating a blue upper triangle with a golden sun from a green lower triangle.
• Trinidad and Tobago: A black diagonal band edged with white runs across a red field from the upper hoist to the lower fly, representing the people's dedication and the wealth of the land and sea.
• Brunei: A yellow field crossed by two diagonal stripes, one black and one white, running from the upper hoist toward the lower fly, with the red state crest in the centre.

Flags Divided by a Diagonal Line

These flags split the whole field into triangles along a diagonal, sometimes with an emblem straddling the divide.

• Papua New Guinea: A diagonal line from the upper hoist to the lower fly divides the flag into a red upper triangle bearing a bird of paradise and a black lower triangle bearing the Southern Cross.
• Bhutan: A diagonal line from the lower hoist to the upper fly divides the flag into a yellow upper triangle and an orange lower triangle, with a white dragon (the Druk) straddling the divide.
• Solomon Islands: A thin yellow diagonal stripe runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly, dividing a blue upper triangle with five white stars from a green lower triangle.
• Saint Kitts and Nevis: A broad black diagonal band edged with yellow runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly, carrying two white stars, with a green upper triangle and a red lower triangle.

Flags With Radiating or Angled Bands

A few flags use diagonal elements in more unusual ways, radiating from a corner.

• Seychelles: Five bands of blue, yellow, red, white, and green radiate obliquely from the lower hoist corner toward the fly, suggesting a dynamic young nation moving into the future.
• Marshall Islands: Two widening diagonal stripes of orange and white sweep upward from the lower hoist to the upper fly, with a large white star in the upper hoist. The rising bands represent the equator and the increase of energy and prosperity.

What Diagonal Stripes Symbolise

Diagonal designs are strongly associated with the wave of independence movements in Africa and the Pacific during the second half of the 20th century. A slanting band breaks from the older European habit of horizontal and vertical tricolours, giving a young nation a modern, energetic identity. In the flags of the two Congos, Tanzania, and Namibia, the diagonal separates blocks of colour that stand for land, water, people, and mineral wealth. In the Pacific, the rising bands of the Marshall Islands and the radiating rays of Seychelles evoke sunrise, the equator, and forward momentum. Whatever the local meaning, the diagonal line consistently signals dynamism and change, which is exactly why so many nations founded in an age of transformation reached for it.

Common Questions

What is a diagonal stripe on a flag called?

In heraldry a diagonal band running from the upper hoist to the lower fly is called a bend, while one running the other way is a bend sinister. A flag split into two triangles by a diagonal line is described as divided per bend.

Which flags have a single diagonal stripe?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Namibia, and Trinidad and Tobago all feature a single diagonal band, usually edged in a contrasting colour, crossing the field from one corner toward the other.

Why do so many African and Pacific flags use diagonals?

Many African and Pacific nations gained independence in the mid-to-late 20th century and chose diagonal designs to signal energy, modernity, and a break from older horizontal tricolours. The slanting bands also neatly separate colours representing land, sea, and people.