Flags That Look Alike: Red and White Flags and Other Twins
The red and white flags are the biggest family of look-alikes: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Indonesia, Monaco, Peru, Latvia and Turkey. The other flags people confuse most are Chad and Romania, Indonesia and Monaco, Ireland and Ivory Coast, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and Australia and New Zealand. Chad and Romania are near twins (Chad's blue is darker); Indonesia and Monaco are both red over white (only the proportions differ); Ireland has green at the flagpole and Ivory Coast has orange there; Luxembourg's blue is lighter; New Zealand's stars are red with white edges.
Red and white flags
Red and white is the most common two-colour pair. Tell them apart by the shape: Austria is red, white, red in horizontal stripes; Canada is red, white, red in vertical bands with a maple leaf; Peru is the same vertical pattern without the leaf; Latvia is a darker carmine red with a thin white stripe; Denmark has a white Nordic cross; Switzerland has a white cross on a square flag; Japan is a red disc on white; Turkey and Tunisia have a white crescent and star on red; Georgia has five red crosses on white; and Poland, Indonesia and Monaco are two plain halves (see below).
Test yourself on Medium, where the wrong choices come from the same continent: Flag Quiz.
Chad and Romania
Both are blue, yellow and red vertical stripes. Chad's blue is a darker indigo, Romania's a brighter cobalt, but next to each other they are hard to tell apart. Two more look-alikes add a coat of arms: Andorra and Moldova have the same colours with an emblem in the middle.
Indonesia and Monaco (and Poland)
Indonesia and Monaco are both red over white; Monaco's official shape is a little squarer. Poland is the same two colours upside down: white on top, red below.
Ireland and Ivory Coast
Both use green, white and orange vertical stripes. Ireland has green next to the flagpole, Ivory Coast has orange there. Italy, with green, white and red, is the third in this group.
The Netherlands and Luxembourg
Red, white and blue horizontal stripes for both. Luxembourg's blue is a lighter sky blue and its flag is a bit longer.
Australia and New Zealand
Both are dark blue with the Union Jack in the corner and the Southern Cross. Australia's stars are white and it has a large seven-pointed star under the Union Jack; New Zealand has four red stars edged in white.
Senegal and Mali
Green, yellow and red vertical stripes for both; Senegal has a green star in the yellow stripe. Guinea uses the same colours in the opposite order: red, yellow, green.
Flags with a sun, a star or a crescent
- A sun: Argentina and Uruguay (a sun with a face), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, the Philippines, Rwanda, Namibia and Taiwan; Nepal has a sun and a moon.
- A crescent and star: Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan, Algeria, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Mauritania and Libya; Singapore has a crescent with five stars.
- One big star: Vietnam (yellow on red), Ghana (black), Senegal (green), Cameroon (yellow), Somalia (white on blue) and Morocco (a green star outline on red).
Frequently asked questions
Which countries have red and white flags?
Among others Austria, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Indonesia, Monaco, Peru, Latvia, Turkey, Tunisia and Georgia.
Which two flags are the most alike?
Chad and Romania: blue, yellow and red vertical stripes; Chad's blue is a little darker.
How do you tell Indonesia's flag from Monaco's?
In a quiz you can't by colour: both are red over white. Monaco's flag is squarer. Poland is white over red.
What is the difference between the flags of Ireland and Ivory Coast?
The order: Ireland is green, white, orange from the pole; Ivory Coast is orange, white, green.
How do you tell Australia's flag from New Zealand's?
Australia's stars are white and there are more of them; New Zealand's four stars are red with white edges.
Which flag looks like the Netherlands?
Luxembourg's: the same red, white and blue stripes with a lighter blue.