How can you tell the flags of Chad and Romania apart?

Chad: the darker, indigo blue. Romania: the brighter cobalt blue.

Quizzes / Flags that look alike / Chad vs Romania Flag

Chad vs Romania Flag

Chad's and Romania's flags are both three vertical stripes, blue, yellow and red, in the same order and the same 2:3 shape. The only difference is the blue: Chad's is darker, almost indigo, and Romania's is brighter.

ChadLook for the darker, indigo blue.
RomaniaLook for the brighter cobalt blue.

At a glance

	Chad	Romania
Stripes	Blue, yellow, red, upright	Blue, yellow, red, upright
Blue	Dark, almost indigo	Brighter cobalt blue
Shape	2:3	2:3
In use since	1959	1989, without the old emblem

Test yourself

Six quick rounds. The last rounds show the flags smaller, the way they look on a phone.

Why they are the same

It is a coincidence. Romania has used blue, yellow and red since the 19th century, and from 1948 its flag carried the emblem of the communist state. Chad chose its own blue, yellow and red stripes in 1959, combining the colours of the French flag with colours of its own. When Romania removed the emblem after the 1989 revolution, the two flags became almost twins.

In 2004 Chad asked the United Nations to look at the likeness. Romania kept its flag, and both still fly today.

How to tell them apart

Side by side, look at the blue stripe: the darker one is Chad. On its own, a flag is hard to call, so look for the context: an Olympic team, a map, or a name nearby. Our game below shows both, so you can train your eye on the shade.

Others in the family

AndorraThe same colours with a coat of arms in the middle, and the middle stripe wider.
MoldovaThe same colours with an eagle holding a shield in the middle.