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National colours are frequently part of a country's set of
national symbol A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...
s. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' national colours that have become well known through popular use. National colours often appear on a variety of different media, from the nation's
flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employ ...
to the colours used in
sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
s. Before World War I, they also served as the colors of different military uniforms for each nation.


Africa


North America


Sub-national colours


South America


Asia


Sub-national colours


Europe


Sub-national colours


Oceania


Sub-national colours


Countries with limited or no recognition

These are the national colours for countries or states that have limited or no recognition.


Former countries


Caliphates


Ancient/Imperial Chinese dynasties


Supranational organisations

Some noted supranational organisations like the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
and the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
have their own colours as part of their
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
ing and
marketing Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to empha ...
. They are usually taken from the organisation's flag. Although they do not have national sporting teams, the colours can be used for anything connected to the organisation, like associated bodies.


Examples of use of these colours

* United Nations: the recognisable blue helmets of the peacekeeping operations and the flags of associated UN agencies like the World Health Organisation, with the UN's light blue and white. *
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
: the blue and yellow of the EU flag; uses include the blue
European Health Insurance Card The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is issued free of charge and allows anyone who is insured by or covered by a statutory social security scheme of the EEA countries, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom to receive medical treatment in ...
and the Blue Card for skilled immigration.


See also

*
Tricolour A tricolour () or tricolor () is a type of flag or banner design with a triband design which originated in the 16th century as a symbol of republicanism, liberty, or revolution. The flags of France, Italy, Romania, Mexico, and Ireland wer ...
*
List of international auto racing colours From the beginning of organised motor sport events, in the early 1900s, until the late 1960s, before commercial sponsorship liveries came into common use, vehicles competing in Formula One, sports car racing, touring car racing and other inter ...
*
Lists of national symbols These are lists of national symbols: * List of national animals * List of national anthems *List of national birds *List of national dances * List of national emblems * List of national flags *List of national founders * List of national fruits * L ...


References

{{National symbols National colours Color in culture