The

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...

of the Principality of Andorra ( ca, Bandera d'Andorra) features a vertical

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 were ...

of blue, yellow, and red with the coat of arms of Andorra in the center. Although the three vertical bars may at first appear to be of equal width, the centre yellow bar is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of bar widths is 8:9:8 with an overall flag ratio of 7:10. A civilian variant of the flag is said to have been created in 1866, although the design was standardized in 1993 after Andorra joined the United Nations.

History

The historical flag of Andorra, which was used from 1806 to 1866, featured two equally sized red and yellow vertical (sometimes horizontal) bands. It is claimed that this flag was granted by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

in 1806 but use of the flag may go back to much earlier. A variant of the modern flag without the coat of arms is said to have been designed by Napoleon III, adding a blue stripe representing France (because colours of the old flag started to resemble too much only the new

Flag of Spain The national flag of Spain ( es, Bandera de España), as it is defined in the Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle ...

). From 1931 until 1939 a horizontal version of the flag was used which was meant to reflect the

Spanish flag The national flag of Spain ( es, Bandera de España), as it is defined in the Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle ...

. Briefly in July 1934 a horizontal variant with a crown in the middle was flown under the rule of

Boris I Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. At ...

until his removal from the throne. From 1939 to 1949 a variant of the 1866 flag flew but with a different flag ratio and coat of arms and following that from 1949 to 1959 a variant with a different colors appeared. Multiple versions of the modern flag were flown until 1993 when Andorra standardized their flag with their entry into the United Nations.

Origins and symbolism

The design is related to the flags of Catalonia, Foix and France, the lands historically linked with the small country. The coat of arms of Andorra in the center of the flag contains historical symbolism to Bishop of Urgell,

Count of Foix The Count of Foix ruled the independent County of Foix, in what is now Southern France, during the Middle Ages. The House of Foix eventually extended its power across the Pyrenees mountain range, joining the House of Bearn and moving their court ...

, Catalonia, and the Viscounty of Béarn. The inclusion of the coat of arms makes it one of 28 national flags to contain overtly Christian symbolism and it is the only national flag to portray cattle, except for the flag of Moldova, which features the head of a bull. A flag of three bars is similar to that of the

French tricolor The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland ...

, while the pattern of a wider middle stripe can be noted on the

. The motto in the coat of arms (written in

Goudy Old Style Goudy Old Style (also known as just Goudy) is an Serif#Old-style, old-style serif typeface originally created by Frederic Goudy, Frederic W. Goudy for American Type Founders (ATF) in 1915. Suitable for text and display applications, Goudy Old Styl ...

) in the middle stripe ''Virtus Unita Fortior'' means "Virtue United is Stronger". The blue and red of the Andorran flag are also found on the French flag, with red and yellow also being the colors of the Catalonian flag (as the old royal symbol of the Crown of Aragon) and the arms of the old County of Foix (currently part of France). The design is similar to the flags of Romania, Moldova, and

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

. All of these are vertical tricolors of blue, yellow, and red, and all have stripes of equal width.

Colors

The official colors of the Andorran flag are set out in the "Graphic regulations for reproducing the shield and flag" from the Oficina de Marques del Principat d'Andorra. The colors of the flag are:

Other flags of Andorra

Civil flags

Parish flags

Historical flags

References

External links

* *https://www.ompa.ad/images/PDF/normativa-signes/Normes_Grafiques.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Andorra, Flag of 1866 introductions

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 empl ...

National flags Flags introduced in 1866 Flags introduced in 1971 Andorra