8 Black, Red, and Yellow Flags from Countries, Regions, & Cultures

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Learn the history & meaning of each red, black, and yellow flag
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Did you spot a black, red, and yellow flag but aren’t sure which country it belongs to? Well, you’re in luck, because we’ve put together an exhaustive list of every country (along with some regions and cultures) that uses a red, gold, and black flag. Along with this list of black-red-yellow flags , you’ll learn about the history, background, and meaning of each one. And , we’ll tell you about what these three colors symbolize in flag design and lead you to more fascinating facts about flags and their color palettes.

Which country has a black, gold, and red flag?

Six official countries have a black, gold, and red flag—these are Germany, Belgium, Angola, East Timor (officially, Timor-Leste), Uganda, and Papua New Guinea. A black, red, and yellow flag is also used by the Republic of Saugeais (a self-proclaimed French micronation) and the Australian Aboriginal culture.

Section 1 of 3:

8 Black, Red, and Yellow Flags

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  1. The German national flag has three equal horizontal stripes in black, red, and yellow. The colors date back to when Germany was fighting to be freed from French occupation, and freedom fighters wore black uniforms with gold and red adornments. This black-gold-red color combination became a symbol of unity and freedom in 1890s Germany and made its way onto the country’s flag. The design was initially adopted in 1919, replaced by the Nazi flag in 1933, and re-adopted in 1949 after World War II. When the Berlin Wall went up, East Germany used the original flag with the addition of a central compass and hammer within a ring of rye. After Germany was reunified, West Germany’s black-red-yellow design became the official (and current) German flag. [1]
    • Year of Adoption: May 23rd, 1949 (in its most recent official adoption).
    • Designer: Unknown. The flag was first proposed in the mid-1800s.
    • What is the black, yellow, and red flag with an eagle? The black, yellow, and red flag with an eagle on it is the German Federal Service Flag, also known as the Bundesdienstflagge. This flag is used to symbolize the German state, and it's only flown in an official capacity by the government and military. [2]
  2. The Belgian national flag has three equal vertical stripes in black, yellow, and red. The colors come from the Duchy of Brabant, a Belgian province that existed from 1930 to 1995. The Duchy of Brabant’s coat of arms featured a yellow lion with red claws and a red tongue on a black background. These colors were later incorporated into the present-day flag of Belgium. Some claim that its vertical design was inspired by the French flag, since the current flag was chosen after Belgium won its independence from France in 1830. [3]
    • Year of Adoption: January 23rd, 1831.
    • Designer: Unknown.
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  3. The Ugandan national flag features six equal horizontal stripes in a black, yellow, red, black, yellow, and red pattern (from top to bottom). In the center of the flag, there’s a white circle with a crane in the middle. The crane is depicted with black, grey, white, red, and yellow colors. The crane is the official symbol of Uganda, while the black color represents the Ugandan people, the yellow represents the nation’s plentiful sunshine, and the red symbolizes brotherhood among Uganda’s citizens. The crane also stands with a raised leg, symbolizing Uganda’s forward movement toward progress, prosperity, and the future. [4]
    • Year of Adoption: October 9th, 1962 (date of the country’s independence from British rule).
    • Designer: Grace Ibingira, the then-Minister of Justice.
  4. The Angolan national flag is split horizontally into two equal stripes—the top one is red, and the bottom one is black. In the center of the flag, there’s a yellow emblem that depicts a gear, a star, and a machete. The black color is said to represent the continent of Africa, the yellow symbolizes wealth, and the red symbolizes both socialism (at the time of adoption) and the bloodshed during the country’s fight for independence (modern interpretation). [5] The central emblem represents industrial workers (gear), agricultural workers (machete), and internationalism and progress (star). [6]
    • Year of Adoption: November 11th, 1975 (date of the country’s independence from Portugal).
    • Designer: Henrique de Carvalho Santos (influenced by the flag used by the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola).
  5. East Timor (officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) has a mostly red flag. On the left side of the flag, there’s a yellow isosceles triangle that points to the right. On top of the yellow triangle, there’s a slightly smaller black triangle with a white star on it. Originally, the black color represented East Timor’s 400 years as a colonized and oppressed region, the yellow represented the fight for independence, the red represented bloodshed, and the white star represented hope for the future. However, as of 2002’s Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the colors officially represent obscurantism (black), wealth (yellow), struggle for liberation (red), and peace (white). [7]
    • Year of Adoption: May 20th, 2002 (date of the country achieving full sovereignty).
    • Designer: Natalino Leitão. [8]
  6. Papua New Guinea’s flag is diagonally split into two sections—the rightmost section is red and the leftmost section is black. On the red field, there’s a golden silhouette of a flying bird, specifically the Raggiana bird-of-paradise. On the black field, there are five white stars that form the Southern Cross constellation. The black and red colors are traditional of many Papua New Guinean tribes, while the bird-of-paradise symbol is borrowed from the country’s national coat-of-arms. The Southern Cross is a common symbol on many national flags from the Southern Hemisphere, as the constellation is easily visible in their night sky. [9]
    • Year of Adoption: July 1st, 1971.
    • Designer: Susan Karike, a 15-year-old who won a nationwide design competition. [10]
  7. Like the Belgian flag, the Republic of Saugeais has a background of three vertical stripes in black, red, and gold (from left to right). The center of this flag, however, features the republic’s coat of arms, which depicts a yellow bishop’s staff, a white knight’s helmet, a white pine tree, and a white river. While there’s no official explanation of the flag, the colors are believed to be influenced by the region’s early German settlers and the colors of the French region, Franche-Comté. Note that the Republic of Saugeais is not an officially recognized country—it’s a self-proclaimed micronation in eastern France. [11]
    • Year of Adoption: 1947.
    • Designer: Unknown. However, the coat of arms was designed by Colonel Henri de Saint-Ferjeux.
  8. The Australian Aboriginal flag is an official flag of Australia that’s used to represent Aboriginal Australians, the Indigenous peoples who occupied mainland Australia and its islands before British colonization. Their flag is divided horizontally into two equal sections: the top section is black and the bottom section is red. In the center of the flag, there’s a large yellow circle. The black represents the Aboriginal people, the red represents the earth and red ochre that Aboriginal people use in ceremonies, and the golden disc symbolizes the sun—a giver and renewer of life in Aboriginal cultures. [12]
    • Year of Adoption: July 1995 (as an official flag).
    • Designer: Harold Thomas.
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Section 2 of 3:

What do black, red, and yellow symbolize in flag design?

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  1. While different countries may have different meanings for their flag colors, some interpretations are common from nation to nation. Red, as a flag color, often symbolizes bloodshed through war, revolution, and liberation. It may also represent power, courage, or strength—often, this indicates a country that had to fight for its independence and creation. Black, similarly, can symbolize victory in battle, war, death, or the defeat of an enemy. However, it can also symbolize ethnic heritage, determination, or harmony. [13]
    • Lastly, a yellow or gold shade on a flag often symbolizes wealth or prosperity—either a wealth that already belongs to the country or one they’re hoping to achieve in the future. In other cases, yellow might represent the sun, especially in warm and sun-soaked countries.
Section 3 of 3:

More Flag Color Combos & Their Meanings

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  1. Learn about more flags, where they come from, and what they symbolize! There are countless flags used worldwide to represent nations, states, cities, regions, cultures, kingdoms, identities, fantasy worlds…you name it! So, why stop now with your vexillology learning? (Vexillology is the study of flags–that’s a new word for us, too). Check out the articles below to figure out which countries claim certain color combinations, as well as the histories and meanings behind each design:
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.bundestag.de/en/parliament/symbols/flag
      2. ↑ https://www.protokoll-inland.de/Webs/PI/EN/topics/flag-displays/federal-flags/flag-of-federal-institutions/flag-of-federal-institutions-node.html
      3. ↑ https://www.monarchie.be/en/for-children/symbols
      4. ↑ https://www.theugandaschoolproject.com/blog/the-history-and-meaning-of-the-ugandan-flag
      5. ↑ https://portlandartmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AfricaFashion-Flag-Infographic-8.5x11.pdf
      6. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Angola
      7. ↑ https://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=34&lang=en
      8. ↑ https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/tl.html
      9. ↑ https://www.pngembassy.org/flag.html
      1. ↑ https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/pg.html
      2. ↑ https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fr-sauge.html
      3. ↑ https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/aboriginal-flag
      4. ↑ https://www.color-meanings.com/flag-color-meanings-symbolism/

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