Flags That Look Alike: How to Tell Them Apart
Many national flags are built from the same few colours and shapes, which is why they are so easy to confuse. Here are the groups that catch out puzzle players most often, and the details that tell them apart.
Red, white and blue horizontal stripes
The Netherlands has red, white and blue stripes of equal height. Croatia uses the same colours in the same order but adds a red and white chequerboard crest in the middle. Paraguay also has red, white and blue stripes and carries an emblem in the centre. Serbia uses red, blue and white, in a different order, with a coat of arms on the left.
Vertical tricolours
France is blue, white and red. Italy is green, white and red. Mexico has the same green, white and red as Italy but adds a coat of arms in the middle. Belgium is black, yellow and red, and Nigeria is green, white and green. Always check the order of the colours and look for a crest.
Nordic cross flags
Denmark is red with a white cross, Sweden is blue with a yellow cross, and Norway is red with a blue cross outlined in white. Finland, Iceland and others use the same cross layout with other colours. The cross is shifted towards the hoist, which helps you spot the layout even when the flag is turned.
White flags with a coloured cross
England is white with a red cross that reaches the edges. Switzerland is red with a white cross on a square flag. Georgia is white with a red cross and four smaller crosses. A flag turned sideways can make a plain cross look like a plus sign.
Green, yellow and red pan-African flags
Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon and several other African nations use green, yellow and red. Senegal has vertical stripes with a green star, Ghana has horizontal stripes with a black star, and Cameroon has vertical stripes with a yellow star. The star colour is the quickest clue.
Red flags with a star and crescent
Turkey is red with a white crescent and star. Tunisia is red with a white disc that holds a red crescent and star. Look for the white disc to tell them apart.
Practise with the Find The Orb archive. The flag pages on this site show every flag in the game with its colours and history, which is a good way to learn the details.