Belgium

About the flag

Belgium’s flag is the vertical tricolor of black, yellow, and red—distinct from Germany’s horizontal stripes and from Spain’s red-yellow-red with a coat of arms. It also differs from Monaco and Luxembourg, which use red-white (Monaco) or red-white-light blue (Luxembourg) horizontal bands. Adopted in 1831 after independence, Belgium’s colors come from the Duchy of Brabant’s coat of arms (a gold lion on black with red claws), while the vertical layout reflects French influence. Fun fact: its official proportions (13:15) make it almost square. Memory tip: “Belgium begins with Black”—the first stripe is black, followed by the gold (yellow) and red of Brabant.