🇳🇱

Flag of Netherlands

Europe

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Quick Facts

Capital
Amsterdam
Flag adopted
1937
Population
18,100,436
Area
41,865 km²
Languages
Dutch
Currency
euro (€) — EUR
Demonym
Dutch
Government
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Subregion
Western Europe
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+01:00
Independence
1581

Religions

  • None 54.1%
  • Roman Catholic 20.1%
  • Protestant 14.8%
  • Other 5.9%
  • Muslim 5%

About This Flag

The flag of the Netherlands consists of three equal horizontal bands of red on top, white in the middle, and blue on the bottom. It is one of the oldest tricolor flags in the world and is considered the ancestor of the French and Russian tricolors.

Originally, the top stripe was orange, representing William of Orange, leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain in the 16th century. The orange was gradually replaced with red during the 17th century, possibly because the orange dye faded to red at sea and red was more visible.

The red-white-blue version was officially confirmed by royal decree on February 19, 1937, though it had been the de facto national flag for centuries.

What the colors & design mean

Red represents bravery and courage (originally orange for William of Orange). White symbolizes peace and honesty. Blue represents loyalty, justice, and vigilance. The tricolor celebrates Dutch independence from Spanish Habsburg rule.

red white blue

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (2)

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇪 Germany

Fun Facts

  • The Dutch flag is considered the progenitor of the modern tricolor flag format — the French, Russian, and many other tricolors were inspired by the Dutch Prinsenvlag (Prince's Flag).
  • The original orange stripe was replaced with red over time, but the color orange remains the Dutch national color, worn by sports teams and used in national celebrations (King's Day).
  • The flag was not formally standardized until 1937, even though the red-white-blue version had been in common use since at least the 1630s.
  • The Netherlands' flag inspired the flags of New York City, South Africa (partially), and Luxembourg, among others — the original orange-white-blue version also influenced the Russian tricolor introduced by Peter the Great.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇳🇱 Cape Verde 🇳🇱 Liberia 🇳🇱 Cambodia 🇳🇱 Laos 🇳🇱 North Korea

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