Flag of Belgium
Officially Kingdom of Belgium
Locally België
What the flag looks like
Three equal vertical stripes of black, yellow and red from the hoist, in an unusual near-square 13:15 ratio.
What it means
The colors come from the arms of the Duchy of Brabant: a golden lion with red claws and tongue on a black field.
How to remember it
Belgium
is Germany's
black, yellow and red standing upright: vertical stripes with black at the flagpole, versus Germany's horizontal stack.
Fun facts
- The official proportion of 13:15 is rarely seen; most Belgian flags in everyday use are made in the common 2:3 shape.
- Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German.
Belgium at a glance
- Capital
- Brussels
- Region
- Western Europe
- Population
- 12 million
- Area
- 30,528 km²
- Languages
- German, French, Dutch
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Flag adopted
- 1831
Flags often confused with Belgium
- Germany: Belgium and Germany both use black, yellow/gold and red. Belgium's stripes are vertical (black, yellow, red); Germany's are horizontal (black, red, gold).