Flag of Delaware

What the flag looks like

A colonial-blue field with a buff (tan) diamond holding the state coat of arms, and the date DECEMBER 7, 1787 written beneath the diamond.

What it means

Blue and buff were the colors of George Washington's Continental Army uniform; the date is the day Delaware ratified the US Constitution.

How to remember it

Delaware sets its arms in a tan diamond on blue and signs it with a date, December 7, 1787, the day it became the first state.

Fun facts

• Delaware was the first state to ratify the US Constitution, which is why it calls itself "The First State".
• The coat of arms dates from 1777 and shows a farmer and a militiaman beside a shield with a wheat sheaf, an ear of corn and an ox.

Delaware at a glance

Nickname

The First State

Statehood

1787

Capital

Dover

Region

South Atlantic

Population

989,948

Area

6,446 km²

Flag adopted

1913

Flags often confused with Delaware

• New Jersey: Delaware and New Jersey both use blue and buff. Delaware is blue with its arms in a buff diamond; New Jersey is a buff field with two women flanking a blue shield.