Wikipedia

National colours

National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have de facto national colours that have become well known through popular use. National colours often appear on a variety of different media, from the nation's flag to the colours used in sports. Before World War I, they also served as the colours of different military uniforms for each nation or region.

Africa

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Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Algeria   Green, white and red     National colours of Algeria
Angola   Red, black and yellow     National colours of Angola
Benin   Green, yellow and red     National colours of Benin
Botswana   Light blue, black and white     National colours of Botswana
Burkina Faso   Red, green and yellow     National colours of Burkina Faso
Burundi   Red, white and green     National colours of Burundi
Cameroon   Green, red and yellow     National colours of Cameroon
Cape Verde   Blue, white, red and yellow      National colours of Cape Verde
Central African Republic   Blue, white, green, yellow and red    
   		National colours of Central African Republic
Chad   Blue, yellow and red     National colours of Chad
Comoros   Yellow, white, red, blue and green    
   		National colours of Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the   Blue, yellow and red     National colours of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Congo, Republic of the   Green, yellow and red     National colours of Congo Republic
Djibouti   Light blue, green, white and red      National colours of Djibouti
Egypt   Red, white and black Gold       National colours of Egypt
Equatorial Guinea   Green, white, red and blue      National colours of Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea   Green, blue, red and yellow      National colours of Eritrea
Eswatini (Swaziland)   Blue, yellow, red, black and white    
   		National colours of Eswatini
Ethiopia   Green, yellow, red and blue      National colours of Ethiopia
Gabon   Green, yellow and blue    
Gambia   Red, blue, green and white     
Ghana   Red, yellow, green and black Black and white (used in sports)        
Guinea   Red, yellow and green    
Guinea-Bissau   Red, yellow, green and black     
Ivory Coast   Orange, white and green    
Kenya   Black, red, green and white     
Lesotho   Blue, white, green and black     
Liberia   Red, white and blue    
Libya   Red, black, green and white     
Madagascar   Red, green and white    
Malawi   Black, red and green    
Mali   Green, yellow and red    
Mauritania   Green, yellow and red    
Mauritius   Red, blue, yellow and green     
Morocco   Red and green   
Mozambique   Green, yellow, red, black and white    
  
Namibia   Blue, red, green, white and yellow    
  
Niger   Orange, white and green    
Nigeria   Green and white   
Rwanda   Sky blue, yellow and green    
São Tomé and Príncipe   Green, yellow, red and black     
Senegal   Green, yellow and red    
Seychelles   Blue, yellow, red, white and green    
  
Sierra Leone   Green, white and blue    
Somalia   Blue and white   
South Africa   Red, green, blue, gold, black and white[1] Green and gold (used in sports)    
    		  
South Sudan   Black, red, green, blue, yellow and white    
   
Sudan   Red, white, black and green     
Tanzania   Green, yellow, blue and black     
Togo   Green, yellow, red and white     
Tunisia   Red and white   
Uganda   Black, yellow and red    
Zambia   Green, red, black and orange     
Zimbabwe   Green, yellow, red, black and white    
  

North America

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Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Antigua and Barbuda   Red, white, blue, black and yellow    
  
Bahamas   Aquamarine, yellow and black    
Barbados   Ultramarine, gold and black    
Belize   Blue, red and white Sky blue (used in sports)      
Canada   Red and white[2] Black (only used in sports)      National colours of Canada
Costa Rica   Blue, white and red Black (used in sports)      
Cuba   Blue, white and red Black      
Dominica   Green, yellow, black, white and red Blue (used in sports)    
   		 
Dominican Republic   Blue, white and red    
El Salvador   Blue and white   
Grenada   Green, yellow and red    
Guatemala   Blue and white Navy blue and green-blue      
Haiti   Blue and red[3]   
Honduras   Turquoise blue and white Navy blue and midnight blue      
Jamaica   Green, gold and black    
Mexico   Green, white and red Black, Indian red, magenta and lime green (used only in sports)         
Nicaragua   Blue and white Gold and denim (used only in sports)      
Panama   Blue, white and red Midnight blue and cadet blue (used only in sports)       
Saint Kitts and Nevis   Green, red and white Gold and black       
Saint Lucia   Light blue, yellow, black and white Blue (only in sports)       
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines   Blue, yellow and green    
Trinidad and Tobago   Red, white and black Maroon (only in sports)      
United States   Red, white and blue[3]     List of U.S. state colors

Sub-national colours

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Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Anguilla   Orange, blue and white    
Aruba   Yellow, cerulean, white, red    
 
Bermuda   Red, blue and white Prussian blue (used in sports)      
Bonaire   Yellow, blue and white    
British Virgin Islands   Green, yellow and white    
Cayman Islands   Blue, red and white    
Curaçao   Blue, yellow and white    
Guadeloupe   Green, red and white Black      
Martinique   Red, green and black Blue and white       
Montserrat   Black, green, dark blue, red and white      
New Brunswick   Pine green, navy blue and white     See Flag of New Brunswick
Puerto Rico   Red, white and blue    
Quebec   Royal Blue and white    See Flag of Quebec
Saint Martin   Yellow and blue Dark blue, red and white       
Saint Pierre et Miquelon   Blue, white and red    
Sint Maarten   Red, blue and white    
Turks and Caicos   Blue, light blue, red and white Green sheen (only in sports)       
US Virgin Islands   White, yellow and blue Light blue (used only in sports)      

South America

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Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Argentina   Light blue and white[4] Blue and black (used in sports)      
Bolivia   Red, yellow and green White (used in sports)      
Brazil   Green and yellow Blue and white      
Chile   Red, white and blue    
Colombia   Yellow, blue and red Dark blue and white (used in sports)       
Ecuador   Yellow, blue and red Sky blue (used in sports)      
French Guiana   Yellow and green Blue (used in sports)     
Guyana   Yellow and green Red and black      
Paraguay   Red, white and blue Bluegray (used in sports)      
Peru   Red and white   
Suriname   White and green Red and gold      
Uruguay   Blue and white Light blue (used in sports)         Flag of Artigas, Flag of the Treinta y Tres
Venezuela   Yellow, blue and red Burgundy, khaki, white and neon yellow (used in sports)        

Asia

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Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further
information
Armenia   Red, blue and orange    
Afghanistan   Black, red, green and white Blue (Sports)       
Azerbaijan   Sky blue, red and green    
Bahrain   Red and white   
Bangladesh   Red and green White (football)[5]          First Flag of Bangladesh (1971)
Bhutan   Orange, gold and white    
Brunei   Yellow, black, white and red Blue and green (football)        
Cambodia   Red and blue Black (football)     
China   Red and yellow Dark blue, black and white (sports)       
Georgia   Red and white   
India   Saffron orange, blue, white and green Sky blue (sports)       
Indonesia   Red and white[6] Green (sports)     
Iran   Green, white and red Black      
Iraq   Red, white, black and green     
Israel   Blue and white[7]    National colours of Israel
Japan   Red and white Black (sports); Blue, white and spring bud (only used in football)        
Jordan   Black, white, green and red     
Kazakhstan   Blue and gold White and black (sports)      
Korea, North
(Democratic People's Republic of Korea) 		  Red, white and blue    
Korea, South
(Republic of Korea) 		  White, red, blue and black     
Kuwait   Green, white, red and black Blue and red (sports)        
Kyrgyzstan   Red and yellow   
Laos   Red, blue and white Black, gold and sky blue (football)        
Lebanon   Red, white and green    
Malaysia   Gold and black Red, white, dark blue and gold        
Maldives   Red and white Green and blue (football)      
Mongolia   Blue, red and yellow White (sports)      
Myanmar   Yellow, green, red and white     
Nepal   Crimson, blue and white    
Oman   Red, white and green Gold      
Pakistan   Green and white Lime green and gold (sports)      
Philippines   Blue, red, white and yellow     
Qatar   Maroon and white   
Saudi Arabia   Green and white Lavender[8]     
Singapore   Red and white Blue (football)     
Sri Lanka   Blue and yellow Maroon, yellow, orange, green (flag colours) and white         
Syria   Red, white, black and green Gray and gold        
Tajikistan   Red, white and green    
Thailand   Red, white and blue Royal yellow, royal purple and blue sapphire         Royal flags of Thailand
Timor-Leste   Red, yellow, black and white     
Turkmenistan   Green and white Sand     
United Arab Emirates   Red, green, white and black Gold and blue        
Uzbekistan   Blue, white, green and red Black (sports)       
Vietnam   Yellow and red Blue and White (sports)       
Yemen   Red, white and black    

Sub-national colours

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Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Hong Kong   Red and white Black and gray      
Macau   Green and white White and dark blue (sports)      

Europe

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Country Flag Primary
colours		 Secondary
colours		 Primary Secondary Further information
Albania   Red and black   
Andorra   Blue, yellow and red    
Austria   Red and white   
Belarus   Red, green and white    
Belgium   Red Black and yellow; Light blue (used in sports)[9]      
Bosnia and Herzegovina   Blue and gold White (used in football)     
Bulgaria   White, green and red    
Croatia   Red, white and blue    
Czech Republic   White, red and blue[10][11][12]     National colours of the Czech Republic
Cyprus   Blue and white Orange     
Denmark   Red and white   
Estonia   Blue, black and white[13]    
Finland   White and blue Red and gold      
France   Blue, white and red[14]    
Germany   Black, red and gold White; Silver (used in motor racing); Green (used in football)         (football) National colours of Germany
Greece   Blue and white    National colours of Greece
Hungary   Red, white and dark green    
Iceland   Blue, white and red    
Ireland   Green St. Patrick's blue      
Italy   Green, white and red[15] Azure       National colours of Italy
Latvia   Carmine and white   
Liechtenstein   Blue and red   
Lithuania   Yellow, green and red    
Luxembourg   Red, white and light blue    
Malta   Red and white   
Moldova   Blue, yellow and red    
Monaco   Red and white   
Montenegro   Red and gold   
Netherlands   Orange Red, white and blue (flag)       Orange refers to the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
North Macedonia   Red and yellow White (used by the national football team)     
Norway   Red, blue and white    
Poland   White and red       (Sports) National colours of Poland
Portugal   Green and red (Before the 1910 revolution: White and blue)      
Romania   Blue, yellow and red    
Russia   White, blue and red Green      
San Marino   White and light blue   
Serbia   Red, blue and white[16][17][18]     National colours of Serbia
Slovakia   White, blue and red    
Slovenia   White, blue and red[19] Green, blue and white (sports)[20]        
Spain   Red and gold (During the Second Spanish Republic: also Purple)       
Sweden   Blue and yellow    See Flag of Sweden
Switzerland   Red and white   
Turkey   Red and white Turquoise     
Ukraine   Blue and gold    National colours of Ukraine
United Kingdom   Red, white and blue British racing green       National colours of the United Kingdom

Sub-national colours

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Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Åland   Blue, yellow and red    
Andalucia   Green and white   
Basque Country   Green and red White     
Bavaria   Sky blue and white    See Flag of Bavaria
Brittany   Black and white   
Brussels Region   Blue and yellow Grey     
Canary Islands   Yellow, blue and white    
Catalonia   Red and yellow   
Cornwall   Black and white   
Dublin City   Green and blue    It is common to see dark blue and light blue flown for Dublin, but this is the GAA colours for Dublin county.
England   Red and white Blue (sports)     
Faroe Islands   White, blue and red    
Flanders   Black and yellow   
Friesland   Blue, white and red    
Galicia   Sky blue and white   
Gibraltar   Red and white   
Guernsey   Red and white Green (sports)      See Flag of Guernsey
Isle of Man   Red and grey Yellow (sports)      Yellow is the colour of the unofficial national football team.
Jersey   Red and white   
Northern Ireland   Red and white Green and white (sports)       Green and white is in reference to the national football team
Saxony   Green and white   
Scotland   Blue and white   
Wales   Red, green and white Yellow       Yellow is in reference to the colour of the national flower of Wales, the daffodil.
Wallonia   Red and yellow   

Oceania

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Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Australia   Green and gold Blue and white       National colours of Australia
Fiji   Light blue White and black (rugby and other sports)     
Kiribati   Red, gold, blue and white     
New Zealand   Black[21] White, silver, ochre red, teal and beige (used by the cricket team in the 1980s)         National colours of New Zealand
Papua New Guinea   Red, black, yellow and white     
Samoa   Red, white and blue    
Solomon Islands   Olive green, yellow and blue Green and white       
Tonga   Red and white   
Tuvalu   Sky blue, yellow and white Blue      
Vanuatu   Red, green, black and yellow     

Sub-national colours

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Country, nation or region Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
American Samoa   Blue, red and white    
Cook Islands   Green and white   
French Polynesia   Red and white   
Guam   Indigo and red Blue and white      
New Caledonia   Gray, white and red    
Niue   Golden yellow and blue   
Australian Capital Territory   Dark blue, white and gold[22]     see Sport in Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales   Sky blue[23] Navy blue and white      see Sport in New South Wales
Northern Territory   Black, White and Ochre[24]     see Sport in Northern Territory
Queensland   Maroon[25] White and gold      see Symbols of Queensland
South Australia   Red, gold and dark blue[26]     see Sport in South Australia
Tasmania   Bottle green, yellow and maroon[27][28]     see Sport in Tasmania
Victoria   Navy blue and silver[29] White      see Sport in Victoria
Western Australia   Gold and black White      see Sport in Western Australia

Countries with limited or no recognition

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These are the national colours for countries or states that have limited or no recognition.

Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Abkhazia   Green, white and red    
Kosovo   Blue, gold and white Black      
Palestine   Black, white, green and red     
Somaliland   Green, white and red    
South Ossetia   White, red and yellow    
Taiwan
(Republic of China) 		  Blue, white and red Verdigris (University Sports)      
Transnistria   Red and green   
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus   Red and white   
Western Sahara
(Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) 		  Black, white, green and red     

Former countries

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Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Austria-Hungary   Black and gold Red, white and green           Flags of Austria-Hungary
Black and gold were the colours of the ruling Habsburg monarchy
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)   Red, blue and orange White      
Byzantine Empire   Red, gold and purple     Byzantine flags and insignia
China
(Republic of China, 1912-1949) 		  Blue, white and red    
Confederate States of America   Blue, white and red Cadet grey       Cadet grey was an official color of the Confederate States Army
Czechoslovakia   Blue, white and red    
Donetsk People's Republic   Black, blue and red    
East Germany   Black, red and gold Blue       National colours of Germany
France
(Kingdom of France 987–1792, 1814–1848) 		      White and blue    French Blue, French Flags
German Empire   Black, white and red     German Flags
Göktürk Khaganate Sky blue  
Holy Roman Empire   Gold and black White and red       Flags of the Holy Roman Empire
Luhansk People's Republic   Light blue, blue and red    
Nazi Germany   Black, white and red Brown       German Flags
Neutral Moresnet
 
 Black, white and navy      
Portugal (Kingdom of Portugal 1139-1910)   Blue and white    
Rhodesia   Green  
Soviet Union   Red Gold    
South Africa (pre-1994)
 
 Orange, white and blue Green (sports)      
South Yemen
 
 Red, sky blue, white and black     
Yugoslavia   Blue, white and red    

Caliphates

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Country Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Umayyad Caliphate White  
Abbasid Caliphate   Black   Black Standard
Fatimid Caliphate   White  
Ottoman Empire   Red  

Ancient/Imperial Chinese dynasties

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See also: colour in Chinese culture
Dynasty Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
Xia dynasty Black, grue    [30] Green/blue in China
Shang dynasty White   [30]
Zhou dynasty Red   [30]
Qin dynasty Black   [30]
Han dynasty Black (206 BC-104 BC)
Yellow (104 BC-26 AD)
Red (26 AD-220 AD) 		 
 
  		[30]
Former Wei dynasty Yellow   [30]
Jin dynasty Red   [30]
Liu Song dynasty Red   [30]
Southern Qi dynasty Red   [30] Green/blue in China
Liang dynasty Red   [30]
Chen dynasty Red   [30]
Northern Wei dynasty Yellow (399-491)
Black (491-535) 		 
  		[30]
Northern Qi dynasty Black   [30]
Northern Zhou dynasty Black   [30]
Sui dynasty Red   [30]
Tang dynasty Yellow (618-750)
Reddish Yellow (750-907) 		 
  		[30]
Liao dynasty Black   [30]
Later Jin dynasty White   [30]
Song dynasty Red   [30]
Western Xia dynasty White   [30]
Jin dynasty White   [30]
Yuan dynasty White   [30]
Ming dynasty Red   [30]
Qing dynasty   Yellow   [30] Imperial yellow jacket
Yellow Dragon Flag

Supranational organisations

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Some noted supranational organisations like the United Nations and the European Union have their own colours as part of their branding and marketing. They are usually taken from the organisation's flag. Although they do not have national sporting teams, the colours can be used for anything connected to the organisation, like associated bodies.

Organisation Flag Primary colours Secondary colours Primary Secondary Further information
African Union   Green and gold    Flag of the African Union
Arab League
 
 Green Red, black and white       Flag of the Arab League, Pan-Arab colours
Association of Southeast Asian Nations   Blue, red and yellow Brown       Flag of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Green and yellow Blue and white      
Caribbean Community
 
 Sky blue, dark blue and yellow Maroon (sports)       Maroon is the colour of the West Indies cricket team. Although they are not an officially part of CARICOM, most members of the community are members of the Cricket West Indies. CARICOM sees the organisation as an associated institute of Community.[31]
Community of Portuguese Language Countries
 
 Blue and white    Flag of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries
Eurasian Economic Union
 
 White Blue and gold      Flag of the Eurasian Economic Union
European Union   Reflex blue and gold    Flag of Europe
Mercosur
 
 White and blue Green      Flag of Mercosur
NATO   Dark Blue   Flag of NATO
Nordic Council
 
 Blue and white    Flag of the Nordic Council; Design Manual of the Nordic Council - Colours
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
 
 White, green and black Red       See Flag of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Green in Islam
Organization of Turkic States
 
 Turquoise   Although the flag of the Organization of Turkic States is light blue and white, turquoise is the colour most associated with the Turkic region.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Gold and white   
United Nations   Light blue and white    Flag of the United Nations

Examples of use of these colours

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National flag". South African Government. 2018-02-19.
  2. ^ "National Colours: Red and White". Government of Canada. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  3. ^ a b "National Symbols". The World Factbook (52nd ed.). Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Public Affairs. 2014. ISBN 978-0-16-092553-5. OCLC 913577992. Archived from the original on 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2015-05-02.
  4. ^ "Símbolos nacionales". Government of Argentina. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. La primera enseña patria es la Bandera Nacional. Creada por el general Manuel Belgrano el 27 de febrero de 1812, fue consagrada con los mismos coloures 'celeste y blanco' por el Congreso de Tucumán el 20 de julio de 1816 y ratificada por el mismo cuerpo en Buenos Aires, el 25 de febrero de 1818.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh national team". Colours of Football. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  6. ^ Minahan, James B. (2009). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. ABC-CLIO. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-313-34497-8. Retrieved 2015-10-26. National colours: Red and white
  7. ^ "Israel National Symbols: The Israeli Flag". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  8. ^ Noor, Saleha (2023). "Lavender and the Kingdom: Vogue Arabia Celebrates Saudi Arabia's New Color Identity". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  9. ^ "Rode Duivels brengen eerbetoon aan wielrenners met uitshirts". Sporza. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  10. ^ "Státní symboly". hrad.cz.
  11. ^ "Symboly současné České republiky". vlast.cz.
  12. ^ "Státní symboly České republiky". toulkypocechach.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  13. ^ "National symbols of Estonia". Archived from the original on 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  14. ^ "Le drapeau tricolour" [The Tricolour Flag] (in French). 2002-06-20. Archived from the original on 2005-01-28. Retrieved 2015-07-18. Le pavillon, ainsi que le drapeau national, sera formé des trois couleurs nationales disposées en trois bandes égales, de manière à ce que le bleu soit attaché à la garde du pavillon, le blanc au milieu et le rouge flottant.
  15. ^ Ferorelli, Nicola (1925). La vera origine del tricoloure italiano. Rassegna storica del Risorgimento. Vol. 12. pp. 654–680.
  16. ^ The Journal of the Orders & Medals Research Society of Great Britain. Orders and Medals Research Society. 1969. p. 207).
  17. ^ Chronicles. Rockford Institute. 1994. p. 39.
  18. ^ Thomas, Nigel; Mikulan, Krunoslav (2006). The Yugoslav Wars (2): Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992–2001. Osprey Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-84176-964-6.
  19. ^ "National Insignia". Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2016-08-21. the three national colours (white, blue and red) of Carniola - the central historic state on the territory of the Slovenian people - are used
  20. ^ "Sport in Slovenia" (PDF). Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-21. The Olympic Committee of Slovenia suggests that sports organisations use the following ratio when designing national sports equipment: 50% green, 30% blue and 20% white.
  21. ^ "Design of The New Zealand Orders Insignia". The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  22. ^ "ACT Flags and Emblems". ACT Government Chief Minister's Department. 27 February 2023.
  23. ^ Symbols and emblems of NSW Archived 2010-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Northern Territory Flag". Department of the Chief Minister. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08.
  25. ^ "State colour". Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
  26. ^ "State Emblems and Insignia". Archived from the original on 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2016-09-09., Government of South Australia
  27. ^ Department of Premier and Cabinet - TASMANIA : Sporting colours
  28. ^ "Tasmanian Sporting Colours - Story of their Origin". The Mercury. 13 February 1925.
  29. ^ "Ensigns of Public Authority". Department of Premier and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Gao, Jingyi (2012). "Official Colours of Chinese Regimes: A Panchronic Philological Study with Historical Account of China" (PDF). Trames. A Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences. 16(66/61) (3). Estonian Academy Publishers: 237–285. doi:10.3176/tr.2012.3.03.
  31. ^ "West Indies Cricket Board". CARICOM. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
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