Recognise the Flags of Europe

Tricolours, Scandinavian crosses, micro-states. A flag appears, you pick the European country. Free, in the browser, no signup needed.

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Europe is where flag confusion peaks. Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia all fly horizontal white, blue and red bands separated only by their coats of arms. The Netherlands and Luxembourg almost match, the Luxembourg blue being a touch lighter and the bands a hair narrower. Romania and Chad, on opposite continents, share a vertical blue, yellow and red tricolour that differs only in the shade of blue. This quiz puts every European flag in front of you and asks you to click the right country before time runs out. From Iceland to Cyprus, from the United Kingdom Union Jack to the chequered shield of Croatia, the difficulty climbs as the micro-states arrive.

The 45 countries — Europe

  • Flag of Albania

    Albania

    Tirana

  • Flag of Andorra

    Andorra

    Andorra la Vella

  • Flag of Austria

    Austria

    Vienna

  • Flag of Belarus

    Belarus

    Minsk

  • Flag of Belgium

    Belgium

    Brussels

  • Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Sarajevo

  • Flag of Bulgaria

    Bulgaria

    Sofia

  • Flag of Croatia

    Croatia

    Zagreb

  • Flag of Czech Republic

    Czech Republic

    Prague

  • Flag of Denmark

    Denmark

    Copenhagen

  • Flag of Estonia

    Estonia

    Tallinn

  • Flag of Finland

    Finland

    Helsinki

  • Flag of France

    France

    Paris

  • Flag of Germany

    Germany

    Berlin

  • Flag of Greece

    Greece

    Athens

  • Flag of Hungary

    Hungary

    Budapest

  • Flag of Iceland

    Iceland

    Reykjavik

  • Flag of Italy

    Italy

    Rome

  • Flag of Latvia

    Latvia

    Riga

  • Flag of Liechtenstein

    Liechtenstein

    Vaduz

  • Flag of Lithuania

    Lithuania

    Vilnius

  • Flag of Luxembourg

    Luxembourg

    Luxembourg

  • Flag of Malta

    Malta

    Valletta

  • Flag of Moldova

    Moldova

    Chișinău

  • Flag of Monaco

    Monaco

    Monaco

  • Flag of Montenegro

    Montenegro

    Podgorica

  • Flag of Netherlands

    Netherlands

    Amsterdam

  • Flag of North Macedonia

    North Macedonia

    Skopje

  • Flag of Norway

    Norway

    Oslo

  • Flag of Poland

    Poland

    Warsaw

  • Flag of Portugal

    Portugal

    Lisbon

  • Flag of Republic of Ireland

    Republic of Ireland

    Dublin

  • Flag of Republic of Kosovo

    Republic of Kosovo

    Pristina

  • Flag of Romania

    Romania

    Bucharest

  • Flag of Russia

    Russia

    Moscow

  • Flag of San Marino

    San Marino

    City of San Marino

  • Flag of Serbia

    Serbia

    Belgrade

  • Flag of Slovakia

    Slovakia

    Bratislava

  • Flag of Slovenia

    Slovenia

    Ljubljana

  • Flag of Spain

    Spain

    Madrid

  • Flag of Sweden

    Sweden

    Stockholm

  • Flag of Switzerland

    Switzerland

    Bern

  • Flag of Ukraine

    Ukraine

    Kyiv

  • Flag of United Kingdom

    United Kingdom

    London

  • Flag of Vatican City

    Vatican City

    Vatican City

Tips to play better

  • The Slavic horizontal trio

    Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia all show white, blue and red horizontal stripes. Russia keeps the field bare, Slovakia adds a coat of arms shifted to the hoist with the double cross of Saint Cyril, Slovenia adds a coat of arms with Mount Triglav and three stars. Look for the emblem first.

  • Scandinavian crosses

    Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland all use the off-centred Nordic cross. Denmark is white on red, Sweden yellow on blue, Norway red and white on dark blue, Finland blue on white, Iceland red and white on blue. Memorise the colour pair and the country falls out.

  • Tricolour parents and children

    France's vertical blue, white and red inspired Italy, Ireland, Belgium and Romania. Italy is green, white, red. Ireland is green, white, orange. Belgium is black, yellow, red with thinner proportions. Romania is blue, yellow, red. Lock the leading colour from the hoist.

  • Unique shapes and emblems

    Switzerland and Vatican City are the only two square national flags. Cyprus shows the country's silhouette in copper-orange on white with two olive branches. Albania shows a black double-headed eagle on red. Turkey, Tunisia and North Macedonia each carry a single distinctive symbol that lifts ambiguity instantly.

Frequently asked questions

Which European flag is the oldest still in use?

The Dannebrog of Denmark is generally considered the oldest national flag still in continuous use. According to legend it fell from the sky on 15 June 1219 during the Battle of Lindanise. The earliest documented use is from the fourteenth century, and its current proportions were fixed by royal decree in 1748.

Why are the Swiss and Vatican flags square?

Switzerland adopted the square format in 1889 to set its flag apart from civil ensigns and to recall the cantonal banners of the medieval Confederation. Vatican City uses the square form too, with yellow and white halves and the keys of Saint Peter beneath the papal tiara on the white side.

How do I separate Romania from Chad if they look identical?

The two flags are deliberately the same proportions and colour bands. Romania uses cobalt blue, Chad uses a deeper indigo blue. Chad has formally complained at the United Nations several times. In a quiz context, the European pool excludes Chad, so any vertical blue-yellow-red answer here is Romania.

Are micro-states included?

Yes. Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican appear in the European pool. Their flags are often the hardest because the layouts echo bigger neighbours. Liechtenstein blue and red with a gold crown was added in 1937 after its flag was found identical to Haiti's at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

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