Colombia vs Venezuela
Both use Francisco de Miranda's yellow, blue, and red from Gran Colombia. Colombia keeps a double-height yellow band (2:1:1) and no stars. Venezuela uses three equal stripes and an arc of eight white stars on the blue band. Ecuador shares Colombia's 2:1:1 layout but adds a centered coat of arms.
- Proportion
- 2:3
- Adopted
- 1861
Colors
- Yellow #FCD116
- Blue #003893
- Red #CE1126
- Proportion
- 2:3
- Adopted
- 2006
Colors
- Yellow #FFCC00
- Blue #00247D
- Red #CF142B
- White #FFFFFF
Look foron Colombia
Look foron Venezuela
- Yellow occupies the top half (2:1:1)Three equal horizontal bands
- No stars or coat of arms on the national flagArc of eight white five-pointed stars on the blue stripe
- 2:3 ratio; current layout from November 26, 1861Eighth star added March 12, 2006, for the historic province of Guayana
Which flag is Colombia?
One Tricolor After Gran Colombia Split
Francisco de Miranda raised yellow, blue, and red in 1806. Gran Colombia took that tricolor as its flag. When the republic broke apart in 1830, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela each kept the colors instead of inventing new ones.
Colombia kept Miranda's uneven yellow (twice the height of blue or red) and left the field plain. Venezuela moved to equal stripes and put stars on the blue band for the provinces that backed independence. In 2006 the star count became eight when Guayana was added.
Ecuador kept Colombia's 2:1:1 bands and centered the condor coat of arms. Civil Ecuador without arms can match Colombia's layout; Venezuela's equal stripes and star arc stay distinct even without the state arms in the canton.
Telling them apart
- Measure the yellow. Half the flag is Colombia (or Ecuador). One-third of the flag is Venezuela.
- Count stars on the blue band: eight in an arc is Venezuela. Colombia has none.
- Venezuela's state flag may add arms at the hoist; the civil flag still shows the stars.
Questions
Why does Venezuela have eight stars?
The stars stand for provinces that supported independence. The eighth star, added in 2006, represents Guayana.
Where does Ecuador fit?
Same 2:1:1 yellow-blue-red as Colombia, with the national coat of arms in the center. Compare Colombia vs Ecuador for that pair.
More lookalikes
Colombia vs Ecuador
Ecuador has the Emblem (condor); Colombia is Clean and plain.
Chad vs Romania
Chad has the darker, deeper indigo blue; Romania uses brighter royal cobalt.
Monaco vs Indonesia
Monaco is miniature and squarish (4:5); Indonesia is island-wide (longer 2:3 rectangle).
Australia vs New Zealand
New Zealand has No Commonwealth Star and uses red stars; Australia uses all-white seven-pointed stars.