Liechtenstein vs Haiti
Liechtenstein and Haiti both use horizontal blue-over-red bicolors. Liechtenstein features a golden Prince's coronet in the upper hoist canton. Haiti features a white rectangular panel in the center bearing the national coat of arms with palm tree and cannons.
- Proportion
- 3:5
- Adopted
- 1937
Colors
- Blue #002B7F
- Red #CE1126
- Gold #FFD100
- Proportion
- 3:5
- Adopted
- 1986
Colors
- Blue #00209F
- Red #D21034
- White Panel #FFFFFF
Look foron Liechtenstein
Look foron Haiti
- Golden princely crown (coronet) in upper left cantonWhite rectangular center panel containing national coat of arms
- 3:5 aspect ratioCoat of arms shows a royal palm topped by a Phrygian cap of liberty, flanked by cannons and flags
- Colors originate from the 18th-century princely household liveryCurrent constitution restored this design in 1986 (Duvalier black-red era ended)
- Motto on ribbon: 'L'Union Fait La Force' (Unity Makes Strength)
Which flag is Liechtenstein?
The Olympic Shock That Redesigned Two Nations
The confusion between Liechtenstein and Haiti produced the most famous flag mix-up in sporting history. In August 1936, athletes from across the globe gathered in Berlin for the Summer Olympics. When the opening ceremonies commenced, officials were stunned to see that the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Republic of Haiti had entered the stadium under identical plain blue-over-red bicolors.
Neither nation had interacted diplomatically prior to the Games. Liechtenstein had derived its blue and red from the court livery of Prince Joseph Wenzel in the 18th century. Haiti had created its flag during the Haitian Revolution in 1803 when revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines famously tore the white stripe from the French tricolor to represent the expulsion of French colonizers.
After the mix-up, Liechtenstein's government added the gold prince's crown to the blue stripe. The new design was adopted on June 24, 1937, under Prince Franz I, so the two flags could be told apart.
Telling them apart
- Haiti's civil flag is technically allowed to be flown plain (without the coat of arms) within Haiti, but the state flag always incorporates the white central rectangle.
- Liechtenstein's crown is detailed with pearls and a cross, colored in gold and red.
- This 1936 Olympic incident remains the textbook case for why international registries of national symbols exist.
Questions
Did Haiti also change its flag after 1936?
Haiti did not change its design immediately because its formal state flag already included the coat of arms, but international protocol began enforcing the mandatory inclusion of the arms on international stages to avoid ambiguity.
What does the motto on Haiti's coat of arms mean?
The motto 'L'Union Fait La Force' is French for 'Unity Makes Strength', celebrating the alliance of revolutionary forces that led to Haitian independence.
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