Andorra Flag Colors, Meaning & History

Color Palette
ColorsHEX CodeRGBCMYK
Blue#10069F16, 6, 15990, 96, 0, 38
Yellow#FEDD00254, 221, 00, 13, 100, 0
Red#D50032213, 0, 500, 100, 77, 16
Brown#C6AA76198, 170, 1180, 14, 40, 22

The Flag of Andorra consists of three vertical stripes, colored blue, yellow, and red. On the central yellow stripe, there is the national Coat of Arms, which is represented by a quartered shield. Under the quartered shield, you can see the motto “Virtus unita fortior,” which is written in Latin.

Andorra Flag Meaning

The flag of Andorra borrowed its colors from the Spanish and French flags, as a symbol of the protection this little country enjoyed from these two nations. The red and yellow are taken from the Spanish flag, while the red and blue are taken from the French flag. The coat of arms includes the bishop of Urgel’s miter and crosier and the three red bars that stand for the Count of Foix, who were Andorra’s co-princes. On the quartered shield also appear the four red bars that represent Catalonia in Spain, and the two cows representing Bearn in France. The motto “United Strength is Stronger” refers to the double strength that the country takes from Spain and France.

Andorra Flag History

The flag of Andorra dates back to the year 1806. In its earliest versions, it was made of horizontal stripes of red and yellow, which then turned into vertical stripes. The public used the flags without the coat of arms on the middle stripe. Later, in 1866, the blue stripe was added. The design of the flag is thought to have been made by Napoleon III. In 1934, A Russian nobleman was proclaimed Andorra’s king, known as Boris I, who adopted the horizontal tricolored version with a crown in the middle yellow stripe. Thirteen days later, the rule of Boris I ended, and the vertical striped version with the coat of arms in the middle yellow stripe was officially adopted. In 1993, Andorra joined the United Nations, and its current flag became the final official version.