Ireland
Green at the hoist, orange at the fly; ratio 1:2
- The long 1:2 shape is a dependable secondary check.
- The tricolour was presented in 1848 and given constitutional status in 1937.
Ireland vs Ivory Coast: mirrored green and orange tricolours
Short answer:Green at the hoist is Ireland. Orange at the hoist is Ivory Coast. Ireland is also longer, at 1:2 against 2:3.
Both flags are vertical tricolours in green, white and orange. They are mirror images of one another, which makes them easy to swap when a picture is flipped or seen from behind.
Side by side
Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
Orange at the hoist, green at the fly; ratio 2:3
- Adopted in 1959, shortly before independence.
- The shorter 2:3 shape makes the bands look wider than Ireland's.
How to tell them apart, in order
- 1.Find the hoist — the side attached to the pole — and check which colour is next to it.
- 2.If there is no pole in the image, compare the shape: a markedly long flag suggests Ireland.
- 3.Be careful with mirrored photographs and with flags seen from the reverse side.
Worth knowing
India is sometimes added to this group, but its bands are horizontal and it carries a 24-spoke wheel.