Romania
Brighter cobalt blue at the hoist
- Ratio 2:3, three equal vertical bands.
- The current plain tricolour dates from 1989, when the socialist emblem was cut out of the flag during the revolution.
Romania vs Chad: two blue-yellow-red tricolours
Short answer:A darker, more indigo blue band indicates Chad; Romania's blue is a brighter cobalt. Both are 2:3, so shade and context are the only practical tests.
Romania and Chad use the same three vertical bands in the same order. The difference is limited to the shade of blue and, in practice, to the source of each design.
Side by side
Chad
Darker indigo blue at the hoist
- Ratio 2:3, three equal vertical bands, adopted in 1959 before independence.
- The design combines the French tricolour tradition with pan-African yellow and red.
How to tell them apart, in order
- 1.Compare the blue band against a known reference; Chad's is visibly deeper.
- 2.Do not rely on the yellow or red bands — they are effectively the same.
- 3.Where the image is unreliable, use context: the flags are otherwise indistinguishable at a glance.
Worth knowing
Moldova and Andorra use the same three colours but add a coat of arms to the central band, which removes any ambiguity.