Belgium Flag

Belgium's flag comprises three equal vertical bands of black, yellow, and red — the colours of the Duchy of Brabant's coat of arms: a golden lion with red claws on a black field. The flag is nearly square, with an official 13:15 ratio (slightly taller than wide).

The vertical layout distinguishes Belgium from the Netherlands (horizontal red-white-blue). The colour order runs left to right: black at the hoist, yellow in the centre, red at the fly.

The Belgian Revolution of 1830 ousted Dutch rule. Revolutionaries improvised a cockade and flag from the Duchy of Brabant's heraldic colours. The provisional government officially adopted the tricolour on 23 January 1831.

Originally the stripes were horizontal, mirroring the Brabantian tradition. The National Congress rotated them to vertical bands in 1831, distinguishing Belgium from the Netherlands' horizontal flag and creating the design used today.