Thenational flag ofAndorra (Bandera d'Andorra) features a verticaltricolour of blue, yellow, and red with thecoat of arms of Andorra in the center. The centre yellow bar is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of bar widths is 8:9:8 with an overall flag ratio of 7:10.
The civilian variant of the flag without a coat of arms was created in 1866. Although throughout the 19th and 20th century there were variant designs based on this, carrying a variety of arms and occasionally switching from vertical to horizontal stripes, the design was standardized in 1993 afterAndorra joined theUnited Nations.
The design is related to the flags ofCatalonia,Foix andFrance,[1] the lands historically linked with the small country. Thecoat of arms of Andorra in the center of the flag contains historical symbolism to theCatholic bishop of Urgell, theCount of Foix, thePrincipality of Catalonia, and theViscounty of Béarn. The inclusion of the coat of arms makes it one of 28 national flags to contain overtlyChristian symbolism[2] and it is one of two national flags to portraycattle, together with theflag of Moldova, which is visually similar and features the head of a bull. A flag of three bars is similar to that of theFrench tricolor, while the pattern of a wider middle stripe can be noted on the Spanish flag. The motto in the coat of arms (written inGoudy Old Style) in the middle stripeVirtus Unita Fortior means "Virtue United is Stronger". The blue and red of the Andorran flag are also found on the French flag, with red and yellow also being the colors of theCatalonian flag (as the old royal symbol of theCrown of Aragon) and the arms of the oldCounty of Foix (currently part of France).[3][4]
The official colors of the Andorran flag are set out in the "Graphic regulations for reproducing the shield and flag" from the Oficina de Marques del Principat d'Andorra and approved by the government of Andorra on May 5, 1999.[5] The colors of the flag are:
A variant of the modern flag is said to have been designed byNapoleon III, with the blue stripe representingFrance. The adoption of the new flag coincided with the New Reform led byGuillem d'Areny-Plandolit, who may be the real creator of the flag. The package of reforms was first adopted by the EpiscopalCo-Prince, BishopJosep Caixal i Estradé on April 22, 1866 and three years later by Napoleon III.[6][7] The flag from this period remains the official civil flag today, but due to its similarity to other national flags it is rarely used.
The circumstances surrounding the introduction of the horizontal version of the flag are unknown. It is also unknown whether this was the only version at that time. In his 1898 book"Through the High Pyrenees" byHarold Spender he wrote:
We were not fortunate enough to see theAndorran Council General in session, any more than we witnessed the fetes and dances which were seen by M. Vuillier on the occasion of the Feast of St. Etienne. During the session the Andorran flag—with three horizontal lines of blue, yellow, and red, and a crown in the centre— hangs out of the window. A description of the meeting of the Council has been given by M. Vidal...[8]
Horizontal flags were used until the end of the 1930s, in the meantime, theSpanish flag waschanged to a similar one. The flag with crown is sometimes associated with the activities ofBoris I, but there is no evidence for this.[9]
Around 1939, the vertical arrangement was returned and a coat of arms was added. The yellow lane was probably widened later. Until the introduction of an official, standardized design in theConstitution of April 28, 1993, the flag variants differed from each other. An additional impulse to unify the flag were the plans to join theUnited Nations, which took place on 28 July 1993.[9][10]
^Green, Michael (20 March 2015)."Flags, for God's Sake".brandingthenations.com.Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved3 February 2020.
^Whitney, Smith."Flag of Andorra".Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved11 March 2020.
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