Flags of Europe Quiz
Tricolours, Nordic crosses and double-headed eagles: 15 questions on the flags of Europe.
Which country's flag is a vertical tricolour of blue, white and red?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
France
The French tricolore dates from the Revolution, combining the red and blue of Paris with the white of the monarchy. The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Russia all use horizontal stripes instead.
The tricolore inspired dozens of other national flags, which is why so many European flags are three equal stripes.
Which country's flag is a vertical tricolour of green, white and red?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Italy
Italy's green, white and red bands were adopted in their modern form in 1946, based on a design first used by the Cispadane Republic in 1797. Hungary and Bulgaria use horizontal stripes and Ireland's third colour is orange.
Mexico's flag has the same colours in the same order, but with the national coat of arms in the central white band.
Which country's flag is a horizontal tricolour of black, red and gold?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Germany
Germany's black, red and gold stripes trace back to the uniforms of volunteers who fought Napoleon and became the flag of the 1848 revolution, the Weimar Republic and, from 1949, the Federal Republic.
Belgium uses the same black, yellow and red colours but arranged in vertical stripes with black at the hoist.
Which country's flag is a blue field with a yellow Nordic cross?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sweden
Sweden's blue and yellow cross flag has been used since the sixteenth century and was formally adopted in 1906. Finland's cross is blue on white, while Norway and Iceland use red and blue.
The off centre Nordic cross is modelled on Denmark's Dannebrog, said by legend to have fallen from the sky during a battle in 1219.
Which country's flag is two horizontal bands of blue over yellow?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ukraine
Ukraine's flag is usually explained as a blue sky above a field of golden wheat. The colours come from the medieval arms of Lviv and were adopted by the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1918.
Ukraine formally readopted the blue and yellow flag on 28 January 1992, shortly after independence from the Soviet Union.
Which country's flag is a vertical tricolour of green, white and orange?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ireland
Ireland's flag places green for the Gaelic and Catholic tradition and orange for the Protestant followers of William of Orange on either side of a white band for peace between them.
The flag was first flown publicly in 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher, who was inspired by the French tricolore.
Which country's flag is a red field with a blue cross outlined in white?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Norway
Norway's flag, designed in 1821, adds a blue cross edged in white to the red field of the Danish flag. Iceland reverses the scheme with a red cross outlined in white on blue.
Because its colours include the red, white and blue of several other flags, Norway's flag has been nicknamed the mother of all flags.
Which country's flag has nine horizontal stripes of blue and white with a white cross in the upper hoist corner?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Greece
Greece adopted the striped design in 1822 during its war of independence. The cross stands for the Greek Orthodox Church, and the nine stripes are popularly linked to the nine syllables of the motto Freedom or Death.
Blue and white were chosen because the Ottoman flag was red, giving the rebels an unmistakable contrast on the battlefield.
Which country's flag is white over red with a blue triangle at the hoist?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Czech Republic
The Czech flag was adopted by Czechoslovakia in 1920, adding a blue wedge to the white and red of Bohemia to avoid confusion with Poland. The Czech Republic kept it after the 1993 split.
Slovakia objected to the Czechs keeping the flag, since the 1992 dissolution agreement said neither state should use Czechoslovak symbols.
Which country's flag features a red and white checkerboard shield in the centre of a red, white and blue tricolour?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Croatia
Croatia's checkerboard, the šahovnica, has been a Croatian symbol since at least the sixteenth century. The modern flag, adopted in 1990, tops the shield with a crown of five smaller historic coats of arms.
The red and white checkerboard pattern is famous worldwide from the shirts of Croatia's national football team, who wore it to the 2018 World Cup final.
Which country's flag is a plain horizontal tricolour of white, blue and red with no coat of arms?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Russia
Russia's white, blue and red stripes were introduced by Peter the Great in the 1690s, apparently inspired by the Dutch flag, and were restored in 1991. Slovakia and Serbia add coats of arms and the Netherlands puts red at the top.
Because the Russian flag was adopted by the Pan-Slavic movement in 1848, several Slavic nations chose the same three colours.
Which country's flag is a red field with a black double-headed eagle?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Albania
Albania's eagle comes from the seal of Skanderbeg, the national hero who fought the Ottomans in the fifteenth century. The country's own name for itself, Shqipëri, is popularly linked to the word for eagle.
Montenegro also uses a double-headed eagle, but in gold on a red flag with a golden border.
Which country's flag shows a copper coloured map of the country above two olive branches on a white background?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Cyprus
Cyprus adopted the design at independence in 1960. The copper colour recalls the island's ancient copper mines, and the olive branches symbolise peace between its Greek and Turkish communities.
Cyprus and Kosovo are the only two countries in the world whose national flags show a map of the country.
Which country's flag is red with a yellow sun whose eight rays stretch to the edges of the flag?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia adopted the eight rayed sun in 1995 after Greece objected to its previous flag, which used the sixteen rayed Vergina Sun associated with the ancient Macedonian royal family.
The country added North to its name in 2019 under the Prespa Agreement, ending a 27 year naming dispute with Greece.
Which country's flag is a white and red vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the upper hoist corner?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Malta
Malta's flag carries the George Cross, a British gallantry medal awarded to the whole island by King George VI in 1942 for its endurance under heavy bombing in World War II.
Malta's traditional white and red colours are said to come from the standard of Count Roger of Sicily, who took the island from the Arabs in 1091.
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All Geography quizzes →About the Flags of Europe Quiz
Europe's flags tell the continent's story in colour. The Nordic cross links five northern countries, the French tricolour inspired flags from Italy to Ireland, and a black double-headed eagle has flown over Albania since the fifteenth century.
Each of these 15 questions describes a flag in words and asks you to name the country. The early ones cover the big tricolours most people can picture, then things get harder with checkerboards, maps, suns with eight rays and a flag that carries a British medal. It suits anyone who enjoyed the Flags of the World quiz and wants a tougher European round, plus students, travellers and football fans who have seen these flags in the stands.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
Which European countries use a Nordic cross flag?
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland all use an off centre cross. Denmark's Dannebrog is the oldest, in continuous use since at least the fourteenth century.
Which European flags are easiest to confuse?
Common mix ups include the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Monaco and Poland, Romania and Moldova, and the four Slavic tricolours of Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Serbia.
Does this quiz repeat the Flags of the World quiz?
No. Every question here is new and focuses only on Europe, with more attention to the smaller countries and the symbols that set similar flags apart.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which country's flag is a vertical tricolour of blue, white and red?
France The French tricolore dates from the Revolution, combining the red and blue of Paris with the white of the monarchy. The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Russia all use horizontal stripes instead. The tricolore inspired dozens of other national flags, which is why so many European flags are three equal stripes. - Which country's flag is a vertical tricolour of green, white and red?
Italy Italy's green, white and red bands were adopted in their modern form in 1946, based on a design first used by the Cispadane Republic in 1797. Hungary and Bulgaria use horizontal stripes and Ireland's third colour is orange. Mexico's flag has the same colours in the same order, but with the national coat of arms in the central white band. - Which country's flag is a horizontal tricolour of black, red and gold?
Germany Germany's black, red and gold stripes trace back to the uniforms of volunteers who fought Napoleon and became the flag of the 1848 revolution, the Weimar Republic and, from 1949, the Federal Republic. Belgium uses the same black, yellow and red colours but arranged in vertical stripes with black at the hoist. - Which country's flag is a blue field with a yellow Nordic cross?
Sweden Sweden's blue and yellow cross flag has been used since the sixteenth century and was formally adopted in 1906. Finland's cross is blue on white, while Norway and Iceland use red and blue. The off centre Nordic cross is modelled on Denmark's Dannebrog, said by legend to have fallen from the sky during a battle in 1219. - Which country's flag is two horizontal bands of blue over yellow?
Ukraine Ukraine's flag is usually explained as a blue sky above a field of golden wheat. The colours come from the medieval arms of Lviv and were adopted by the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1918. Ukraine formally readopted the blue and yellow flag on 28 January 1992, shortly after independence from the Soviet Union. - Which country's flag is a vertical tricolour of green, white and orange?
Ireland Ireland's flag places green for the Gaelic and Catholic tradition and orange for the Protestant followers of William of Orange on either side of a white band for peace between them. The flag was first flown publicly in 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher, who was inspired by the French tricolore. - Which country's flag is a red field with a blue cross outlined in white?
Norway Norway's flag, designed in 1821, adds a blue cross edged in white to the red field of the Danish flag. Iceland reverses the scheme with a red cross outlined in white on blue. Because its colours include the red, white and blue of several other flags, Norway's flag has been nicknamed the mother of all flags. - Which country's flag has nine horizontal stripes of blue and white with a white cross in the upper hoist corner?
Greece Greece adopted the striped design in 1822 during its war of independence. The cross stands for the Greek Orthodox Church, and the nine stripes are popularly linked to the nine syllables of the motto Freedom or Death. Blue and white were chosen because the Ottoman flag was red, giving the rebels an unmistakable contrast on the battlefield. - Which country's flag is white over red with a blue triangle at the hoist?
Czech Republic The Czech flag was adopted by Czechoslovakia in 1920, adding a blue wedge to the white and red of Bohemia to avoid confusion with Poland. The Czech Republic kept it after the 1993 split. Slovakia objected to the Czechs keeping the flag, since the 1992 dissolution agreement said neither state should use Czechoslovak symbols. - Which country's flag features a red and white checkerboard shield in the centre of a red, white and blue tricolour?
Croatia Croatia's checkerboard, the šahovnica, has been a Croatian symbol since at least the sixteenth century. The modern flag, adopted in 1990, tops the shield with a crown of five smaller historic coats of arms. The red and white checkerboard pattern is famous worldwide from the shirts of Croatia's national football team, who wore it to the 2018 World Cup final. - Which country's flag is a plain horizontal tricolour of white, blue and red with no coat of arms?
Russia Russia's white, blue and red stripes were introduced by Peter the Great in the 1690s, apparently inspired by the Dutch flag, and were restored in 1991. Slovakia and Serbia add coats of arms and the Netherlands puts red at the top. Because the Russian flag was adopted by the Pan-Slavic movement in 1848, several Slavic nations chose the same three colours. - Which country's flag is a red field with a black double-headed eagle?
Albania Albania's eagle comes from the seal of Skanderbeg, the national hero who fought the Ottomans in the fifteenth century. The country's own name for itself, Shqipëri, is popularly linked to the word for eagle. Montenegro also uses a double-headed eagle, but in gold on a red flag with a golden border. - Which country's flag shows a copper coloured map of the country above two olive branches on a white background?
Cyprus Cyprus adopted the design at independence in 1960. The copper colour recalls the island's ancient copper mines, and the olive branches symbolise peace between its Greek and Turkish communities. Cyprus and Kosovo are the only two countries in the world whose national flags show a map of the country. - Which country's flag is red with a yellow sun whose eight rays stretch to the edges of the flag?
North Macedonia North Macedonia adopted the eight rayed sun in 1995 after Greece objected to its previous flag, which used the sixteen rayed Vergina Sun associated with the ancient Macedonian royal family. The country added North to its name in 2019 under the Prespa Agreement, ending a 27 year naming dispute with Greece. - Which country's flag is a white and red vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the upper hoist corner?
Malta Malta's flag carries the George Cross, a British gallantry medal awarded to the whole island by King George VI in 1942 for its endurance under heavy bombing in World War II. Malta's traditional white and red colours are said to come from the standard of Count Roger of Sicily, who took the island from the Arabs in 1091.
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