Triband (flag)

The flag of Austria - a simple horizontal triband

The former flag of South Africa - a charged horizontal triband

The flag of France - a simple vertical triband, and also a tricolour

The flag of Canada - a vertical triband with uneven bands and a defacement

The flag of Neuchâtel - one of the few and more notable examples of a square triband.

The triband is one of the most common designs of flag, and is the design of some 30% of all current national flags.

As the name suggests, the main feature of the design of a triband is three parallel bands of colour. Many non-vexillologists use the term tricolour to describe these flags, but technically a tricolour is simply a type of triband. Tricolours by definition have three colours, whereas this is not the case with all tribands, which often feature two bands of the same colour separated by a band of a different colour.

In its simplest form, the triband consists of three equally sized horizontal or vertical stripes and nothing else. Examples of horizontal tribands include the national flags of Austria and Germany, and examples of vertical tribands include the national flags of Nigeria and France. In each of these pairs, the second named flag is also a tricolour.

Diagonal tribands are less common, and often do not have stripes of equal areas or widths. An example is the flag of the Republic of the Congo. Such flags are often not considered tribands by vexillologists, but rather are described as having a single diagonal stripe (heraldically, a bend) on a one- or two-coloured background (or field).

More complex tribands include flags charged or defaced with an emblem (such as the national flag of Croatia) or flags with bands of unequal size (such as the national flag of Colombia). The most famous complex triband is arguably the national flag of Canada, which is charged with a maple leaf and has bands of uneven size. The ratio of the bands on this latter flag (1:2:1) has led to the term Canadian pale to refer to any central vertical band on a triband which is twice the size of the bands on either side.

Some tribands, such as the flag of the Gambia, are fimbriated. This means that between the stripes there are narrower stripes. This is sometimes done to increase contrast between multiple stripes or to follow the rule of tincture, though in some cases the fimbriation also has specific symbolism.

List of tribands

Below is a list of tribands organised by continent. Some of them are charged, i.e. they have some additional symbol apart from the three simple coloured fields.

Africa

Tricolours

• Cameroon (charged)
• Chad
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Egypt (charged)
• Ethiopia (charged)
• Gabon
• Ghana (charged)
• Gambia (fimbriated)
• Guinea
• Kenya (fimbriated; charged)
• Lesotho (charged)
• Libya (charged)
• Malawi (charged)
• Mali
• Mozambique (fimbriated; charged)
• Niger (charged)
• Puntland
• Senegal (charged)
• Sierra Leone
• Somaliland (charged)
• Sudan

Other tribands

• Botswana (fimbriated)
• Nigeria
• Swaziland (fimbriated; charged)

North and South America

Tricolours

• Bolivia (both charged and uncharged versions in use)
• Colombia
• Ecuador (charged)
• Mexico (charged)
• Paraguay (charged)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (charged)
• Venezuela (charged)

Other tribands

• Argentina (charged)
• Barbados (charged)
• Belize (charged) (bars are more unequal than most)
• Canada (charged)
• El Salvador (charged)
• Guatemala (charged)
• Honduras (charged)
• Nicaragua (charged)
• Peru (both charged and uncharged versions in use)
• Suriname (fimbriated; charged)

Asia

Tricolours

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan (charged)
• Afghanistan (charged)
• India (charged)
• Iran (charged)
• Iraq (charged)
• Tajikistan (charged)
• South Ossetia
• Syria (charged)
• Uzbekistan (fimbriated; charged)
• Yemen

Other tribands

• Cambodia (charged)
• Laos (charged)
• Lebanon (charged)
• Mongolia (charged)
• North Korea (fimbriated, charged)

Europe

Tricolours

• Andorra (charged)
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia (charged)
• Estonia
• France
• Germany
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Moldova (charged)
• Netherlands (oldest tricolour)
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia (charged)
• Slovakia (charged)
• Slovenia (charged)

Other tribands

• Austria
• Latvia
• Spain (charged)

Oceania

• French Polynesia (charged)
• Norfolk Island (charged)

Former nations and former national flags

Tricolours

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• The flag of the Republic of Alba
• The flag of Alsace-Lorraine (charged)
• The flag of the Anconine Republic (charged)
• The flag of Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt
• The flag of Araucania and Patagonia
• 30px The flag of the Austrian Littoral
• The flag of the Grand Duchy and Republic of Baden
• The flag of the Batavian Republic (charged)
• The flag of Biafra (charged)
• The flag of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (charged)
• The flag of Bushmanland
• The flag of Cabinda
• The flag of the Duchy of Carinthia
• An early flag of Chile, disused since 1817
• The flag of the Cisalpine Republic
• The flag of the Cispadane Republic
• The flag of the Cisrhenian Republic
• The flag of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (charged)
• The flag of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
• 30px The flag of Eastern Rumelia (red, white, blue)
• The flag of East Germany (charged)
• The flag of the Free State of Fiume (red, yellow, blue)
• The flag of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria 1849-1890 (blue, red, yellow)
• The flag of Germany 1871-1918 (black, white, red)
• The flag of Gran Colombia (charged)
• The flag of Grenada 1967-1974 (charged)
• The flag of the Helvetic Republic (charged)
• The flag of Hereroland
• The 1959-1963 flag of Iraq (charged)
• The flag of KwaNdebele (blue, yellow and green, and charged)
• The flag of Lebowa (blue, white and green, and charged)
• The flag of Libya 1969-1977 (charged after 1972)
• The flag of the Duchy and Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• The flag of the Duchy and Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• The former flag of Mari El (charged)
• The flag of the Kingdom of Montenegro (charged)
• The flag of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro (charged)
• The flag of Neutral Moresnet
• The flag of North Yemen 1962-1990 (charged)
• The flag of Ovamboland (charged)
• The flag of the Parthenopean Republic
• The flag of the Principality of Reuss-Gera
• The flag of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz
• The flag of the Socialist Republic of Romania (charged)
• The former flag of Rwanda (charged)
• The flag of the Saar Protectorate (blue, white and black)
• The flag of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
• The flag of Schaumburg-Lippe
• The flag of the Kingdom of Serbia (charged)
• The flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia (charged)
• The flag of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia (charged)
• The former flag of South Africa, during the apartheid era. (1928-1994)
• The former flag of Spain, during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936) (red, yellow, purple and charged)
• The flag of Suvadiva (charged)
• The flag of Transcaucasia (yellow, black, red)
• The flag of Transkei (brown, white, green)
• The flag of Upper Volta
• The flag of Yugoslavia (charged after 1945)
• The flag of Zanzibar 1964

Other tribands

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• The flag of Belarus in 1918 and 1991-1995.
• The flag of Gazankulu (charged)
• The flag of the Grand Duchy and People's State of Hesse
• The flag of Rhodesia (charged)
• The flag of Prussia from 1892-1935 (charged)

Non-national tricolours

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Africa

• The African National Congress flag (black, yellow and green)
• The flag of the Berberist movement (blue, green and yellow, and charged)
• The flag of Busoga (charged)
• The flag of Darfur (charged)
• The flag of the Lord's Resistance Army
• The "Marcus Garvey's UNIA" flag
• The flag of Ogaden (charged)
• The flag of Oromia (charged)
• The flag of Rwenzururu region (charged)

Asia

• 30px The flag of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (charged)
• The flag of Bandung (green, yellow and blue)
• The flag of Bodoland
• The flag of Bohol (charged)
• The flag of Buryatia (charged)
• The flag of Chin State (blue, red and green, and charged)
• The flag of Evenk Autonomous Okrug (charged)
• The flag of Kayah State (red, blue and green, and charged)
• The flag of Kayin State (blue, white and red, and charged)
• The flag of the Khmer Krom
• The flag of the Khuzestan Arabs (charged)
• 30px The flag of the Kapampangan people (charged)
• The flag of Krasnokamensk (charged)
• The flag of Kurdistan (charged)
• The flag of Labuan (charged)
• The flag of the Minangkabau people
• The flag of Penang (charged)
• The flag of Perak
• The flag of Shan State (yellow, green and red, and charged)
• The flag of Yekaterinburg (yellow, blue and green, and charged)

Europe

Western Europe

• The flag of Besançon
• The flag of the Canary Islands (charged)
• The flag of Carinthia (yellow, red and white)
• The flag of Charleville-Mézières
• 30px The flag of East Frisia (black, red and blue)
• The flag of Extremadura (green, white and black, and charged)
• The flag of Gelderland (blue, yellow and black)
• The flag of Gelsenkirchen
• 30px The flag of Heligoland
• The flag of the Ladin people
• The flag of Liguria (green, blue and red, and charged)
• The flag of Lower Saxony (charged)
• The flag of Lucena (charged)
• The flag of Mannheim
• The flag of Münster
• The cantonal flag of Neuchâtel (charged)
• The flag of North Frisia (yellow, red and blue)
• The flag of North Holland
• The flag of North Rhine-Westphalia
• The flag of Olvera (charged)
• The flag of Rhineland-Palatinate (charged)
• flag of Saarland (charged)
• The flag of Schleswig-Holstein
• The flag of the Sorbs (red, blue and white)
• 30px The flag of Torremolinos (charged)
• The flag of the Tornedalians
• The flag of Villacarrillo (charged)

Eastern Europe

• The flag of Białystok (charged)
• The flag of Bielsko-Biała (charged)
• The flag of Bucharest (blue, yellow and red, and charged)
• The flag of Bydgoszcz (charged)
• The flag of Crimea
• The flag of the Donetsk People's Republic (black, blue, red and charged)
• The flag of Františkovy Lázně
• 30px The flag of Gorzów Wielkopolski
• The flag of Grudziadz
• The flag of Hradec Králové
• The flag of Jelenia Góra (charged)
• The flag of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
• The flag of Lesser Poland Voivodeship
• The flag of the Livonian people (green, white and blue)
• The flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (Light blue, blue, red and charged)
• The flag of Mariánské Lázně
• The flag of Odessa (red, white and yellow, and charged)
• The flag of Opočno
• The flag of Ostrołęka
• The flag of Płock
• 30px The flag of Rijeka (charged)
• The flag of the Rusyns (blue, white and red, and charged)
• The flag of Transylvania
• The flag of Zabrze
• The flag of Żarów
• The flag of Żmigród

European Russia

• The flag of Bashkortostan (charged)
• The flag of Dagestan
• The flag of Kabardino-Balkaria (charged)
• The flag of Karachay-Cherkessia (charged)
• The flag of Karelia
• The flag of Komi
• 30px The flag of Komi-Permyak (charged)
• The flag of Krasnodar Krai (charged)
• The flag of Mordovia (charged)
• The flag of North Ossetia-Alania
• 30px The flag of Samara (red, white and blue, and charged)
• The flag of Udmurtia (charged)

North America

• The Acadian flag (charged)
• The flag of Albany (orange, white and blue, and charged)
• The flag of the Cascadia national movement (charged)
• The flag of Cleveland (charged)
• The flag of Columbus (charged)
• The flag of Fresno, California (charged)
• The state flag of Iowa (charged)
• The flag of Kansas City (blue, white and red, and charged)
• The Flag of Labrador (charged)
• The flag of Los Angeles (charged)
• The flag of Miami (orange, white and green, and charged)
• The state flag of Mississippi (charged)
• The state flag of Missouri (charged)
• The flag of Newfoundland
• The flag of New Orleans (charged)
• The flag of New York City (charged)
• The official flag of Queen's University at Kingston (red, gold and blue)
• The flag of San Diego (dark red, white and yellow, and charged)
• The flag of San Jose, California (orange, white and blue, and charged)
• The flag of Santa Barbara, California (charged)
• The flag of Yukon (charged)

South America

• The state flag of Alagoas (red, white and blue, and charged)
• The flag of Armação dos Búzios (charged)
• The flag of Armenia, Colombia
• The flag of Avaré (charged)
• The flag of Chaco Province (charged)
• The flag of Córdoba Province (charged)
• The state flag of Espirito Santo (blue, white and pink, and charged)
• The flag of Ipatinga (charged)
• The flag of Ipiales
• The flag of Itaguaí (charged)
• The flag of Lavalleja Department (charged)
• The flag of Manizales
• 30px The flag of Maracaibo (charged)
• The flag of Maringá (charged)
• The flag of Misiones Province
• The flag of Nova Friburgo (charged)
• The flag of Ñuñoa (charged)
• 30px The flag of Ovalle
• The flag of Placilla
• The flag of Presidente Prudente (charged)
• The flag of Río Negro Province (charged)
• The flag of Rocha Department
• The flag of Santa Fe Province (charged)
• The flag of Sincelejo
• The flag of Teresópolis (charged)
• The flag of Timóteo (charged)
• 30px The flag of Valledupar
• The flag of Villavicencio
• The flag of Zipaquirá

Other

• The unofficial flag of Mars, advocated by the Mars Society and flown (insofar as it is possible) in space.

Other non-national tribands

Africa

• The flag of Buganda (charged)
• The flag of Lagos (charged)

Asia

• The flag of Putrajaya (charged)

Europe

Western Europe

• The flag of Amsterdam (charged)
• 30px The flag of Antwerp
• The flag of Andalusia (charged)
• The flag of Avilés (charged)
• The flag of Berlin (charged)
• The flag of Bonn (charged)
• The flag of Delft
• The flag of Dordrecht
• The flag of Groningen
• The flag of Hamm (charged)
• The flag of Herne (charged)
• The flag of Jerez de la Frontera (charged)
• The flag of Karlsruhe
• The flag of Leuven
• The flag of Leyden (charged)
• The flag of La Línea de la Concepción
• The flag of Madeira (charged)
• The flag of Motril (charged)
• The flag of Mönchengladbach (charged)
• The flag of Mons
• The flag of Rotterdam
• The flag of Saint-Tropez
• The flag of Savona
• The flag of Schwerin (charged)
• The flag of Senlis
• The flag of Talavera de la Reina (charged)
• The flag of Trento (charged)
• The cantonal flag of Zug

Eastern Europe (including Russia)

• The flag of Ingushetia (charged)
• The flag of Jablonec nad Nisou (charged)
• The flag of Kaunas (charged)
• The flag of Maardu
• The flag of Plovdiv (charged)
• The flag of Rybnik
• The flag of Silesian Voivodeship
• The flag of Skierniewice (charged)
• The flag of Ulyanovsk (charged)
• The flag of Võru
• The flag of Vukovar (charged)
• The flag of West Pomeranian Voivodeship (charged)
• The flag of Żagań

North America

• The flag of Atlantic City, New Jersey (charged)
• The flag of Birmingham, Alabama (charged)
• The state flag of Colorado (charged)
• 30px The flag of Cumberland Head, New York (charged)
• The flag of Edmonton, Alberta (charged)
• The flag of Hamilton, Ontario (charged)
• The flag of the Northwest Territories (charged)
• The flag of Philadelphia (charged)
• The flag of Pittsburgh (charged)
• 30px The flag of Raleigh (charged)
• The flag of Saint Paul, Minnesota (charged)
• The flag of Toledo, Ohio (charged)

South America

• The flag of Asunción (charged)
• The flag of Chapecó (charged)
• The flag of Entre Ríos Province (charged)
• The flag of Linhares (charged)
• The flag of Nilópolis (charged)
• The flag of La Pampa Province (charged)
• The flag of Recife (charged)
• The flag of Río Negro Department (charged)
• The flag of San Juan Province (charged)
• The flag of São Joaquim (charged)
• The flag of Tucumán Province (charged)