Flag of Belgium

Kingdom of Belgium

Use	National flag
Proportion	13:15
Adopted	23 January 1831; 194 years ago (1831-01-23)
Design	A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red.
Use	Civil ensign
Proportion	2:3 or similar
Design	A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red.

The national flag of the Kingdom of Belgium is a tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France. When flown, the black band is nearest the pole (at the hoist side). It has the unusual proportions of 13∶15, and therefore, unlike the flags of Switzerland and the Vatican City, it is not a perfect square.

In 1830, the flag, at that time non-officially, consisted of three horizontal bands, with the colors red, yellow and black. On 23 January 1831, the National Congress enshrined the tricolor in the Constitution, but did not determine the direction and order of the color bands. As a result, the "official" flag was given vertical stripes with the colors black, yellow and red.