Benelux flag

Few people pay attention to the flags of international unions, although they too carry some information and have their own history. The Benelux flag, it turns out, has never been officially recognized. But in spite of this, we can find it on the Internet and effortlessly identify which countries it relates to.

This is what the modern Benelux flag looks like:

History of the emergence of the Benelux and its flag

To begin with, it is necessary to understand what the Benelux is. In today’s world there are many different kinds of international organizations, beneficial from different points of view. Some are large communities, such as the UN, NATO, etc. Others include just a few countries: BRICS, Benelux, the African Union, etc. Each union has specific goals and missions, and member states benefit from their own membership.

The Benelux is an interstate organization of the neighboring countries Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, which was formed in 1958. The name of the union was obtained by merging the names of its constituent states. Some experts argue that the Benelux was the prototype of the current European Union. The creation of the union led to a simplification of the political, economic and customs situations between the countries. Thus, the objectives of the union are:

• economic interaction between the three countries on the most favorable terms;
• coordination of the policies of the members of the union;
• common economic relations of the three countries with the outside world.

After its formation, the Benelux had its own councils, secretariats, parliament and court, serving the needs of the organization. Of course, it did not do without a distinctive sign – the flag. It is the unofficial symbol of the union, by which you can immediately determine the connection with the three states. It appeared in 1957-1958. The design of the flag was developed by a Dutch manufacturer at the request of the new organization.

According to representatives of the organization, this symbol has never been officially adopted or approved.

It was not necessary, and was used only a few times at small events.

Description of the Flag

The flag, like the name of the union, is an amalgamation of the symbols of the three states.

The flag is based on a cloth of three horizontal stripes with an aspect ratio of 2:3, with a lion standing on its hind legs turned to the left in the center.

Flag colors

The upper red stripe is borrowed from the flag of Luxembourg; the blue stripe at the bottom is from the Netherlands. The middle stripe is white with a black cloth in the middle. The black color was taken from the Belgian flag.

The central symbol, a lion with a red tongue out and white claws, is the symbol of all three countries and is depicted on their coats of arms. However, the fact that it stands on its hind legs, turned to the left, and its golden color indicate its greater affiliation to the Belgian coat of arms.

Meaning of colors and flag symbol

Usually each detail on the symbols has a certain meaning and hidden meaning. The colors and the image of the Benelux flag also carry some information.

Flag colors:

• The red color of the flag’s upper band represents courage and bravery.
• The blue stripe and the white parts of the central stripe symbolize freedom.
• The black section of the cloth denotes the shield protecting the lion.

The lion, an ancient symbol, is used on the coats of arms of many nations. The lion, with its tongue protruding on the flag of Benelux, is a symbol of strength and nobility, and as the lion is the king of beasts, it represents the power of royalty on coats of arms. In addition to the above, the lion is a historical symbol of these territories because:

• represents the revolution after which Belgium was formed;
• Since ancient times it has been the symbol of the Netherlands.

General information about Benelux

Map of Benelux